THE STORM OF ANXIETY

August 28, 2022

Little Bobby had a habit of stretching the truth.  One day he was walking home from school and saw a large black dog run across the street right in front of him.  Well, he rushed home as fast as he could and told his mother.  He said, "mommy, you're not gonna believe what I just saw."  She asked him, cautiously, what he saw.  He told her that while he was walking home he saw a huge black bear.  He told her it jumped up from the bushes and tried to eat him.  He said he was too fast and ran home as fast as he could.

Well, his mother was somewhat distraught over his truth stretching.  The next day his father returned home from a business trip.  Bobby excitedly ran to his father to tell him about the bear.  His father simply instructed Bobby to go to his room.  He told him to get on his knees beside his bed and to ask God what He thinks about his story.  In just a few minutes, Bobby came out of his room.  He bounced into the kitchen where his mom and dad were.  His dad said, "Well, Son, what did God think about your story?"  "Well", Bobby said, "God told me that when He first saw that dog, he thought it was a bear too!"

Guess what, sometimes life can be a bear.  More often than not, life looks and feels much like a mean old bear. Bears are relentless, they never give up.  In that same way, so are the pressures of this thing called life.  They too are a bear, continually bearing down on us.  Everyday we feel the wear and tear.  It is the relentless pressure of the bear's pursuit.  Therefore it is no surprise that one of the predictable results of this relentless pressure is stress, worry and anxiety.

What's making you bite your nails these days?  I don't mean the little foxes that nibble away at your mind.  I'm not talking about those unimportant intruders that interrupt your day like a dripping faucet or a misplaced set of keys.I am referring to the ulcer-causing, big time mental monsters.  Those things that crawl into your head and go to bed with you.  I read not long ago that medical doctors estimate that more than 25% of the patients are what they have called the "well worried".  They spend a lot of time examining people who are not sick, they are only worried.

The diet of our day and time is worry.  We are constantly plagued by that "what if?" problem.  What if my car was demolished?  What if I get laid off from work?  What if my house is burglarized?  What if I get cancer?  If we have a good job we worry that we will lose it.  If we have good health we worry that we won't have it long.  From breakfast until bedtime our lives are characterized by worry.  I have even known people whose biggest worry is that they can't think of something to worry about.  We are as worried as a centipede with athletes' foot!

To be sure, anxiety, a lack of peace is a serious problem in our day and time.  Anxiety is distress, characterized by mental agitation and uneasiness.  It primarily has to do with what may happen in the future.

Anxiety disrupts work, family and social life.  It even causes some folks to become homebound.  It is actually the most common of all the mental disorders and it is one of the most counterproductive things we can do.  Worry or anxiety is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but won't get you anywhere.  Someone once said that worry is a fast getaway on a wooden horse.  The lack of peace of mind is a very common problem.

Yet, anxiety is not something that Christians are immune to.  Even the most faithful can worry and be troubled and anxiety can hinder our service to the Lord.  Moreover, is is often a reflection of "little faith" on our part.  Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, tells us not to worry about food and clothing.  He also tells us not to worry about tomorrow's problems.

Jesus promises peace to us.  Here is what he said in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  To the disciples Jesus offers "My Peace".  He tells them they need not be troubled nor afraid.  In another place Jesus says we can have peace in Him.  He also says to be of good cheer in John 16:33.

There are four simple steps to enjoying the peace of mind offered by Jesus.  We must prioritize.  He tells us in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.  We must simplify our lives.  When Jesus was in the home of Mary and Martha, Martha was cumbered with much serving.  Jesus told her she was troubled about many things but that Mary had chosen the one thing that was needful.  Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus.  You can read about that in Luke chapter 10.  We must have faith.  Remember, in John 14 when Jesus told his apostles he was about to leave and said, "Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me". (John 14:1)  Of course we must pray.  Paul told us this in Philippians 4:6-7 when he said, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passseth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus".

Anxiety with its worry and fear need not trouble us.  After all, we belong to Jesus and Jesus promised us peace.

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