By Dr. Leigh Marlar
Confession time…I am a worrier. I have struggled with worry and anxiety most of my life. I can really relate to Paul when he wrote “therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-8). Anxiety is the thorn in my flesh.
Unfortunately, I am not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders are reaching epidemic proportions affecting nearly 50 million Americans. Stress-related ailments cost $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And it is not just adults that are suffering. Anxiety disorders among teens and children are increasing at an alarming rate. According to psychologist Robert Leahy “the average child today exhibits the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s.” Why are we so anxious and, more importantly, what can we do about it?
As Max Lucado states in his book Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, it is not God’s will that we lead a life of perpetual anxiety, facing every day with dread and trepidation. God has a greater plan for us. He knows what we go through and He knows what we need. He even gave us a prescription for anxiety!
Philippians 4:4-8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 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. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
The Bible is the most highlighted book on Kindle and Philippians 4:6-7 is the most highlighted passage. Max Lucado says this passage should be in the Scripture Hall of Fame! Five verses with four admonitions that lead to one wonderful promise.
The passage spells out a prescription for CALM.
Celebrate God’s goodness (verse 4).
Ask God for help (verse 6).
Leave your concerns with him (verse 6).
Meditate on good things (verse 8).
First, we are to rejoice in the Lord, always. To rejoice in the Lord we must have a deep belief in God’s sovereignty over our lives. The more we believe in HIS control, the more we relinquish OUR control. Remember the Lord is always near.
Next, we should present our requests to God. The primary call to action in the fight against anxiety is prayer. God promises he will hear and answer our prayers. He wants to hear from us and we should be specific with our prayers. Paul calls us to pray with gratitude in verse 6. Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits God has provided to us in life. Finding our contentment in Christ is the key to finding joy. What we have in Christ is greater than anything we do not have in life.
When we leave our concerns with him, the peace of God will guard our hearts. God is always with us and always helps us. He never promised a life without storms (see John 16:33), but he promised to be with us when we face them.
Finally, meditate on good things. Our minds are constantly under attack. The enemy tries to invade our minds with lies, thoughts that we aren’t good enough, that no one will ever love us, or that everyone is against us. The good news is that while there are many things in life over which we have no control, we get to choose what we think about! The best way to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent is by attaching ourselves to the One who embodies these things—abide in Christ, remain in Him (see John 15:4).
Philippians 4:4-8 -- memorize these verses! Write them on sticky notes and post them in your car, on your desk, in your refrigerator! Anywhere you will see them and they will remind you how to live a life of CALM. Ask God to bring them to your mind when you find yourself worrying or becoming anxious about anything. God does not want us to live in a state of anxiety. That is not his plan or purpose for our lives. In our weakness, He is made strong…
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Reference:
Max Lucado, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2017).
Passage Guide: Acts 20 & Psalm 54