anxiety means I’m serving the fear

As I’ve meditated on the Sermon on the Mount in recent months, I keep having those aha!-hit-you-in-the-face moments. Last week I read, “No one can serve two masters…you cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…” (Matthew 6:24-25)

The more I thought about that, the more I realized, when I’m anxious, I’m serving the thing that I fear. When I’m anxious about next week or next year, I’m allowing the fear of the unknown to rule me. And no one can serve two masters.

 

 

I can’t be anxious while also resting in God’s faithfulness. It’s not possible. I can’t be anxious while also trusting Him to work all things together for good. If I’m devoted to one, I despise the other. (Jesus’ words, not mine.)

He says to not be anxious. And that can only happen when I serve only Him. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but we have to come back to His character. When the temptation to be anxious over anything arises, I have to turn my heart back to truth.

That doesn’t mean that anxious won’t come. On this earth, it will keep coming. But Paul teaches us what to do with the inevitable anxious. And though it sounds churchy, it really is our defense against anxiety.

Pray (I dare you.).

 

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 4:6-7

 

God means for us to do this. He means for His words to affect our Monday. He means for His words to change the way we process the absolutely-devastating as well as the daily frustrations.

So when anxious thoughts come today, in everything — big and small — turn to God. It might mean we have to lock ourselves in the bathroom for a minute — or a week — but the charge is clear. Go to Him with prayer and with thanksgiving, laying every single anxious place at His feet.

When we do, He promises that His peace will guard our hearts and minds. That’s a promise. And when He promises, He’s forever faithful.

If we don’t take those anxious places to Him, then we will serve the fear with our heart devotion. We will. I’ve done it. Because you and I are human. But like Jesus said, we cannot serve two masters.

Choose this day whom you will serve.

 
Fill me, Lord…

What do you think hinders us from living this out?
 

To those memorizing the SOTM with me, I want you to know I’ve been praying for you — that God would graciously renew our desire and enable our minds to hide His Word. So keep on, friends

For those who missed it, I posted week 26 (Matthew 6:24-25) in our Facebook group last week since I wasn’t blogging. Now we press on to Week 27.

{Week 27}
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew 6:26-27