Overcoming Anxiety
One of the first things the Bible tells us anxiety brings is found in Luke 12:22-24. “And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?”
This passage shows us that anxiety is directly related to a lack of faith. Maybe you have never doubted God’s ability to work, but have you doubted His willingness to work for you? I have heard people say before, “I know God can, I am just not sure He will for me.” This lack of faith hinders God’s answering your prayers. It says in James 1:6-8, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” It isn’t that God doesn’t want to answer your prayers, and meet your needs, it is your lack of faith that hinders Him.
The next thing that anxiety brings is a lack of vision. Luke 10:38-42 says, “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Martha was “careful and troubled” Jesus said. Her anxiety took away the vision that Mary saw, that of the joy of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Anxiety often causes a singular focus on a problem to the neglect of all the other gifts of God in your life.
Anxiety over one thing can steal your joy in all others. Many times those involved in the work of the Lord can find themselves with the same problem as Martha, we are in the same room as the Lord, and yet our hearts are far from Him. We allow ourselves to be “careful and troubled about many things” and forget that one thing that is needful. How to get back to that one needful thing is what we will address in just a little bit.
Then we find in Romans 14:23 “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”
Anxiety is operating without faith, which is sin. It separates you from God. It is unfortunate that it is one of those things that can become so familiar to the heart that a person can almost feel awkward not being anxious. It becomes a personality trait and we excuse it as such saying “that is just how I am”, instead of acknowledging that it is sin and contrary to God.
