Handling Anxiety | Philippians 4:5-7
“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The LORD is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7
Anxiety.
Not one of us is completely immune to its attacks.
Most of us have had a personal struggle with this peace stealer. Apparently so did the people of Philippi, evidenced by Paul’s choice to address the topic of anxiety in this closing portion of his letter to them.
Praise the Lord that He had Paul speak of this struggle. It reminds us that God doesn’t want us to live eaten up with anxiety. He doesn’t want us walking through our days or lying in our beds at night tormented by anxious thoughts, the ones that can be found swarming our minds and attacking like a bunch of bloodthirsty mosquitoes.
Even Jesus Himself speaks to this topic when He tells us in John 14:27 that He left us with peace. Peace. Not worry. Not fear. Not anxiety.
The portion of Scripture that immediately comes to mind when fear/anxiety is mentioned is Philippians 4:6-7. However, there are four very powerful words Philippians 4:5 ends with, “THE LORD IS NEAR.”
Because the Lord is near, we don’t have to be anxious. We have the assurance of His presence that soothes us, sustains us and empowers us. Much like a child finds safety and security when they crawl into bed with their parents after a bad dream, our souls can find comfort and rest when we cry out to our heavenly Father in our times of distress. He is near.
Reading further, we find even more about accessing the peace God says is ours.
Philippians 4:8 encourages us: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
This tells us it’s God’s presence plus His promises that chase away our anxious thoughts. In other words, God instructs us to “park our minds” on that which is true and right and worthy of praise. And there is nothing truer or more praiseworthy for us to meditate on than God’s Word.
Make no mistake, the enemy wants us to feel hopeless. He wants us to live enslaved to our worries and fears. But God wants us to know that we don’t have to let anxiety rob us of our peace, our hope or our joy another single day.
So instead of allowing anxious thoughts to wreak havoc in our hearts and minds, let’s try these three practical steps:
1. Pray Honestly – Prayer orients our lives towards God and redirects our hearts and minds to focus on the things of God. It is our way of saying we are absolutely dependent on Him. We can bring every fear, every request, every need to Him without hesitation or apology. And when we do, we’ll find that prayer and peace walk hand-in-hand.
2. Read God’s Truth – We intentionally think on truth by seeking out Scriptures that speak to the issues we are facing. When we tuck God’s truth into our hearts, we are arming ourselves with the most powerful tool available — His Word!
3. Verbalize Trust in Him – Quote the Scriptures we’ve memorized. There is power in quoting the word intentionally and claiming the truths contained within and verbalizing our belief in God out loud.
Yes, the more we draw near to God in prayer and the more we fill our minds with His Word, the more crowded out our fears and anxieties will become.
When you are feeling anxious, try this prayer:
Father God, thank You for the tender ways You offer to help me when my heart feels anxious and fearful. Instead of shaming me for my feelings, You offer to sit with me in the midst of them. Instead of expecting me to pull myself together, You offer me Your Words that hold me together and bring me peace. You are such a good and gracious Father. The one I know I can trust and call on at all times. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
(Photo by Bryan Minear on Unsplash)