The world’s most famous quote on anxiety was penned by a man under quarantine.
Basically. The apostle Paul is under house arrest. He can’t leave, he can’t go to church or the store or restaurants. He doesn’t have social media, so maybe he has it better than us. But maybe not. He battles debilitating anxiety at times.
And so do we. Anxiety is in the air. I just went for a short walk, somewhat unsettled myself. I heard a dad yelling at his kids. We’re all on edge.
But thousands of years prior, Paul instructs us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7
Side note here, as Paul’s plans are dashed and frustrated by frequent arrests, he has space and time to write his letters (the New Testament), read, cherished and memorized by billions today. In his lowest point, he had his greatest accomplishment. God ruined Paul’s plans to give him even better ones.
But back to anxiety. There are lots of little hacks we can implement. We should get outside, find ways to exercise (I’ve been working those youtube ab workouts), get enough sleep, try and eat right, and set social media and news media limits. Connect relationally with others.
But for Paul, the real anecdote to anxiety is prayer and thanksgiving. Jesus calls this: “seeking God’s kingdom.” As many of us know, as Paul and Jesus knew, this anecdote isn’t not a one-time vaccine. It’s a repeated action, a learned habit, a daily practice and a life-long process. Paul knows something about working through pain, fear, uncertainty, and anxiety:
“I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” -2 Corinthians 11:23-28
And obviously so much could be said about the anxieties that Jesus carried (for us!). So away with quick fixes, something I hope this short post doesn’t promote. This will take work, but you’ll be so much better for it. And so much closer to God through it.
When Paul talks about prayer and petition, I think this refers to a few things.
1) Cast Your Cares on God
What if you and I turned all our complaining, all our pent-up anxieties, all our facebook-venting and twitter-ranting into psalm-like praying? The biblical word for this is lament. And you know what, there IS a lot to lament about right now: little kids miss their friends, high school seniors miss their sports team, millions are worried about work, fearful for our families. I’m unsure about our upcoming wedding. As a church, we lament our inability to gather together, to hug and have potlucks and communion.
We’re not wrong to anxiously lament. This is what we’re encouraged and commended to do:
“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. . .” Psalm 55:22a
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:7-8
How do I do this?
Fight anxiety by verbalizing or write out your fears, and pray: “God, I give this to you.”
I also think this very effective when we communicate and pray with others. Because as we talk and pray, the fears sometimes lose some of their power as they get out of our own head.
2) “With Thanksgiving.” Paul reminds us to fight for gratitude. We can lament for a while, but at some point, we need to end our psalm with an expression of confidence, like “But you are good, and you’ve always taken care of me. You are my rock and my refuge in times of turbulence.” Thanksgiving alters our perspective, reminding us of what we DO HAVE, instead of being overly consumed with what don’t have. Gratitude is a contented fullness, worry a chaotic emptiness.
Fight anxiety today by making a list and thanking God for ten things you’re thankful for.
3) Seek First God’s Kingdom: Serve Others
Jesus’ own words on worry strike me as always relevant: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [Or where can I find toilet paper??] For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” -Matthew 6:31-34
So much here. But I think “seek his kingdom” means a concern for more than just my interests, but also the interests of others, and the interests of God. And there’s something about a focus on other people that is going to not leave a lot of room for fear. Fear can be very selfish, self-motivation, other-excluding. A scarcity mindset. But when we extend God’s love and peace to others, we’re going to experience more of it for ourselves. Kingdom Giving: the more you give, the more you get. I take care of my neighbor, and God takes care of my tomorrow.
Fight anxiety today by serving someone else, calling or checking in on them.
What has God been teaching YOU about fear, worry, and anxiety during this last week?
-Tyler
