ANXIETY

Today's topic is Anxiety because so many of us face this issue in our daily lives. Here are some scriptures that will help to give a new light in situations where you might feel that everything is falling apart.

The Old Testament

Psalm 94:17-19
17.Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.
18.When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me.
19.When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.

This part of Scripture talks of a person so close to giving up, so close to death because of their problems. They talk about the Lord giving them help. God is His strongest at our weakest points. He will comfort us with His Spirit when we are in need of Him. He will bring our soul joy when we lean on Him in times of trouble.

Ecclesiastes 2:22-25
22.What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23.All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.
24.A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25.for without him, who can eat or find employment?

This Scripture basically comes down to "Contentment." Sometimes we think all the work we do is meaningless. We decide to, "live life to the fullest," "work hard and play hard." We decide we will do whatever God enables us to do. We often find that simple pleasures fail to satisfy us. Contentment comes through a life of faith and obedience. If your not receiving joy in what you are doing, pray that God will guide you and that He will give you joy and peace. If you are living to please God you will receive the fruits of His Spirit.

The New Testament

Luke 12:22-34
22.Then Jesus said to his disciples. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23.Life is more than food, and the body more than cloths. 24.Consider the Ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable are you than birds! 25.Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 26.Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27.Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28.If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29.And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30.For the pagan world runs after all such things, and you Father knows that you need them. 31.But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32.Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33.Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourself that will not wear out, a treasure in Heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In this Scripture Jesus is giving us an open invitation to rest in the loving arms of the Father. We often cross the line and fret when we should trust. When we constantly focus on ourselves instead of God we violate Jesus' principle. Jesus tells us here not to worry about anything. He names things we often wory about; food and clothing. We often get caught up worrying about jobs, dating and money. Jesus tells us to seek the kingdom and all else will be provided. Lean on God and seek Him and you will be blessed by Him in ways you could never of imagined.

Philippians 4:4-9
4.Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5.Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6.Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. 7.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
8.Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praise worthy - think about such things. 9.Whatever you have learned or recieved or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

We should always rejoice in the Lord. When we have issues in our lives we should be praying to God about those issues. If we present those issues to God, being thankful, He will give our minds and hearts peace over the issue and resolve it in His time. Paul is saying in this scripture that thoughts of temptation and dicouragement can come into our lives unannounced. We can discipline ourselves, making consious choices to contemplate good things. Reading Bible verses, for example, or listing God's attributes can get us on the right track.

Hebrews 13:5-6
5.Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
6.So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

This and many other Scriptures say, "The Lord is my helper, he will never leave nor forsake you." This is so true!

There are so many times throughout my past when I was anxious. There were times when I felt there was no hope, no purpose and no point. Since I have found Jesus to be my savior I have learned to lean on Him when I have doubts or when I don't know why or what to do in certain situations. An answer always comes in one form or another. Those times in my past when I was the most anxious, I was so wrapped up in myself and the questions; "why is this happening to me?," "what am I going to do now?," "How am I going to get through this?," "How will I pay for this?" I was forgetting to pray and to keep helping others in their times of need. I was down right "selfish." I was going no where fast.

Today I have peace and Joy. I have some medical issues that sometimes try to get me down, but I have a relationship with God. He helps me through my daily struggles and gives me the strength to keep helping others. As long as I remember to lean on Him, I have peace and joy. If I begin to get anxious, I go into a quiet room and pray for God to help. He is always there and has never failed.

Next time you feel anxious or if you feel it now. Stop! Go into a quiet place and pray for God's help. I guarentee in one way or another He will always be there for you. I love you all and hope you were able to grab a hold of something today. God Bless you and your families!