Will God Get it Right? The Accusation of the Worrier

An individual characterized by worry is a person who is uncertain if God will get things right. Not only is the worrier unsure as to whether God will get it right, but the worrier will typically take matters into their own hands.

The worrier is, by default, a controller. If there is uncertainty about God’s ability to get things right (according to the worrier’s expectations and preferences), the only logical conclusion is that someone else needs to be in charge. Thus, the worrier ascends the throne and takes control of the situation.

A Crisis of Faith

There are at least two things wrong with the worrier’s understanding of the situation:

• The worrier has a particular outcome in mind, a result the Lord may not want (Genesis 50:20).

• The worrier has an insufficient understanding of the gospel.

The most concerning issue for the worrier is the misunderstanding of the gospel. Imagine this: if the Father predetermined in eternity past that He would execute His Son on a cruel cross to solve humanity’s future and most significant problem, don’t you think there is no length He would go to for your benefit? See Ephesians 1:3-10; Isaiah 53:10.

Our infinite God judged His beloved Son because of an infinite crime that we committed. The nature of the crime required an infinite price to be paid, thus making finite man’s hope of restoration to God impossible without His intervention.

All of our problems in life appear to be significant because we are so small in comparison to those issues. The puzzle the Lord was solving on behalf of humanity was an infinite problem that a million finite men could never fix. It took our great, inexhaustible and infinite God to remove the problem we created utterly.

The worrier, on the other hand, is functionally saying the problem they are going through is more complicated than the problem God solved through the death and the resurrection of Jesus.

Helping the Worrier

How would you counsel the worrier? Are you more apt to try to help the worrier work through the situational difficulties first, or are you more prone to take the worrier back to the gospel to help them practically to see what God did with the most significant problem ever?

The gospel is the starting place when helping the worrier problem solve. The worrier needs a reintroduction to the Problem Solver. And you want to re-teach the gospel as many times as you need to until the worrier experiences stabilization in God’s ability to do infinitely more than he could ask or think.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21).

If God can solve my biggest problem in life (a broken relationship with Himself), most assuredly I can find rest, hope, and help through Him as I navigate the much lesser problems of life.

The beginning of problem-solving is faith: I believe God is for me (Romans 8:31) and He is working things out for my good (Romans 8:28). If you struggle with worry regularly, I want you to take my challenge of doing the following call to action.

The most effective way to benefit from this assignment is to spend several weeks going over it multiple times. And to enlist the help of a friend so you can discuss what you are learning. It’s imperative for you to permit others into your journey with God pertaining your struggles with worry.

Call to Action

1. Read my article on overcoming self-reliance and work through the “call to action” items at the end of the article.

2. Read my article on the three faith-killers and work through the “call to action” items at the end of the article.

3. Read my article on taking your thoughts captive and work through the “call to action” items at the end of the article.

Posted at: https://rickthomas.net/will-god-get-it-right-the-accusation-of-the-worrier-2/

When You Want More than Manna, Remember This

By Leah Ryg

“Can we please just get something to eat?” the young woman begged her boyfriend again. He was trying to get her to take a romantic walk with him down the orchard lane. He hadn’t expected her to be so irritable right before he popped the big question! Thankfully, though she was “hangry”, my mom’s grumbling didn’t stop her from saying “Yes!” to my dad’s marriage proposal.

“Hangry” is a slang term used when one is angry because of their hunger. Clearly, an empty stomach affects one’s mood! Just one hangry person can be a lot to handle, but imagine leading a whole nation that is complaining. This was the reality for Moses as he led the Israelites through the wilderness. However, the Lord didn’t let them starve. God always gives his people what they need, when they need it.

Strength for Today

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not” (Ex. 16:4).

The Lord heard his people’s grumbling and promised to provide what they lacked. The reason for this was so that they would know he is the Lord and learn to depend on him alone. Exodus 16:21 tells us what happened after the people received the bread:

Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

God gave enough strength for only one day.

Some people gathered little and some much, but God had determined what was the right amount for each individual’s need (Ex. 16:18). Yet some weren’t satisfied with this daily provision and became greedy. When they tried to stash away the manna for tomorrow’s use, it became like that splotchy, green bread molding in the back of your refrigerator (Ex. 16:21).

God wanted the Israelites to rely on him alone for daily strength. He didn’t want them to forget about his provision and assume they could survive without him. The Lord knows us personally and understands our individual struggles and temptations.

I, too, have sometimes been tempted to wonder if God’s provision is really enough. Choosing my major seems impossible without knowing the big picture of my life after college. God hasn’t shown me my future career or how I’ll use what I’m learning in my classes. But, he has given me “manna”—just enough strength and guidance to make the decisions of today. I don’t actually need to know the whole story of my future because I trust the One who is writing it. When I confess my pride, God forgives and frees me to trust him. Like the writer of the classic hymn, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, I have “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” [1]

Don’t Worry. Pray!

When we think of the future, it’s easy to worry about what we’ll eat and wear, but our heavenly Father knows our needs (Matt. 6:31-32). In light of this, Jesus instructs us:

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matt. 6:34).

How can we avoid worrying about tomorrow? We can pray. Jesus taught his disciples to pray using these words: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). When we ask God for “daily bread”, it can mean more than yeast and flour. It can also apply to the needs we have in our relationships with other people. “Daily bread” could be God-given strength to not retaliate at a coworker. It might mean strength to forgive the friend who constantly disappoints you or to love those who have wronged you most. God’s faithful provision of today’s “manna” builds our trust that he will also provide the strength we’ll need tomorrow.

In Matthew 4:4, Jesus tells us the true source of this strength:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Corrie ten Boom is an example of one who courageously relied on God’s word for daily strength. During World War II, Corrie and her family hid many Jews in a secret room in their home, which led to their imprisonment at a Nazi concentration camp. Corrie and her sister valued scripture so much that they risked their lives by sneaking a Bible into the camp. In God’s word, they found strength to endure each brutal day. They chose to rely on God’s promises rather than to worry about the unknowns of their future, even when their lives were on the line. Corrie wisely said,

Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. [2]

More than Manna

Worry reveals the weakness of our sinful, human nature and the painful weight of this broken world. We want more than “manna.” We long to be forever satisfied.

Jesus told his followers:

The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes me in me shall never thirst (Jn. 6:33).

When God provided manna for the people of Israel, he was feeding their temporary, physical needs as a picture of what he can do to meet our eternal, spiritual needs. The hunger of our hearts can’t be filled with bread. This is why we need a Savior. Jesus came down from heaven to save us from our sin so that he might be our hope for eternal life.

Jesus is the “bread of life”, and lasting fullness comes only through him. So, let’s stop trusting ourselves. Instead, let’s keep praying for “daily bread”—for our strength to come from God alone. He is enough manna for today. Praise God for giving us a Savior who rescues us from all our grumbling! No matter how hungry we may be, in Christ our souls can be forever full.

_____

1. Thomas O. Chisholm, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, 1923, public domain.

2. Corrie ten Boom, Clippings from My Notebook (Thomas Nelson, Inc, 1982), 31.

posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2021/01/when-you-want-more-than-manna/

Thankfulness Pushes Anxiety Away

Paul Tautges

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Col. 3:15-16

Luke 17:11–19 tells of the time when Jesus healed ten lepers but only one of them returned to show his gratitude. Christ had healed the leper physically—but, much more importantly, our Lord had also healed the leprosy of the sin in his heart. According to Jesus, this man’s faith made him “well” (Luke 17:19). What distinguished this man from the other nine? He met Jesus as his Savior, not just as a healer. As a result, he became a new creature in Christ. And his soul-saving encounter produced in him a heart of thankfulness.

The thankful leper’s conversion illustrates the new-creature expectation that is found in many New Testament letters—the expectation that sinners saved by grace will be filled with gratitude. The larger context of today’s verses is God’s command to believers to “put off the old self with its practices” and “put on the new self ” (Col. 3:9–10).

Two spiritual disciplines cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

Let the peace of God rule your heart.

An attitude of gratitude is directly connected to whether or not the peace of God rules our hearts. Having the peace of God is different from being at peace with God. Peace with God is positional—it is related to who we are in Christ. We are no longer enemies but friends, submissive kingdom citizens, and children (see John 15:15; Col. 1:21–22; 1 John 3:2). But the peace of God is experiential—it’s a calm assurance that guards our inner person through Word-based trust, the Holy Spirit, and prayer (see Isa. 26:3; Rom. 14:17; Phil. 4:6–7). When God’s peace rules our hearts, anxiety has a harder time getting in. It’s far too easy for us to search for quick fixes to our worries, such as rearranging our circumstances. (Difficult job? Find another one. Difficult relationship? Avoid the other person.) While this may provide us temporary relief, long-lasting experiential peace comes from positional peace. In order for us to quell our anxieties, we must first be made right with God.

Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within you.

Meditating on the Word permits it to sink deeply into our inner person. It challenges and changes our minds’ worries and our hearts’ fears, which produces joy. This joy then produces a desire in us to sing Christ-exalting praise. It seems clear from this text that a thankful spirit flows from a heart that is touched by grace, controlled by the Spirit, and fed by the Word.

So when we are anxious, we should ask, “What’s going on in my heart?” More than likely, we lack the attitude of gratitude that flows from the rule and enrichment of the Word.

Though anxiety and ingratitude are common bedfellows, they should not be a lifestyle for those who know Christ.

• Reflect: When do you sing praise to God? Is the Sunday gathering of God’s people the only time when you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? If so, why?

• Reflect: What changes do you need to make concerning your intake of the Word through reading, study, and memorization? If you are not sure how to make these changes, find a mature Christian and ask for help.

• Act: Begin a “why I’m thankful” list in your journal, and add to it as the Spirit brings to your mind ways in which God’s grace has been poured into your life.

[Adapted from the 31-day devotional, Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace]

Poste at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/11/25/thankfulness-pushes-anxiety-away/

Fear Is Sometimes Evidence of Pride and Our Reluctance to Let Go of Our Control

By Paul Tautges

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6–7).

Anxiety is sometimes the fruit of pride—especially when it is accompanied by prayerlessness. Though we often minimize our lack of prayer, prayerlessness unmasks an independent spirit—it reveals our failure to recognize our weakness and utter dependence on God. When you don’t pray, and when you take on your anxieties by yourself, you show your need for humility before the Lord.

Peter makes this important connection. But notice that before Peter exhorts his readers (who are suffering Christians) to make a habit of bringing their anxieties to God—of throwing them at his feet, so to speak—he issues a call to humility. We must cultivate true humility in ourselves and for ourselves. Like a garment, we must put it on (see Col. 3:12). No human being can do that for us. Yes, others may humiliate us, but only the Spirit’s sanctifying
work can move us to genuinely humble ourselves. In order to do this, we need divine grace to combat pride and unbelief. Today’s verses are loaded with transformative truth for our anxiety-prone hearts. We find a command, its purpose, a manner of obeying the command, and the reason for obeying it.

The command is to humble yourself. Verse 6 begins with “humble yourselves” and is immediately followed by the word “therefore.” This command is preceded by a warning and a promise: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (v. 5). When you humble yourself before God, he gives you more grace. This grace empowers you to resist allowing anxiety about your trials to push you away from God.

The purpose of humility is to help us to exchange self-exaltation with trust in God. Anxiety is often related to our desire for control, which is connected to thinking too highly of ourselves. Peter’s warning is this: If you exalt yourself, you will be humbled by God’s mighty hand. But if you humble yourself, the same “mighty hand of God” will exalt you “at the proper time.”

The manner of humbling yourself is to cast your cares on God. Peter doesn’t simply bark out a command; he tells us specifically how to obey. The way to heed the command to be humble is by “casting all your anxieties” on God. You accomplish this by talking to God and releasing your cares to him by faith. Are you ready to bring your anxieties to the Lord as an act of humility?

The reason to humble yourself in prayer is clear: God cares for you. Peter connects relief from anxiety to an awareness of God’s faithful care. “He cares” is in the present tense in the original Greek, referring to continual action. This is Peter’s way of stressing how much God constantly cares for you. Our anxieties are stoked when we don’t trust that the Lord cares for us. Do you believe that he cares for you?

Casting your cares on God is an expression of moment-by-moment dependence on him, which is a fruit of humility. Why wait? Humble yourself before him right now and bring your anxieties to him.

• Reflect: How might your anxiety show you your need for more grace?

• Reflect: How would you describe your prayer life? What steps do you need to take to humble yourself?

• Act: Prayerlessness is an indicator of pride and self-sufficiency. If this defines you, repent of it right now and ask the Lord for help.

[This post is a chapter excerpt from the 31-day devotional, Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace.]

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/09/02/fear-is-sometimes-evidence-of-pride-and-our-reluctance-to-let-go-of-our-control/

What Makes It Possible for the Christian to Rejoice in the Midst of Pain and Anxiety?

RC Sproul

In 1993, my wife and I were involved in an historic train wreck. The crash of the Sunset Limited into an inlet from Mobile Bay killed more passengers than any Amtrak accident in history. We survived that eerie accident but not without ongoing trauma. The wreck left my wife with an ongoing anxiety about being able to sleep on a train at night. The wreck left me with a back injury that took fifteen years of treatment and therapy to overcome. Nevertheless, with these scars from the trauma we both learned a profound lesson about the providence of God. Clearly, God’s providence in this case for us was one of benign benevolence. It also illustrated to us an unforgettable sense of the tender mercies of God. In as much as we are convinced that God’s providence is an expression of His absolute sovereignty over all things, I would think that a logical conclusion from such a conviction would be the end of all anxiety.

However, that is not always the case. Of course, our Lord Himself gave the instruction to be anxious for nothing to His disciples and, by extension, to the church. His awareness of human frailties expressed in our fears was manifested by His most common greeting to His friends: “Fear not.” Still, we are creatures who, in spite of our faith, are given to anxiety and at times even to melancholy.

As a young student and young Christian, I struggled with melancholy and sought the counsel of one of my mentors. As I related my struggles, he said, “You are experiencing the heavy hand of the Lord on your shoulder right now.” I had never considered God’s hand being one that gave downward pressure on my shoulder or that would cause me to struggle in this way. I was driven to prayer that the Lord would remove His heavy hand from my shoulder. In time, He did that and delivered me from melancholy and a large degree of anxiety.

On another occasion I was in a discussion with a friend, and I related to him some of the fears that were plaguing me. He said, “I thought you believed in the sovereignty of God.” “I do,” I said, “and that’s my problem.” He was puzzled by the answer, and I explained that I know enough about what the Bible teaches of God’s providence and of His sovereignty to know that sometimes God’s sovereign providence involves suffering and affliction for His people. That we are in the care of a sovereign God whose providence is benevolent does not exclude the possibility that He may send us into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful. Though I trust God’s Word that in the midst of such experiences He will give to me the comfort of His presence and the certainty of my final deliverance into glory, in the meantime I know that the way of affliction and pain may be difficult to bear.

The comfort that I enjoy from knowing God’s providence is mixed at times with the knowledge that His providence may bring me pain. I don’t look forward to the experience of pain with a giddy anticipation; rather, there are times when it’s necessary for me and for others to grit our teeth and to bear the burdens of the day. Again, I have no question about the outcome of such affliction, and yet at the same time, I know that there are afflictions that will test me to the limits of my faith and endurance. That kind of experience and knowledge makes it easy to understand the tension between confidence in God’s sovereign providence and our own struggles with anxiety.

Romans 8:28, which is a favorite for many of us, states that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). There’s no other text that demonstrates so clearly and magnificently the beauty of God’s sovereign providence than that one. The text does not say that everything that happens to us, considered in and of itself, is good; rather, it says that all things that happen are working together for our good. That is the master plan of God’s redemptive providence. He brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction. This is one of the most difficult truths of sacred Scripture for us to believe. I’ve said countless times that it is easy to believe in God but far more difficult to believe God. Faith involves living a life of trust in the Word of God.

As I live out the travail that follows life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself that what I’m experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good. If God were not sovereign, I could never come to that comforting conclusion — I would be constantly subjected to fear and anxiety without any significant relief. The promise of God that all things work together for good to those who love God is something that has to get not only into our minds, but it has to get into our bloodstreams, so that it is a rock-solid principle by which life can be lived.

I believe this is the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit of joy is established. This is the foundation that makes it possible for the Christian to rejoice even while in the midst of pain and anxiety. We are not stoics who are called to keep a stiff upper lip out of some nebulous concept of fate; rather, we are those who are to rejoice because Christ has overcome the world. It is that truth and that certainty that gives relief to all of our anxieties.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

Posted at: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-makes-it-possible-christian-rejoice-midst-pain-and-anxiety/?utm_content=buffer1baf3&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=buffer&fbclid=IwAR1kqnChnlGnD2bLJ2maY0hZV97nuINg7RL285NGniyOvsMtxrVd7AMmDSI

How to Pray When You’re Feeling Anxious or Depressed

David Murray

Five Helpful Words

Prayer is hard at the best of times, but it’s hardest during anxious or depressed times. During such seasons, most of us find it hard to concentrate, we feel God is far away, and we despair of God hearing or helping us. All of this makes prayer so difficult and discouraging.

How can we make prayer easier and more encouraging to us in such dark and disturbing spells? Here are five words I give to people to help them with the how of prayer when they are anxious or depressed:

• Short: Better one minute of real, concentrated prayer than fifteen minutes of distracted, wandering prayer.

• Frequent: Try to pray these short prayers throughout the day to keep you in contact with God. Perhaps set an hourly timer on your phone.

• Simple: Pray like a hurting child to a loving father. You don’t need complex theological compositions.

• Scriptural: When you can’t find any words of your own, use the words God has provided in the psalms, in the Lord’s Prayer, or in Paul’s prayers.

• Together: Ask someone to pray with you when you can’t pray for yourself. Perhaps they can pray over the phone with you and you can piggy-back to the throne of grace on their words.

If these five words help us with the how of prayer, let me give you five phrases to guide you in the what of prayer.

You Are

You are sovereign, Lord. You are good, wise, strong, gracious, and faithful. You are my rock, my shepherd, my peace.

Depression and anxiety turn us in upon ourselves so that we get self-centered and sometimes self-obsessed. We see all our lacks and hurts. Prayer helps us to put God at the center of our lives instead, which not only gives us something better to look at than ourselves but also helps us to see everything else better, including ourselves. That’s why we want to start prayer with worship, reminding ourselves of who God is and what God has done. We praise him using descriptions of his attributes and biblical images of his character. This changes what we see and how we see, giving us a God-centered view of our world and ourselves. That in itself is an encouraging and calming perspective.

I Am

I am the opposite of who you are, Lord. I am sad, anxious, and weak. I feel hopeless, helpless, and lonely. At times I don’t want to live. I know this is wrong, and I confess this to you. I am not who I want to be. I am not where I want to be.

Having begun with a God-centered worldview, we can then admit who and what we are and are not. Confession is simply telling God honestly who we are and where we’re at. God already knows, of course, without our telling him, but he still asks us to pour out our hearts to him. It honors God as the sympathizer with weakness and the forgiver of sins. It is therapeutic for us to hear ourselves describe ourselves in the presence of the God who understands our frailties and who forgives our transgressions. Depression and anxiety bring a ton of guilt upon us (both false and real guilt), an oppressive load that crushes our spirits and closes our lips. Being honest and transparent about it before God begins to shift that load off our shoulders and on to Christ’s.

I Trust

Faithful God, although I don’t feel much faith or confidence in you, I will not be guided by my feelings. I trust you, Lord. I trust your word, your character, your faithfulness. I believe all that the Bible says about you, and I will recall your past faithfulness. I trust you, therefore, that you have not changed, though I have; that you are still here, though I don’t sense you; that you are my God, though I don’t feel like I’m your child. I trust your plan for me, and I rest in you as you carry me through these dark and disturbing days.

As songs like Psalm 42, 43, 37, and 73 demonstrate, expressions of trust build trust. The more we articulate our confidence in God, the stronger that confidence grows. And when we can’t say it with 100% certainty, we can always say, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Perhaps you can recall past times of God’s faithfulness to make your faith fuller. God is honored and pleased with faith, especially when we are walking in darkness and have no light (Isa. 50:10). Some of my spiritual heroes are Christians who have battled serious mental illness and have held on to God and his word, even with the fingernail of their little finger. That’s far more difficult than trusting God when everything is going well for us, both internally and externally. It’s also more God-glorifying.

God can supply all our needs in the blink of an eye without our asking.

I Need

All-sufficient Provider, I am desperately needy. I need you above all. But I also need peace, joy, hope, patience, sanity, and so much more. I beg you to help me even just to get through this day. Will you help my family and friends as they struggle to understand me? Teach them how to love me. But help me also to love them, especially when I feel so flat. Help me to do my daily duties even when I find no joy in them. I pray for the needs of other depressed and anxious people, too.

God can supply all our needs in the blink of an eye without our asking (Matt. 6:8). However, he asks us to ask and to look to him for everything we need. We can bring to him our physical needs, emotional needs, mental needs, spiritual needs, social needs, and vocational needs. Nothing is too big, and nothing is too small.

I Thank

Giver of every good and perfect gift, I thank you for all you have done, are doing, and will do. I thank you for all you have given, are giving, and will give. I thank you that I am not even worse than I am. I thank you for moments of joy and peace. I thank you for pastors, for brothers and sisters in Christ, for counselors, for doctors, for psychologists, for psychiatrists, and for medications.

Depression and anxiety focus our attention on what we lack, so it’s important to take time to remember all God has given to us and has done for us, both in redemptive history and in our own personal history. Ask him to help you see what you often are blind to or just take for granted. Even just walk around your kitchen or yard and thank God for all you see and have there. Thanksgiving is life-giving.

Prayer is rarely easy. But I hope these five words and five phrases make it easier in times of depression and anxiety. Let me close with a prayer for you:

Lord, you are full of joy and peace. Many of my readers are not. They are sad and panicky. Help them to see who you are and to worship and praise you. Lead them to confess their sins and their faith. As you know their needs and you can easily supply them, give them supplications that honor your willingness and ability to give. Give them what they lack and give them thanksgiving as they see you more clearly in their lives. Above all, remind your people of Jesus Christ who suffered more and deeper for them, and fill them with gratitude for his grace in coming, your love in sending him, and the Holy Spirit’s fellowship that applies all this to the soul. AMEN.

David Murray is the author of Why Am I Feeling Like This?: A Teen’s Guide to Freedom from Anxiety and Depression.

David Murray (PhD, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) is the senior pastor of First Byron Christian Reformed Church. He is also a counselor, a regular speaker at conferences, and the author of Exploring the Bible. David has also taught Old Testament, counseling, and pastoral theology at various seminaries.

How Jesus Addresses Our Anxiety (Part 3 of 3)

by Paul Tautges

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

Matthew 6:31-32

In today’s passage, Jesus brings up a relationship that unbelievers (Gentiles) do not have. They worry about the basic necessities—food, drink, clothing. But we have spiritual blessings that far outweigh material ones as well as a confidence that cannot belong to the non-Christian. Through our repentant faith in Christ, the heavenly Father has become our heavenly Father. He takes care of the animal and plant kingdoms, and he loves his children infinitely more (see Matt. 6:25–30). Therefore, we should not be anxious (see v. 31). We have no need to worry about our basic provisions (see v. 32). What supports this confidence in our heavenly Father’s personal care is the gospel. The redemptive work that Jesus completed to deliver us from the penalty of sin also rescues us from the orphanage of the Evil One and places us into the family of God.

We were not always his children. Before we were born again, we were “children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:3). We were God’s enemies (see Rom. 5:10; Col. 1:21). But when God opened our hearts to the gospel and we believed in Jesus, we were set free from the penalty and power of sin. God “delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Col. 1:13). His amazing grace initiated our adoption as children of God (see Gal. 4:4–5).

Spiritual adoption is the gracious act of God by which he places the believer in Jesus into his family and gives him the full rights and privileges of mature sonship. In light of this adoption, the apostle Paul explains why we should not be controlled by fear: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons” (Rom. 8:15). Unlike unbelievers, you have a heavenly Father whom you can turn to—one who knows and cares.

This secure relationship should produce in you a peaceful, trusting disposition—one that is different from those who do not have God as their Father. This is the basis of Jesus’s directive “Do not be anxious.” Children of God can rest in the promise that our Father has made to meet our every need, but “Gentiles [unbelievers] seek after all these things.” Our relationship with God should lead us to have heavenly priorities and a distinct outlook that is unbound by anxiety. Because you are God’s, you don’t have to worry. As pastor Philip De Courcy says, “Anxious care, or illegitimate concern, is out of place in the company of Christians and certainly in the presence of God.” When our hearts settle into the reality that the God of the universe is our very own, personal heavenly Father, there is no longer a need for us to be anxious. He knows our every need and will provide for us.

Do you know God as your heavenly Father—and, if so, what difference is that making in your life? Does it help you to no longer worry?

For Further Reflection and Application

• Reflect: Why and how is anxiety not God’s will for you as a Christian?

• Act: Read Romans 8:15–17. Journal about the blessings of adoption in Christ.

• Act: Write a personal prayer to your heavenly Father. Thank him for adopting you and for promising to meet your needs.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/04/23/how-jesus-addresses-our-anxiety-part-3-of-3/

How Jesus Addresses Our Anxieties (Part 2 of 3)

 by Paul Tautges

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

Matthew 6:30

We are earthbound people who naturally focus on earthly burdens. Our smallness of faith exposes itself in our predisposition to worry about our needs instead of resting in the care that our Creator promises. Our faith is not yet fully grown; it continually needs to be nurtured. Knowing that this is the case, Jesus develops our faith by gently confronting our unbelief.

In the verses that precede our verse for today, Jesus employs another image from nature to ask a conscience-stirring question. “Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider [i.e., deliberately notice] the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin” (Matt. 6:28). Clearly he intends to redirect weary eyes of faith to look godward.

Jesus directs us to think about how the flowers are clothed. They do not buy or spin their own fabric. They are beautifully adorned by the Lord—such that “even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matt. 6:29). Jesus does not discourage us from working hard in order to provide for ourselves. But no matter how hard we can possibly work, God is always working harder on our behalf. He is the ultimate provider. If God cares for the flowers and dresses them in a dazzling array of shapes and colors, how much more does he care for you. We must acknowledge his tender care and trust him with our concerns—for, as Jesus asserts, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8).

Jesus then presents the grass of the field as another illustration. If God clothes the grass—which is destined to be destroyed— with such a lovely array of flowers, how much more will he care for you.

God’s faithful care should produce great confidence in a believer. In light of this, Jesus relates anxiety to having “little faith.” The root of our anxiety is unbelief. He challenges unbelief and the small view of God that it takes—the fact that when we are anxious, we fear that God is lacking. But God is not deficient in any virtue. Nor is he ever unfaithful.

In all these questions and exhortations, Jesus is saying the same thing over and over. “Look at what God is doing. Look at the flowers. Look at the grass. God takes constant care of them, and they are temporal. He tends to their needs. Why do you not trust God when you are infinitely more valuable and will live for eternity?” Unbelief and anxiety both whisper in your ear, “Your needs won’t be met. What are you going to do?” In our fight against anxiety, a small view of God will never suffice. God delegated the care of the earth to man (see Gen. 2:15), but he has always been the Gardener. And the pinnacle of God’s creation is man (see Ps. 8). Therefore, believe that God will meet your needs. Have faith. God cares about you!

For Further Reflection and Application

• Reflect: How does your view of God impact your trust in him? How does it help you to fight your anxiety?

• Act: Meditate on Jeremiah 17:7–8. Journal about the fruit of trusting God. Write these verses on a 3×5 card. Read them often. Let their truth remind you to turn your gaze upward.

• Act: Find a wise Christian friend and share with him or her how you have seen God meet your needs. Then, together, praise the Lord for how he cares for you.

*This devotional is a daily excerpt from the 31-day devotional, ANXIETY: Knowing God’s Peace. Consider working through this devotional yourself or with a friend or two.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/04/20/how-jesus-addresses-our-anxiety-part-2-of-3/

How Jesus Addresses Our Anxieties (Part 1 of 3)

by Paul Tautges

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”

Matthew 6:26-27

In today’s verses, Jesus says that we should not worry about what is not ours to worry about. Instead, we should be more like the birds, which do not doubt the faithfulness of God. When we intentionally “look at the birds,” we remind ourselves of how dependent all creatures are—and especially ourselves. As we wait on the Lord, our responsibility is to actively do what he commands and to leave the rest to him.

Three Comforting Truths

Worry distracts us from enjoying the love of our heavenly Father, but Jesus offers us comforting truths to settle our anxious hearts.

Your heavenly Father feeds his creatures (v. 26). God cares for the things he creates. He takes responsibility for them. Jesus directs us to look at the birds—to consider how their needs are faithfully met. They own no barns and have no ability to store up for the future. Yet God meets their daily needs.

You are more valuable than any non-human creature (v. 27). Jesus also reassures us that we are infinitely more valuable than animals are. Human life possesses fathomless value because man and woman are created in God’s image and likeness. We are designed to reflect God’s glory. This is what gives human beings their worth.

Your heavenly Father has a plan for the span of your life (v. 27). When King David praised God for the wonder-filled way he had created him, he also acknowledged that God would providentially lead him according to his sovereign plan. “In your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them,” he testified (Ps. 139:16). Since this is true for each of us, worrying about tomorrow will not “add a single hour to [the] span of [our] life.”

God faithfully provides for us. He does this primarily through our work and through our disciplined stewardship of our resources (see Prov. 6:6–11). Nevertheless, even if we are faithful with our responsibilities and resources, we may have needs that remain unmet. If this is the case for us, then we trust God to provide for us in his way and according to his timetable. To fret is to heap fake cares on our large-enough stack of legitimate ones.

For Further Reflection and Application

• Reflect: What are your fake cares? List them, and also review your “care list” from day 1. Are the items you are currently worrying about legitimate cares, or could some be things that you fear might happen?

• Act: If you can’t distinguish between fake and true cares, turn to a wise Christian friend and ask for help.

• Act: Read Psalm 127:2. Compare it to what Jesus teaches about the heavenly Father’s care and provision.

*This devotional is a daily excerpt from the 31-day devotional, ANXIETY: Knowing God’s Peace. Consider working through this devotional yourself or with a friend or two.

Posted at: https://counselingoneanother.com/2020/04/16/how-jesus-addresses-our-anxieity-part-1-of-3/

What Makes It Possible for the Christian to Rejoice in the Midst of Pain and Anxiety?

By R.C. Sproul

In 1993, my wife and I were involved in an historic train wreck. The crash of the Sunset Limited into an inlet from Mobile Bay killed more passengers than any Amtrak accident in history. We survived that eerie accident but not without ongoing trauma. The wreck left my wife with an ongoing anxiety about being able to sleep on a train at night. The wreck left me with a back injury that took fifteen years of treatment and therapy to overcome. Nevertheless, with these scars from the trauma we both learned a profound lesson about the providence of God. Clearly, God’s providence in this case for us was one of benign benevolence. It also illustrated to us an unforgettable sense of the tender mercies of God. In as much as we are convinced that God’s providence is an expression of His absolute sovereignty over all things, I would think that a logical conclusion from such a conviction would be the end of all anxiety.

However, that is not always the case. Of course, our Lord Himself gave the instruction to be anxious for nothing to His disciples and, by extension, to the church. His awareness of human frailties expressed in our fears was manifested by His most common greeting to His friends: “Fear not.” Still, we are creatures who, in spite of our faith, are given to anxiety and at times even to melancholy.

As a young student and young Christian, I struggled with melancholy and sought the counsel of one of my mentors. As I related my struggles, he said, “You are experiencing the heavy hand of the Lord on your shoulder right now.” I had never considered God’s hand being one that gave downward pressure on my shoulder or that would cause me to struggle in this way. I was driven to prayer that the Lord would remove His heavy hand from my shoulder. In time, He did that and delivered me from melancholy and a large degree of anxiety.

On another occasion I was in a discussion with a friend, and I related to him some of the fears that were plaguing me. He said, “I thought you believed in the sovereignty of God.” “I do,” I said, “and that’s my problem.” He was puzzled by the answer, and I explained that I know enough about what the Bible teaches of God’s providence and of His sovereignty to know that sometimes God’s sovereign providence involves suffering and affliction for His people. That we are in the care of a sovereign God whose providence is benevolent does not exclude the possibility that He may send us into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful. Though I trust God’s Word that in the midst of such experiences He will give to me the comfort of His presence and the certainty of my final deliverance into glory, in the meantime I know that the way of affliction and pain may be difficult to bear.

The comfort that I enjoy from knowing God’s providence is mixed at times with the knowledge that His providence may bring me pain. I don’t look forward to the experience of pain with a giddy anticipation; rather, there are times when it’s necessary for me and for others to grit our teeth and to bear the burdens of the day. Again, I have no question about the outcome of such affliction, and yet at the same time, I know that there are afflictions that will test me to the limits of my faith and endurance. That kind of experience and knowledge makes it easy to understand the tension between confidence in God’s sovereign providence and our own struggles with anxiety.

Romans 8:28, which is a favorite for many of us, states that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). There’s no other text that demonstrates so clearly and magnificently the beauty of God’s sovereign providence than that one. The text does not say that everything that happens to us, considered in and of itself, is good; rather, it says that all things that happen are working together for our good. That is the master plan of God’s redemptive providence. He brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction. This is one of the most difficult truths of sacred Scripture for us to believe. I’ve said countless times that it is easy to believe in God but far more difficult to believe God. Faith involves living a life of trust in the Word of God.

As I live out the travail that follows life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself that what I’m experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good. If God were not sovereign, I could never come to that comforting conclusion — I would be constantly subjected to fear and anxiety without any significant relief. The promise of God that all things work together for good to those who love God is something that has to get not only into our minds, but it has to get into our bloodstreams, so that it is a rock-solid principle by which life can be lived.

I believe this is the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit of joy is established. This is the foundation that makes it possible for the Christian to rejoice even while in the midst of pain and anxiety. We are not stoics who are called to keep a stiff upper lip out of some nebulous concept of fate; rather, we are those who are to rejoice because Christ has overcome the world. It is that truth and that certainty that gives relief to all of our anxieties.

Posted at: https://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-makes-it-possible-christian-rejoice-midst-pain-and-anxiety/