Anxiety or Concern? Sometimes the Same. Sometimes Not.

Look at the birds of the air. Your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they?

Our small groups last evening were discussing the portion of the Sermon on the Mount that deals with anxiety (Matt. 5:25-34). It's always a good time to discuss any portion of Scripture, but this topic was especially helpful in light of the current Covid-19 circumstances. 

As our pastor explained on Sunday, the context of the anxiety spoken here is over what we think we lack, that we think there are needs that God is not providing for us. This kind of anxiety is borne out of distrust in God's care. Why do we not trust Him to do as He has promised throughout the Scriptures? 

Someone brought up the aspect of contentment in our circumstances. The Apostle Paul wrote that he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself (Philippians 4:11). It's important to note that Paul said he had learned to be content. Paul went through many struggles that taught him to trust God. Our own struggles can do the same for us if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness as we are going through them. We're told to do that in this same passage on anxiety (Mt. 6:33). When we are tempted to anxiety, God has made a way of escape--seeking Him and His righteousness in the midst of it.

Not all anxiety, though, is borne out of a lack of trust of God's care and concern. Not all anxiety is sin. For example, Paul wanted to send Timothy to the Philippian believers because he had "no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare" (Phil. 2:20). The same Greek word for anxious in Matthew 5:25 is the same word used for concern in the Philippians passage. Timothy and Paul's concern/anxiety was not for themselves, but for other believers.

Most of our anxiety, if you're like me, is not about other people, though. It's about ourselves. As Paul tells the Philippian believers, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (4:6). God wants to hear from us. He loves us with an enduring love, even when we don't feel it. 

We will sense His love more when we have a heart of gratitude for how He is providing our daily manna. Look around. His touches of grace are everywhere to be seen if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. Look for His good graces, and be thankful for them. We won't see so much of what is causing anxiety in the present moment if we're looking for the good things all around us.

Edward Welch has a new book that I read just after the Covid-19 stuff started happening. God used it to calm my spirit in many ways. It's a book of meditations on fear, worry, and trust. I recommend it to you--A Small Book for the Anxious Heart. You can read some quotes from the book here. 







Kingfisher image via Pixabay

From the Book Shelf ~ Running Scared

Recommending Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Edward Welch. It was required reading for a biblical counseling class, and I'm ever glad it was! Welch is writing from experience and wisdom. A brief excerpt from the preface:

Like most writing projects, this book is aimed squarely at myself. Although I can be angry or melancholy, I am a fear specialist. In this I have found that I am not alone. Not everyone is a fear specialist, but there is no doubt that every single person who ever lived is personally familiar with fear. It is an inescapable feature of earthly life. To deny it is...well...to deny it.

Welch discusses how natural fear and worry can be and shows us how to recognize it. He says there are themes that run through our fears, and he gives instruction on how to face them. Danger and vulnerability are key aspects, and this is where spiritual realities come to light. Welch shows us how to turn to God when fear and worry prevail, how we can find freedom and have peace reign in our hearts and minds.

I have only one negative about the book--I don't particularly like the cover design. Kind of petty, I realize. I had seen the book before, but I was put off by the cover. That was not a good decision. I would have missed Welch's deep insight. Goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover. I should have looked beyond the cover because anything written by Ed Welch is a treasure trove of wise counsel. However, I would recommend a new cover design on the next edition. :-)

Worry Empties Today

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows;
it empties today of its strength.
~ Corrie ten Boom

Painting~ Disconsolate by John C. Lawrence, 1885

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