DEALING WITH ANXIETY FROM A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

I have been anxious about so many things in life, but none of those things ever happen. Think through concerning the things you have been worried about in your life? How many of those things truly happened? I am sure they must be very few. Anxiety has prevented many people from making progress in life. We spend much of our time thinking about issues that have not happened. This obsession hampers our efforts each day. Our tomorrow’s fears become our lives today and tomorrow is filled with the worries of the days after. Eventually, days pass without us doing something constructive in each day that God has given to us. Today we are more worried than ever before. Young people are struggling and always wondering how their tomorrow shall be. Especially with the current situation of joblessness and also worried if they shall get a suitable life partner. There is still something to worry about in this life, and if we let these thoughts obsess us, then we shall never make progress.

DANGERS OF WORRY

1. Health Hazard.

Some people have developed ulcers, stress and depression. The object of our anxiety also takes a better part of our minds; hence, we never take time to think soberly or do something to change the future. I have spent long hours worried on how to approach people or issues ahead of me, which finally took a different turn, and I feel I have wasted my energy scheming.

2. Disrupted Productivity.

We become unproductive in many areas of our lives since our lives come to a halt for us to think about tomorrow. Primary duties become a mountain of activities because our subconscious mind is weighed down with unnecessary thoughts, making it difficult for the body to function. Not does worry affect physical productivity, it also slows and dampens our moods. Most people who are caught up in worry face the greatest dangers of falling into depression. Be careful.

3. Negativity towards others.

We may find ourselves not communicating with others, even those who need our care. At times, we may see others as the cause of our worries and put them off our lives. This kind of expressions kills our social lives, hence hampering our impact. God calls us to be kind to one another, have salt-seasoned speech and love. We cannot do this with minds that are boggled down with woes.

4. Doubting God.

Worry can reduce your ability to trust in God. Instead of allowing God to lead us one day at a time as his plan for our lives unveil, we choose to do things our way. God becomes a last resort when everything else fails, and we are beaten down by issues in life.

A THIN LINE

There are differences between being worried and being genuinely concerned about something. Worry is negative and produces harmful results, as mentioned above. Being genuinely interested bears positive results. Planning for tomorrow is well usage of time while worrying leads to wasting of your life. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules and trusting in God’s guidance. Worriers are consumed by fear and lack of trust in God. Their worry interferes not only with their relationship with others but also with God. They take life in their own hands and live it their way.

DEALING WITH WORRY

Jesus addressed the subject of worry in Matthew 6:25-34. This scripture gives the context of seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. The Bible says, do not worry about your life or basic needs. It urges us to learn from nature. The God who takes care of other creatures can take care of you, and you mean more to him than any other thing in creation. He challenges our minds to think about our days and see if we can add even a single hour to it; which shows that there is someone higher in charge of our lives and that person is not us. Jesus says that our Father knows what we need. He then continues to give us what he believes we should be pursuing instead, which happens to be his kingdom and righteousness. The other details of this life he assures us to take care of them when we set our priorities right.

Jesus tells us that each day has enough worries of itself and we cannot live each day worrying about the next one since this is an endless cycle as our needs are insatiable. Anxiety will end up many people in hell. In Luke 21:34, Jesus instructs his disciples to be careful, or their hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the anxieties of life then the end time will come to them suddenly like a trap. Our party after party generation may be found by Christ just carousing.

Philippians 4:6 says that we should not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, we present our requests to God. Prayer is an excellent way of dealing with worry. Prayer is acknowledging the sovereignty of God. It is telling God that we are not self-sufficient, and there we express a sense of dependency on him. It appreciates the fact that God is all-knowing and all-powerful, able to ensure that even negative things in life can work out for our good. Disciples had many things to worry about as well, but from the beginning, Christ taught them to rely on God regardless. In Luke 12:11, Christ assures the disciples of being taken to the synagogues, rulers and authorities to be questioned. He tells them not to worry about how they will defend themselves or what they will say. He assures them that the Holy Spirit will at that time, teach them what they should say. Jesus desired that their minds should only focus on the primary calling rather than being preoccupied with anxieties.

We are called to trust God in our lives. The Bible acknowledges life is full of worries and instructs us on how to deal with that. I pray that God will help you to live one day at a time as the singer sang. Purpose to trust God in your life, surrender your worries to him because he cares for you.