Overcoming Anxiety and Worry in a Time of Crisis With the Word of God
The world is full of chaos and no one knows what tomorrow brings. Whether it is war, social unrest, or an illness that seems rampant throughout the world. From one day to the other, our lives can change and be turned upside down. When it seems there is nowhere to turn, we are forced to rely on Him, to turn to Him for answers. He knows our needs and he cares that we see this through.
The Experience of Worry and Fear
Loving God and entrusting your life to him doesn’t mean that you will not have moments of darkness, or that you won’t experience anxiety about the future. In fact, our society today is very much prone to anxiety. The term translates as distress or uneasiness caused by fear of danger or misfortune. Many times it is connected with our uncertainty of the future. Have you lost your job? Are you experiencing hardship? Lost your loved one? Faith means not giving in to this darkness, but it does not free you from it completely. So what do you do when the claws of fear grip you and you feel you are being dragged downward?
The word of God is there to provide refuge. Building our faith in times of uncertainty is perhaps one of the most difficult tasks but a necessary one to ensure that our faith is robust to help us overcome the most difficult things of life. Let’s look at some Bible verses aimed at easing the feelings of anxiety that cloud our judgement in times of difficulties.
Look Beyond — Is Not Life More Than Food?
Matthew 6:25-27 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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?
Let’s look closely at the meaning in this passage. We can all relate to it, as we have all had worries about our jobs, money, or the clothes we will have for our children, the food we’ll put on the table. God asks us to let go a little bit and trust that he will show us the way.
People will often ask, well, does that mean food will magically appear on my table? This is not exactly it. The trick is trusting God to open doors for us and show us the way, but when we cloud our eyes with fear and anxiety and become obsessed with trying to control the world, things will go dark, we will not function well, and it’s almost like tangling ourselves up in a web of unnecessary suffering. The key is, do not give in to it. Anxiety and worry can be crippling and they will make things seem hopeless and without answer. This is not only not a solution to any problem but it begins to affect the people around us. Negativity spreads and you want to be the joy you seek in the world.
He says to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.
Be at Peace — Seek His Kingdom and Righteousness And These Things Will Come To You
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”- John 14:27
God tells us that we must be at peace. Despair, in some sense, is a sin. Allowing ourselves to give in to the troubles of our lives will only cause us more trouble. Again, this is not to say that you will not experience fear or worry, but that with God and the Word of God that we have the right armor for it.
As always, be strong and courageous. You are not alone. God has a plan for you and he will walk with you. All you need to do is take the first step. Take a breath and take the first step. The road will open up.
Arm Yourself With His Fighting Words
And when moments of uncertainty come out of the blue, seek refuge in his words. In the spring of 2020, the world is/was faced with a virus that seemed to be spreading quickly through our communities. It seems we are all frozen in place. Things seem uncertain and of high consequence.
And as always remember what Jesus said, “be of good cheer, I’ve overcome the world.”