Finding Peace Amidst Anxiety: Trusting God's Care

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Anxiety as a Path to God's Presence

Embracing our membership in the "anxiety club" allows us to experience God’s presence more fully. By accepting our struggles, we open ourselves to His care and provision, moving beyond superficial concerns to a deeper trust in Him. Anxiety is a common human experience, and acknowledging it can lead us to a more profound reliance on God. Jesus invites us to consider the lilies of the field, which are clothed in splendor without worry or toil, reminding us that God's care for us surpasses even the beauty of nature. By accepting our anxieties and not rejecting them, we open ourselves to experiencing God’s presence in our lives more fully. [02:46]

Matthew 6:28-30 (ESV): "And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

Reflection: What is one specific anxiety you are currently facing? How can you invite God into this area of your life today, trusting in His provision and care?

Day 2: Overcoming Shame Through Equality

Shame often accompanies anxiety, making us feel unattractive or unworthy. However, by adopting a mindset of equality and seeing ourselves as neither superior nor inferior, we combat shame and live in the dynamic tension between extremes. This perspective helps us to see ourselves and others through the lens of God's love, freeing us from the destructive forces of shame and grandiosity. By embracing our vulnerabilities and acknowledging our membership in various "clubs" of struggle, we paradoxically find a fuller life. [05:56]

James 4:10 (ESV): "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."

Reflection: In what ways do you compare yourself to others, either feeling superior or inferior? How can you practice seeing yourself and others as equal in God's eyes today?

Day 3: Trusting God with Life's Outcomes

Jesus’ call to not worry is an invitation to place our faith in God, trusting Him with the outcomes of our lives. This trust frees us from the cycle of anxiety and guilt, enabling us to live in the present moment with peace. By focusing on God's faithfulness and provision, we can let go of our need to control every aspect of our lives. Trusting God with the outcomes allows us to experience His peace and presence more fully, as we learn to live in the moment rather than being preoccupied with the future. [11:02]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God with the outcome? How can you begin to release control and trust Him more fully today?

Day 4: Cultivating a Life of Peace in a Hurried World

In a world that values hurry and striving, Jesus offers a contrasting vision of life in His Kingdom. By steeping ourselves in His teachings, we cultivate a life marked by the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience. Eliminating hurry from our lives allows us to be more present, more peaceful, and more aligned with God’s purposes. As we trust in His care, we find that life does not have to be a frenzied, anxious striving. [14:06]

Isaiah 30:15 (ESV): "For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.' But you were unwilling."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to slow down and eliminate hurry from your life? How might this change help you experience more of God's peace and presence?

Day 5: Aligning with God's Purposes Through Trust

Eliminating hurry from our lives allows us to be more present, more peaceful, and more aligned with God’s purposes. As we trust in His care, we find that life does not have to be a frenzied, anxious striving. By focusing on God's faithfulness and provision, we can let go of our need to control every aspect of our lives. Trusting God with the outcomes allows us to experience His peace and presence more fully, as we learn to live in the moment rather than being preoccupied with the future. [15:52]

Psalm 37:5-7 (ESV): "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"

Reflection: How can you align your daily activities with God's purposes today? What is one area where you can practice being still and trusting in God's timing and provision?

Sermon Summary

In our journey through life, many of us find ourselves members of what we might call the "anxiety club." This club is vast, encompassing countless individuals who grapple with anxiety as a core struggle. It's important to recognize that being part of this club is not a mark of failure or inadequacy. Instead, it is a shared human experience that can lead us to deeper reliance on God and a more profound understanding of His care for us. Jesus, in His teachings, invites us to consider the lilies of the field, which are clothed in splendor without worry or toil. This imagery serves as a reminder that God’s care for us surpasses even the beauty of nature, and we are called to trust in His provision.

Shame often accompanies anxiety, making us feel unattractive or unworthy. However, embracing our vulnerabilities and acknowledging our membership in various "clubs" of struggle can paradoxically lead us to a fuller life. By accepting our anxieties and not rejecting them, we open ourselves to experiencing God’s presence in our lives more fully. Jesus’ words challenge us to move beyond the superficial concerns of life, such as what we will eat or wear, and to trust that our Heavenly Father knows our needs.

The Bible encourages us to adopt a mindset of equality, seeing ourselves as neither superior nor inferior to others. This perspective helps us combat the destructive forces of shame and grandiosity, allowing us to live in the dynamic tension between these extremes. Jesus’ call to not worry is an invitation to place our faith in God, trusting Him with the outcomes of our lives. This trust frees us from the cycle of anxiety and guilt, enabling us to live in the present moment with peace.

In our fast-paced world, the temptation to hurry and strive is ever-present. Yet, Jesus contrasts the hurried life of the pagans with the peace offered in His Kingdom. By steeping ourselves in His teachings, we can cultivate a life marked by the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience. As we eliminate hurry from our lives, we become more present, more peaceful, and more aligned with God’s purposes.

Key Takeaways

1. Embracing our membership in the "anxiety club" allows us to experience God’s presence more fully. By accepting our struggles, we open ourselves to His care and provision, moving beyond superficial concerns to a deeper trust in Him. [02:46]
2. Shame often accompanies anxiety, making us feel unattractive or unworthy. However, by adopting a mindset of equality and seeing ourselves as neither superior nor inferior, we combat shame and live in the dynamic tension between extremes. [05:56]
3. Jesus’ call to not worry is an invitation to place our faith in God, trusting Him with the outcomes of our lives. This trust frees us from the cycle of anxiety and guilt, enabling us to live in the present moment with peace. [11:02]
4. In a world that values hurry and striving, Jesus offers a contrasting vision of life in His Kingdom. By steeping ourselves in His teachings, we cultivate a life marked by the fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience. [14:06]
5. Eliminating hurry from our lives allows us to be more present, more peaceful, and more aligned with God’s purposes. As we trust in His care, we find that life does not have to be a frenzied, anxious striving. [15:52]
** [15:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:11] - Understanding Shame and Anxiety
[00:42] - The Anxiety Club
[01:11] - Coping Strategies for Anxiety
[02:34] - Acceptance and Embracing Life
[03:19] - Jesus on Worry and Trust
[04:22] - Beauty in God’s Care
[05:21] - Shame and Self-Perception
[06:14] - Trusting God with Our Needs
[07:02] - Humility and Equality
[08:24] - Faith and Anxiety
[09:43] - Preoccupation with Tomorrow
[10:32] - Trusting God with Outcomes
[12:19] - Do Not Worry
[13:10] - Worry and Pace of Life
[14:39] - The Gift of Peace
[16:25] - Conclusion and Reflection

Sermon Clips

Well everybody has some Thorn that they're dealing with and for my money anxiety is uh the principal Thorn for a very very large number that club and I think the anxiety Club is when that that is one of your core structur and it's a very large Club lots of people. [00:01:11]

So when you accept it actually ironically accepting it can enable you to Embrace Life uh and find God in the midst of that in ways that if you always try to avoid and pretend it's not the case you'll never do oh reject club membership is as rejecting anx we hate our anxiety and reject the experience even that we're having of worry and anxiety will make it worse. [00:02:46]

Jesus goes on and why do you worry about clothes see how the flowers of the field grow do not labor or spin yet I tell you that not even Solomon and all his Splendor was dressed like one of these if that is how God clothed the grass of the field which is here today and tomorrow's St into the fire will he not much more clothe you. [00:03:19]

I think of that uh shame that people can feel because I'm in the anxiety club or I'm in the depression club or I'm in the ego club or I'm in the not very attractive club or not smart enough club or whatever the club is there sheem attached to it um how do you work with folks on shame and anxiety and what's the connection there. [00:05:21]

Human beings tend in their worst parts of themselves to go the one down or the one up Direction so sometimes I think a lot of those P passages are trying to address the the superiority people that are putting themselves one up yeah I'm one up and more grandiosity and so I'm better than others I really think the Bible's kind of full of uh inductions injunctions to not do either. [00:07:02]

I know that the Bible's general definition of anxiety is that it's preoccupation with tomorrow and the future and that's not only in this passage of Jesus but with with Paul or John or Peter are talking or writing about it that's the same thing and so that idea that if I'm thinking about tomorrow then I'm more likely to worry and be anxious. [00:09:43]

I'm going to put outcomes into God's hands and I'm GNA consciously and try to get that all the way down into my emotions to put the outcome of my efforts in God God's hands because that's future oriented that's tomorrow metaphorically um and then be about what I'm doing in the moment that doesn't get me off the hook it doesn't mean that I can't put out effort but I'm not in charge of the outcome. [00:10:32]

Jesus ends that question with a little phrase and it's a word that it's thought he very possibly coined um you of little faith um alapo uh uh oligarchs the rule of the feud um pistus Faith epistemology um that that notion that um uh you don't have enough faith and he often uses that with his disciples and I think about that with anxiety. [00:12:19]

Do not worry saying what should we eat or what should we drink what should we wear and then for the pagans run after these things and your heavenly father knows the unique and I thought this is interesting this is one of the place places where he contrasts life in the Kingdom not with the religious Hypocrites but with the pagans with the Gentiles yeah and the verb that's used is run which connotes um hurry um an striving. [00:13:10]

My Christian clients who are steeping themselves in The Sermon on the Mount on the teachings of Jesus are less hurried they have more peace like I think love joy peace patience you know those fruits of the spirit it seems like they come from the spirit their gifts of the Spirit but they seem so tied to un hurrying. [00:14:06]

Remember you have a heavenly father who cares for you and so life does not have to be a frenzied urgent rushed pre occupied anxious striving his gift today is peace so today when you're at the keyboard writing an email when you're in the car driving someplace what a blessing you will be to those around you when you're talking with little children when you're all by yourself do not have to run. [00:15:52]

I love that Greek stuff you threw in there too like you're you're the Bible guy love just offer a little bit from a psychologist standpoint good so uh the final question that I have for you in this very very rich passage uh he says so and then he repeats this command again for the second time he'll do it a third time by the end of the chapter do not worry. [00:16:25]

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