Answering AnxietySample

The Surprising Source of Anxiety

If you are a child of God, what has the Lord told you about whatever is going on in your life right now? What has He told you about His attitude concerning you? Does the Lord love you? Is He sovereign? Is there anything going on in this world that God does not know and care about?

If we walk through your life logically and biblically for a moment, I am saying that God absolutely understands your current situation. 

Do you agree with that?

Is there anything in the world that God is powerless toward?

God’s Word gives us a clear answer to this question, telling us that your God not only knows your situation perfectly, He is absolutely on His throne right now. He is absolutely in control. 

So, if you agree that He knows all and that He has all power, that still would not necessarily make you safe…not unless He really does love you and care about you.

Romans 8:28-30 tells us that God is always at work causing all things to work together for good to those who love Him, for those who are called according to His purpose. 

Is that true?

It is gloriously true! But let me tell you what that means. When we are afraid or worrying or downtrodden, we are actually showing unbelief about these realities; we are saying, “I don’t believe You.” When I worry, either I believe He doesn’t know about what troubles my heart, or I believe He has no control over what troubles my heart, or I believe He doesn’t really care about me.

In fact, whether we recognize it or not, our anxious hearts say to God, “I trust me with me more than I trust You with me. I trust me to take care of me more than I trust You to take care of me.”

Let that sink in. If someone stood up at your next church meeting and said, “I am better equipped to take care of myself than God,” would that be prideful?

So, when we are filled with worry, what we are dealing with is a pride problem. That is why the Holy Spirit tells us through Peter that when we cast our cares onto God we are humbling ourselves. 

Until we stop thinking that He really doesn’t know, or really isn’t in control, or really doesn’t care – until our hearts change, and we put away our pride – we are actually shutting ourselves off from God’s help.

God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. The problem with the trouble-filled heart is pride, and the answer for that pride is repentance.