Keep on the Sunny Side

Odd Response #3: Prayer Instead of Anxiety

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Anxiety.

Getting anxiety about preach about anxiety. Beat around the bush. Gave a million qualification. hedged all my statements. I’m not going to speak like that today.

This is an issue that is a little bit touchy in today’s culture, and I understand why.

I understand that there are at time organic, physical issues that can mess with people’s brain, emotions, bodies, everything, and that can cause severe unexplainable anxiety.

However. Anxiety is spoken of often in the Bible and we are directly command not be anxious. Anxiety, at base level, is a sin, or at the very least, one of the result of living in a sin-cursed world.

And I want you to know that I don’t say that as someone untouched by anxiety. I know what it’s like to lie awake for hours due to anxiety about a situation. I know what it’s like to have an issue become all consuming to life that it’s the only thing I think about night and day. I know what’s its like to allow anxiety to cripple me. Others have certainly had more severe anxiety that I, but I’m certainly no stranger and have to battle it myself.

I wanted to say that to let you know that I’m speaking from a position of strength and mastery, as if I, untouched by these lowly difficulties, am instructing you in something I know nothing about. I don’t stand in judgment over anyone.

Years ago I saw an old Seinfeld episode where the characters were using an anger management technique to try to help them cope with the negative experiences they were enduring. You start getting mad just say “serenity now” and the anger melts away. The whole episode was one gag after another about that and the point was that the characters weren’t ever actually dealing with the issues. They were bottling up their emotions until they had explosions or nervous breakdowns.

Romans 12:12 ESV

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.