Anxiety Helps No One

In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
--Philippians 4:6-7 WEB*


When we are anxious about something, whether it is something really good or something really bad, we desire a resolution of that something to the point of distraction of everything else in our lives. Anxiety is very powerful in that way, affecting us mentally, emotionally and physically. Mentally, we tend to focus all our resources on that object, whether they can have an affect or not. Emotionally, we hang all our current and future joys and sorrows on that object. And physically, our bodies take the toll by going along on the highly charged ride that our minds and emotions have created.


Anxiety is different from the mechanism of fear. Fear occurs in the presence of an observed threat, and that fear can trigger specific behaviors of escape and avoidance in order for us to resolve that fear. In contrast, anxiety can often occur without an identifiable trigger and therefore without any possible steps of resolution. Without a plan of action we just sit and spin, and spin, and spin.


Anxiety makes us useless to God. He cannot get our attention because we are simply not listening. When we are calm, when we are at peace, when we are focused on Him rather than ourselves, then He can comfort us and we can be His instruments. Often, the focus of our anxiety is resolved in the process of reconnecting with God. If it is not, we can bring our problems to Him through prayer and thank Him for taking care of us. And if our problem still does not goes away, that’s Okay, too, because God has promised to always be with us and support us.

* WEB - The World English Bible, a Public Domain, Modern English translation of the Holy Bible developed by Rainbow Missions, Inc. URL: ebible.org


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