Dealing With Anxietyಮಾದರಿ

So, how do you find peace and relief from anxiety? 

As this Plan is coming to a close, the question still remains, how do we find peace and relief from anxiety? Hopefully, at this point, you have discovered and taken some steps to move past anxiety and to experience peace. Hopefully, you’ve realized you are not alone, that there is hope, and that God wants you to have peace. 

To close things out, we are going to look at the most highlighted passage in the most highlighted book in history. Yep, I’m not even making that up. Google it. 

That book is the Bible, and that passage is found in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Apparently, this was a message that people needed 2,000 years ago, and it is a message we need today. 

Paul wrote his letter to a community of early Jesus followers who were experiencing a lot of opposition. Much like what many of us experience today. We are bombarded with news of one tragedy after another. We are afflicted by one hurt after another. We see people we love suffer one day after another. We are a people facing serious opposition. 

Not only that, but this community of early Jesus followers were living in a way that was completely counter to the culture of their day. The culture of their day, the culture of the Roman Empire, believed that might made right. The Roman Empire believed in the motto “peace through strength.” The Jesus way wasn’t about making peace through strength, but about turning the other cheek. Romans saw mercy and compassion as weakness. Jesus followers see mercy and compassion as wisdom. 

Isn’t that similar to the culture we are a part of today? We live in a culture that says the only thing that matters is your happiness. Getting more. More followers, money, status, and approval. The Jesus way says that what matters more than happiness is holiness. The Jesus way invites us to give more. More love, compassion, grace, and service. Our culture says it’s all about you. The Jesus way says it’s all about loving others the same way God has loved you through His Son Jesus. 

I believe that in the same way that Paul’s words were written to encourage and equip those early Jesus followers, these words can encourage and equip you today. 

When you read these words, slow down. Take your time. Ask yourself these questions: What did these words mean to the Philippian church? What do these words mean to me? How can these words help me find peace and relief from anxiety?

Challenge: Celebrate what God has done. Pray and ask God for help. Choose to focus on things that are good.