Be anxious for nothing, right?
Jobs. Relationships. Money. Time. The past. The future. Self-image. The list goes on.
There are so many things in our lives that are important to us, and that we often become anxious about to one degree or another. Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders of our day, and social media has only poured gasoline on that fire.
Anxiety is suffocating millions of people, leaving them feeling trapped and alone with no way out. But, I am so glad to tell you, if this is you, there is a way through! God, our perfect Creator, has mentioned anxiety in the Bible many, many times--although due to translation, you may find it described as trouble, fear, anguish, worry, and so on. But that doesn't make the Bible's truths about anxiety any less relevant for each of us today. We'll look at five Bible verses that speak to what we can do about anxiety in our hearts; but first, let's consider a case study from the Old Testament, if you will.
The Determination of David
David was an honorable, God-fearing man, and a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). By God's power, he slayed Goliath, a giant warrior (yes, a literal giant) who fought for the Philistines, an enemy nation wanting to take over Israel. Some time after this great victory, David found himself running and hiding from King Saul, a man he once faithfully served. Saul had become jealous of David's victories in war and his rising popularity in the nation, and Saul felt threatened by it. So, like any good and honorable man would do, he hunted David with the intention of killing him. This is where we find David in Psalm 27:1-3.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
There are some important keywords in this passage! Let's break them down:
The Lord is -- when circumstances in our lives are beyond our control, that's just it: we can't control them! But the comforting fact is that when you entrust your soul and your circumstances to God, you are free to focus on who He is during those turbulent times. His faithfulness never changes, even if your day unexpectedly does.
Whom shall I fear? -- this wasn't David expressing confidence in his own abilities. Based on the situation he was in, he definitely didn't have the upper hand! He had been cast out by Saul, left alone to hide in the wilderness, while Saul chased him with an army at his disposal. And yet, David said: "Whom shall I fear?...Of whom shall I be afraid?" That is the power of faith in God; it is understanding that God is infinitely bigger than anything we could ever face. He has already seen it and has already planned for it in our lives.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear -- David was not relying on his feelings to get through this. No amount of positive thinking or good vibes was going to bring him closer to God through this situation. Instead, he reminded his own heart about the truth of God. It is very important for us to do the same, especially in a world that is constantly telling us to follow our hearts. Here is what the Lord says about the human heart and the value of trusting Him:
Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"
Trusting in the Lord brings stability to your heart and mind, even though things in your life may be falling apart. God doesn't always rescue us from our uncomfortable circumstances, but He always promises us help, strength, peace, and refuge through those things. Why? Because when we obey Him by trusting in His promises instead of in ourselves, we glorify Him!
Put your trust in God! He will never fail you. Even if it feels like He isn't there for you, and you doubt that He is anything more than an uncaring force in the universe, go to His Word and remind yourself of the truth.
There's that word--submit. The one thing we as humans do NOT want to do. We are under the impression that we can be and do anything we want in this life, and that is partially true! But when it comes to who is actually leading our lives, and who has the power to forgive our sins and sustains us, we can't take the credit for that. Without God's grace and creativity, we would not even be alive right now. Submission to God means understanding that God is higher than man, and that we are dependent on God for our lives, much like a baby is fully dependent on its parents or someone to take full care of them.
Honestly, you can't hold onto God and actively choose anxiety, too. If it is something you struggle with regularly, understand that surrendering those anxious thoughts, feelings, and attitudes to God is the best thing you can do with them! And you may need to surrender again and again--having a relationship with God is a constant and daily thing! But that is the beauty of His grace. He will never stop loving you enough to want to transform your heart and your life. What a great comfort that is!
We submit to God through prayer and by obeying His Word. When we pray with a truly broken heart that renounces our fragile independence, and then ask God to give us a new heart that loves His Word, focuses on His promises, and clings to His character when there is nothing else to hold on to--that's how we submit our anxiety to God. Pray through what you're struggling with and have faith in the fact that God hears, He is with you, and He is unchanging!
Also, it's important to note that the above verse does not mean that you need to try to clean up your life before coming to Christ. To cleanse you hands and purify your heart means to repent of your sin and devote your life to glorifying God in all that you do--including walking in His peace. He grants the gift of salvation to those whose hearts are truly open to it. I pray that that describes you!
So, here are 5 verses that you can speak to your heart when anxiety hits.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Submit to God
If you need prayer, please reach out!
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 to talk to someone about it. You are not alone!