Having Peace in Every Circumstance, Part 3
Believers often find themselves living in contradiction to the world, and we should. The runaway anxiety and constant fear that grips so much of the world does not have the same hold on us—or at least, it shouldn’t. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at anxiety from a biblical perspective, and examining God’s care and provision for His people, and how that should free us from worry.
Having Peace in Every Circumstance, Part 2
It’s only through God’s grace that believers can face every circumstance with calm, assured peace. Anxiety does not have to reign in our hearts—we can hold fast to God’s peace and provision through any of life’s storms.
We’ve been looking at the nature of the peace God grants to believers, as explained in Paul’s prayer from the church at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, 18.
Having Peace in Every Circumstance, Part 1
Any anxious Christian would love to have this prayer offered on his behalf: “May the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. . . . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Those powerful, encouraging words come from the apostle Paul at the end of his second letter to the Thessalonian church (2 Thessalonians 3:16, 18). They serve as a potent reminder of where we can and should turn when anxiety threatens—to “the Lord of peace Himself.”
Casting Your Cares on God, Part 2
A prideful heart cannot find rest in God’s sovereignty. A person who values his or her own plans, opinions, and desires above all else has nowhere to turn when worry creeps in. In fact, pride paves the way for an anxious heart.
The basis of that trust is the loving care God has repeatedly shown us. You cast your anxiety on Him when you’re able to say, however haltingly, “Lord, it’s difficult. . . I’m having trouble handling this trial, but I’m giving You the whole deal because I know You care for me.”
Casting Your Cares on God, Part 1
The apostle Peter was a worrier. He worried about drowning when he was walking on water, even though Jesus was right there with him (Matthew 14:29-31). He worried about what was going to happen to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, so he pulled out his sword and tried to take on a battalion of Roman soldiers (John 18:2-3, 10). And when he worried about Jesus being crucified, Peter ordered God Himself not to go to the cross (Matthew 16:22).
Replacing Worry with the Right Focus
God’s Word is clear—believers are not to be given over to anxiety. But it’s not simply a cold, abrupt command to stop worrying. Scripture is clear that we shouldn’t focus on the plans, needs, and uncertainties of tomorrow, but it’s also clear about where our focus should be instead.
This is what Jesus said to His followers, and the same instructions hold true for us today: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
The Folly of Worry in Light of Our Future
Much of our anxiety is born out of concerns and uncertainty regarding our future. We get caught up in our plans and programs, overlooking the blessings of today and obsessing over uncontrollable details on the horizon.
Jesus said, “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew6:34). In effect He was saying, “Don’t worry about the future. Even though it will have its share of problems, worrying about those problems now doesn’t accomplish anything. Just deal with them as they come, for there’s no way to solve them in advance.”
Planning and providing for tomorrow is good, but worrying about it is sin because God is the God of tomorrow just as He is the God of today. Your anxiety about the future is really doubt in the Lord’s sovereign control.Lamentations 3:23 tells us His mercies “are new every morning.” Put your confidence in the Lord’s daily grace and provision and you’ll be less prone to panic about an uncertain future.
The Incompatibility of Faith and Anxiety
If you worry, what kind of faith do you manifest? “Little faith,” according to Jesus (Matthew 6:30). If you are a child of God, you by definition have a heavenly Father. To act like you don’t, nervously asking, “What will I eat? What will I drink? What will I wear for clothing?” is to act like an unbeliever in God’s eyes (vv. 31-32).
Christians who worry believe God can redeem them, break the shackles of Satan, take them from hell to heaven, put them into His kingdom, transform their nature, and give them eternal life, but just don’t think He can get them through the next couple of days. That is pretty ridiculous. We can believe God for the greater gift and then stumble and not believe Him for the lesser one.
The Worrier Strikes Out at God (more…)
Our Father Overcomes Our Anxiety, Part 2
God is sovereignly in control of all things. That fact alone ought to dispel much of our anxiety. And when we consider the Lord’s fatherly care for His people, we see just how foolish, unnecessary, and impotent our worry truly is.
Worry Is Unable to Accomplish Anything Productive
In Matthew 6, Jesus gives us an extremely practical observation that highlights the folly of worry: “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew6:27). Not only will you not lengthen your life by worrying, but you will probably shorten it. Charles Mayo, cofounder of the Mayo Clinic, made the observation that worry adversely affects the circulatory system, heart, glands, and the entire nervous system. In the medical journal American Mercury, Mayo said he never knew anyone who died of overwork, but he knew many who died of worry. You can worry yourself to death, but you’ll never worry yourself into a longer life.
Our Father Overcomes Our Anxiety, Part 1
One of the most hopeless aspects of unrepentant sinners’ lives is that they have no answer for anxiety. They’re forced to put their hopes in flimsy, fallible plans and institutions. They aren’t able to rest firmly in the unchanging promises of God—they have to ride out every wave of calamity, every unexpected disaster.
Our relationship with the Lord is one of the best guards we have against descending into crippling anxiety. Because of who our heavenly Father is, we don’t need to worry about finances, the basics of life, and what we eat, drink, and wear. Have we forgotten what He’s like?
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