Anxiety is a Thief

I have missed the last 2 Sundays posting and for that I apologize. The last week and a half has been a time of difficulty. There’s been so much bad news of deaths, sickness, and overwhelming schedules. Through all the turmoil lately, the Lord has laid on my heart Matthew chapter 6:25-34 where Jesus speaks about anxiousness. He tells us to be anxious for nothing, for God will provide for our needs. Many times, our day-to-day lives are full of stress and anxiousness, we constantly are busy with school, work, and other worldly activities. This stress is only added to when we are met with the unexpected passing of loved ones, a diagnosis, unanswered questions, and even the hardship of bearing others' burdens. So, if Christ tells us to cast our anxieties on Him, how do we do this?

In the midst of suffering, we have to surrender to Christ, the point of our suffering is for Christ to be glorified. We have been going through a series of Joy on Sunday mornings, but Joy does not always mean happiness. In Philippians 4:10-13 Paul writes that in all circumstances he has learned to be content and that he is rejoicing. Remember that when he was writing this letter he was in prison facing persecution and death, yet he says in verse 13 that he has learned to be content in his situation and that it is Christ who gives him strength.  Through Christ we have hope, so in our sufferings, we can choose to be joyous in Christ and cling to Him, seeking out how we can serve Him, knowing that we can be joyous even when we aren’t happy. To follow Christ means we will suffer for Him because this world will continue to reject Him, but we, like Paul, can learn to be content by casting our cares on Christ and finding our joy in the strength He gives us.

As a reminder through this season in whatever you’re facing, Paul writes in 1 Peter 5:6-8 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour,”  and in Philippians 1:29-30 he says “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.” As we learn to cast our cares on Christ and to be content when facing adversity, Paul reminds us to be watchful for the Enemy and remember that to suffer for the cause of Christ is a gift. The Enemy is constantly looking for ways to attack us, through our friends, family, circumstances, and things we don’t yet know. Let’s be prepared for these attacks by finding our strength in Christ and choosing to live joyously through adversity.