Anxiety and worry are somehow linked to our trust in God’s care for us.
Jesus said meditating on how God cares for birds and flowers helps cure anxiety because, if we go deep enough and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we get grounded in God’s infinite far-beyond-the-limits-of-our-comprehension care and faithfulness.
“Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. . . . Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field . . .” (Matt. 6:26-30).
Sorting out Stress
Acute Stress
Acute stress is good for people. Some people run toward those situations to experience it. Think about extreme sports or bear hunting with a bow.
When you are cresting a mountaintop on an icy highway with a 2-wheel-drive car, acute stress kicks in. All your senses go on high alert. It is easy and natural to focus completely on the beauty and amazement of the current moment.
Chronic Stress
Chronic stress, on the other hand, is bad for your health. Chronic stress is that cloud of concerns that follows you around and over which you have no power. Think about the news, other people’s problems, social media speculations, and forecasts about the future. It will eventually manifest in bad health, affairs, addictions, etc. We were not created to live with chronic stress.
A Suggestion:
Step 1: Make a List
Think about the things that make you anxious. Write them on a piece of paper so you can see them. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you make a complete and honest list.
* Will I have enough savings for retirement?
* Will I have nice enough clothes for the wedding?
* Will our government leaders destroy our country?
* Do the people in my church practice their Christianity as well as I do?
* What would happen if I got sick?
* Am I getting as much as I deserve at work?
* What is my responsibility to correct behavioral and doctrinal issues in our church?
* Is there secret knowledge available to help me escape evil?
* Do I have secret addictions that I feel powerless to resolve?
* Is my friend true?
* Why does one group of close friends now avoid me?
* Does God care for me when bad things happen?
* Etc.
* Etc.
Step 2: Sort Your List
- Pray about which items God wants you to work on.
- For example, if you have offended someone, could you plan to ask forgiveness to do your part? The Bible is clear about each of us taking responsibility if we know someone is offended at us (Matt. 5:23-24). Sometimes things cannot be resolved, like if someone got seriously hurt because of a careless moment. We can still ask forgiveness for our part and ask if there is anything we can do to make things as right as possible. It may start a healing conversation. Remember, their response is not our responsibility (Rom. 12:18).
- Maybe you feel convicted of overspending. What might be helpful? Could you get counsel about stewardship?
- Etc.
- Break down each actionable item with as many small steps as possible. Buy a book. Talk to someone who is doing what you want to learn.
- Do at least one small step daily, and you will gain a sense of empowerment. Your chronic stress becomes actionable and dissipates as it turns into acute stress as you work with the Holy Spirit on your issues.
- Give the rest of the list to Jesus.
- Do not pick up the list you gave to Jesus when you leave your prayer place.
- Your brain wants to help you by worrying about all your stuff when you relax. Tell your brain, “Thank you, but I have given that concern to God, and He is taking care of it for me. I don’t need to worry about that anymore.”
- Pay attention to what you feed your soul.
- Newscasters are trained to get emotional reactions.
- What social and news media attracts you?
- How does it make you feel?
- At the end of the day, does your media intake increase your sense of God’s faithfulness?
- Psalm 1 says that if we feed our souls the right diet, we will become like Trees of Life to our people.
- Part of your diet may include frequent alone time where you can watch and think about birds, flowers, and God’s care.
- Feed your spirit on God’s Word and prayer. If you have trained your brain for years to worry, it may take a while to retrain it. Be actively patient. Your brain wants to help you and can learn new habits if you persist. Ask God for help.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to increase your capacity to appreciate Him each moment. Ask God to show you secrets about how amazingly He cares for creation. Ask for an increased capacity to love and appreciate your nuclear family, your extended family, your church family, your work colleagues, and the strangers you meet. These are your people. Ask God to empower you daily to see them and to bless the ones He wants to bless.
- Prayerfully review your progress on a regular basis. You may want to set aside one hour weekly for this precise purpose.
- Tell someone about your progress. When you tell someone, your story will become more real to you. If you do not tell anyone, your story will start to fade, but when we tell people, our stories become who we are, and others will be blessed because they are struggling too.
- Take regular times to enjoy God, enjoy life, enjoy your people . . . God longs for you to enjoy Him in your spectacular setting.
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34).
My Addiction Story
The Bible is full of narrative lessons. “Here is what so and so did, and this is how it worked out for him.” I see our testimonies as narrative lessons. They are not doctrines or formulas, but this is how it worked out for me in this situation.
In the late 70s / early 80s, I smoked two packs of cigarettes a day for seven years. When I moved to a remote location, Eagle Plains hotel in the Northern Yukon. For three years I lived with 11 other people 20 km South of the Arctic Circle. We discussed everything over endless coffees and meals through the cold, dark winters. One day my friends told me Christians couldn’t smoke. “How do you know? You’re not a Christian.” They looked at me smugly and said, “It’s just one of the many things we know.”
I had a few problems with this. I was addicted to smoking and could not quit. I liked smoking. And almost everyone I knew smoked. It was often extremely cold outside. One winter, it did not get above -30 for three months. This meant the doors and windows stayed shut. A thickly smoke-filled room was synonymous with celebrations and fellowship. When the occasional person quit smoking, they detested what everyone else liked. They were so obnoxious they became anti-social.
On the other hand, I did not like being addicted to an expensive, unhealthy habit. I tried and tried to quit. Unsuccessfully. It started to rob my joy. I would throw my cigarettes away, only to beg them off my friends during the day. Finally, they asked me not to try quitting anymore. I asked the Holy Spirit for help.
Then I read Matt 6:25-33. Jesus’ counsel is straightforward. Worry is disobedience.
I thought about my situation.
A. I could smoke and worry – possibly two sins.
B. I could smoke and not worry – possibly one sin.
I opted for less sin as the best way forward. I told the Lord I did not want to smoke but needed His help because I was addicted. When God did choose to deliver me from smoking, I asked that I would not be an obnoxious person like others I knew that quit. At that time I thought that if God would deliver me from smoking, that would compare to David killing Goliath. Nothing would be impossible with God’s empowerment.
Two weeks later, while reading the Bible and smoking in the hotel room where I lived, I realized I did not have to smoke any more. I finished that cigarette. Over the next few weeks, I continued to carry a package of smokes, and I may have smoked one or two more, but the addiction was broken. I still like the smell of cigarettes. And God has increased my capacity from victory to victory, and there are always bigger challenges ahead.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.