An older preacher once told me that you should preach about things that cause you to struggle, and one of those things I struggle with is worry. And we have lots of reasons we think we should worry, from finances to world events to personal crises. Recently, however, I’ve been studying about some things that have been helping me with worry. Perhaps they will help you too.
Anxiety comes from a sense of isolation, of helplessness, of being overwhelmed by a particular situation. Matthew 6:25-34 begins by saying we should not be overcome with worry. Jesus is not telling us this as general advice. This is a direct command. We should not be distracted, nor should we feel choked by the asphyxiating influence of anxiety. If we are honest with ourselves, how many of the things we’ve worried about have actually turned out as bad as we feared?
Placing Faith in God
We overcome anxiety initially with trust and faith. We are good at being control freaks, and I once heard a quote that said you can determine the size of someone’s god by the size of their worry list; the bigger the list, the smaller the god. Our anxiety is a sign that our faith needs to increase. In Matthew 6:28, Jesus appeals to nature as evidence of how God will care for us, citing that flowers of the field are dressed better than even Solomon. We know God will take care of us, but we become worried about things that God is simply not that worried about.
Psalm 56:4 says:
In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?
Mark 5:25-34 is a simple story of faith where one woman has the faith to reach out to Christ in the midst of a debilitating illness. She let go of control and demonstrated complete faith in this savior. We should be so willing to place our complete trust in Him and lay our burdens on Him, no matter how great they seem to us.
Seeking God
If we are completely placing our faith in Him, then we will seek him with prayer and study. Philippians 4: 6-7 and I John 5:14 both speak about the power of prayer, and, in the case of Philippians, Paul was writing about this power while in custody. Despite his circumstances, Paul is able to release his anxiety and place his trust in God, and he can do this because he knows God’s promises. He goes time and again to God in prayer, placing his burdens at his Father’s feet.
We must have the right focus if we are going to seek God in such trust. Matthew 6:33 calls on us to seek God’s kingdom first and foremost, and, earlier in the lesson, Jesus tells us we cannot seek both God and materialism in verse 24. Anxiety over our worldly concerns pulls us away from seeking God, much like Martha lost sight of hearing Jesus in the face of preparing her home for guests. Reality doesn’t go away, but we have to be able to put this world in perspective against eternity.
Leaning On Our Family
Beyond leaning on God, we can share our burdens with each other. We are stronger and more focused when we face our troubles together as a Christian family. Romans 15:1 simply says to bear each other’s burdens, but we must be willing to share our burdens with each other so we can lift each other up. We can only have the peace that passes understanding if we are willing to trust. It is a peace that Christ has purchased for us, but we must be willing to trust. We have to trust in God. We have to trust in His word. We have to be able to trust each other. Let’s lay aside the weights that drag us down, seek God together in faith and prayer, and help each other out of the burdens of this life.
lesson by Derek Weaver
