Key to not being anxious

Exodus 36; Proverbs 12; John 15; Ephesians 5

Yesterday I started feeling anxious about this virus thing, not for myself but for the thousands of people who are dying, and for their families and the losses that accompany loss of life. The stress was not from the latest statistics, as bad as they are, but the projections for the future weeks and months. Two things came this morning that helped me.

The first was a gracious letter from my sister’s pastor. He wrote from the heart and included Scripture that reminds me of God’s goodness. He said he was blessed to know her and will always remember her and later added that death is not the end, that Christ has defeated the enemy and we will be reunited with those who have gone on before.

Then I read this: “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” (Proverbs 12:25) How true! That letter untied some of the knots and helped me move eagerly to John 15 and Ephesians 5. Both passages are filled with those ‘good words’ that make the heart glad.

I love the imagery in John 15 where Jesus illustrates the importance of abiding in Him. “Abide” simply means “to continue” or “to remain in the same place” or “to stay put” — telling me that I’ve enjoyed the promises of God and believing in Jesus — don’t move away from trusting Him because if I do, there are consequences. One of them is that I cannot bear fruit.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5)

While He could mean more, the first ‘fruit’ I think of is the fruit of the Spirit. It is described clearly as attitudes. Also, not each one is a fruit alone but all of them together are the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit. That is, if I abide in Christ, all will be present.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

If one of them is missing, such as peace being replaced by anxiety, then all of them are missing. In other words, I cannot love others, experience joy, be kind and patient and so on if I am worried about anything! He also says: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:10–11)

Another good word is that when I am abiding, I have this amazing experience of answered prayer!

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:7–8)

In the past few weeks, my answered prayer list has been amazing. Some are personal (like solutions to problems) and others are huge (like changed attitudes in those who need Jesus, and changes in social situations). Prayer is more complex than abiding in Christ yet not abiding is a sure way to miss out on seeing God answer prayer.

God chose me so I would bear this fruit and thus ask and receive answers. He also commands abiding because I cannot love others without resting in Him. This is vital to obedience and to living as a Christian.

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” (John 15:16–17)

APPLY: The words of Ephesians 5 spell it out. I’m to be an “imitator of God” and “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” This means being careful how I walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Don’t be foolish or anxious but understand God’s will and be filled with the Spirit, giving thanks always for everything, caring for others because I worship and obey Christ. (Ephesians 5:1-2; 15-18; 20–21)

Don’t worry; trust the Lord

Some of us are born with a desire to learn. My granddaughter and I could be perpetual students. We like school. It isn’t about not wanting to work or be a productive member of society. Those are good things, but for us, the better thing is filling our minds with information and learning how to use it.

However, my mind didn’t work too well yesterday. I stayed up too late (reading a Baldacci novel), spent too much time watching television (that blasted football game), played too many computer games, ate too much (three large pieces of pizza) and felt sluggish, and worked overtime trying to understand Greek participles with a sluggish mind. Not a good plan. My conclusion is that like the body, the human mind needs care and attention. It also needs exercise, but not too much.

Then I had a conversation with someone who is grieving. At one point, I felt as if I said too much and may have been less than helpful. Second-guessing myself is not a good mind exercise either. I wanted to know for sure if I said something I should not have said, or was God okay with it all? I wanted Him to tell me.

Today’s devotional reading took me to this . . . “When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.” (Ecclesiastes 8:16–17)

The general gist of this is that I could work at it day and night, even make a list of all that God does, and I still would not know everything He is doing. I just know that He isn’t surprised or stumped by the mistakes His people make, nor does He have any obligation to inform us about His plans and strategies.

Instead, faith is about trusting God, period. It isn’t about trusting God to use my words, or not. It isn’t about expecting Him to pat me on the head when I fit into His plans, or even letting me know His plans. I’m simply to trust Him.

One of my husband’s favorite verses says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) There is no way I can see how I can do the planning and God is doing the planning . . . unless the mind of Christ that He put in me works without my sense of it happening. Can that possibly mean that unless my thoughts are obviously sinful, Jesus Christ is there in my thoughts and my planning? Could He even be in the words I said that I am now so worried about?

He does say quite a bit about controlling my tongue and that I should use it to help others, but He also has something to say about worry. For instance, “The Lord is at hand; 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 4:5–7) and this other favorite verse, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)

From what I’m reading, God cares more about my anxiety than He does about those words I said that are worrying me and making me second-guess myself. He says to trust the Lord will all my heart . . .  not my words. Right or wrong, the value of those words is up to Him, and He isn’t letting me in on what He is going to do.

Instead, He says this to me: “Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” (Proverbs 12:25) I get it. I’m to stop worrying and trust the Lord. He is right; a good word from Him makes me feel much better.