Anxiety - Pt. 1

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV).

 

 

A Disclaimer: The content of this article is meant to speak to the general worries and anxieties caused by regular life situations. Mental illness is a very real struggle for Christians and non-Christians alike and should be treated by qualified mental health professionals.

 

This week I wanted to be a bit more personal than doctrinal. Last week, as some of you may be aware, I was in the hospital for two preparatory procedures that we hope will greatly reduce the chances of stroke or embolism because of my cardiovascular condition. My doctors have recommended an LAAC (Left Atrial Appendage Closure). It is a minimally invasive procedure where they will place a device inside my heart to close off the appendage where most of the blood clots form and therefore prevent stroke or clots from forming. Honestly I’m a bit “anxious” about it. Following Christ does not exempt us from the pain and struggle of everyday life. In fact, we may find our worry and anxiety amplified as we seek to meet the needs of those around us and take on their burdens. It’s easy to let the difficulties and unknowns of life overwhelm us. While our lives may never be free from worry, we can find hope in the promises God has given us through Scripture.

 

My hope is that you will find comfort and encouragement from my journey in working through some of the truths and promises of Scripture to encourage and remind you of God’s presence in and plan for your life. I’ll detail each of these in more detail tomorrow. However, today I wanted to focus on one of the most familiar and quoted verses of encouragement in the Scripture. Our reading simply says, “Don’t be anxious about anything” (v. 6). Well, I find that easier to say than do. Perhaps you are the same. The key is in the statement just prior to this one: “The Lord is at hand.” The apostle is simply saying that the Lord has not forgotten or abandoned us to our circumstances and He is overseeing each step working it to our good (cf. Romans 8:28). That is the beginning of conquering the fear of the unknown. He is holding me in His arms! He will hold you as well!