Living a Watched Life: Trust Over Anxiety
Summary
Psalm 121 invites us into a life under God's watchful care, a life where anxiety is replaced by trust and curiosity. The psalm repeatedly emphasizes that God is our watcher, not in a judgmental or neutral way, but as a loving guardian, much like a mother watching over her child or a coach guiding a team. This divine watching is an invitation to live a "watched life," distinct from an "unwatched life" characterized by anxiety. When we live as if no one is watching over us, we bear the burden of securing our own safety and well-being, leading to anxiety.
Steve Cuss identifies four spaces where anxiety can manifest: within ourselves, between us and others, in others, and between others. While we can address anxiety within ourselves and in our relationships, the anxiety in others is beyond our control and is a matter between them and God. Anxiety often leads to reactivity, where we respond impulsively rather than thoughtfully and prayerfully. In contrast, living closely with God allows us to respond with grace and wisdom, even when we are wrong.
Dallas Willard notes that those who live in close relationship with God are not defensive when found in the wrong. They are grateful for correction, embodying the principle of being justified by grace. This grace permeates their being, allowing them to rest in God's care. Anxiety is contagious, quickly filling the spaces between us, but we can invite God into these spaces to bring peace.
Curiosity, not relaxation, is the opposite of anxiety. Like a child exploring a room after being reassured by a parent's presence, we are made for exploration and adventure. Anxiety tells us to retreat, but curiosity encourages us to explore. We are invited to live a life of divine attachment, trusting in God's provision and love. Today, lift your eyes to God, the maker of heaven and earth, and walk with Him, free from anxiety and full of curiosity.
Key Takeaways:
- Psalm 121 invites us to live a "watched life," where God's loving care replaces anxiety with trust. This divine watching is not judgmental but nurturing, like a mother's care for her child. [01:23]
- Anxiety manifests in four spaces: within ourselves, between us and others, in others, and between others. We can address anxiety within ourselves and our relationships, but anxiety in others is beyond our control. [03:23]
- Reactivity is a sign of anxiety, where we respond impulsively rather than thoughtfully. Living closely with God allows us to respond with grace and wisdom, even when we are wrong. [04:31]
- Those who live in close relationship with God are not defensive when corrected. They embody the principle of being justified by grace, allowing them to rest in God's care. [05:16]
- Curiosity, not relaxation, is the opposite of anxiety. We are made for exploration and adventure, encouraged to explore rather than retreat. Trust in God's provision and love, and walk with Him. [09:20]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:32] - Wings and Engines: Burdens That Lift
- [00:48] - Psalm 121: The Watched Life
- [01:39] - God's Loving Watchfulness
- [02:28] - Anxiety vs. The Watched Life
- [03:23] - Four Spaces of Anxiety
- [04:31] - Reactivity and Anxiety
- [05:16] - Justified by Grace
- [06:28] - Divine Attachment Disorder
- [07:29] - Anxiety in Leadership
- [08:42] - Curiosity vs. Anxiety
- [09:48] - Invitation to the Watched Life
- [10:15] - Trust and Curiosity
- [10:38] - Closing Remarks
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Psalm 121:1-8
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Observation Questions:
1. What recurring word is emphasized in Psalm 121, and how does it relate to God's role in our lives? [01:23]
2. According to the sermon, what are the four spaces where anxiety can manifest, and which of these can we address? [03:23]
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between a "watched life" and an "unwatched life"? [02:28]
4. What is the opposite of anxiety as discussed in the sermon, and how is it illustrated through the example of a child? [09:20]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of God as a loving guardian in Psalm 121 challenge or affirm your understanding of divine care? [01:23]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that living closely with God can change our response to being wrong or corrected? [05:16]
3. How does the sermon explain the contagious nature of anxiety, and what role does God play in transforming these spaces? [06:45]
4. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between curiosity and anxiety, and how does this relate to our spiritual journey? [09:20]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you felt anxious. How might viewing it through the lens of a "watched life" change your perspective? [02:28]
2. Identify an area in your life where you tend to react impulsively. How can you invite God into that space to respond with grace and wisdom instead? [04:31]
3. Think of a relationship where anxiety is present. What steps can you take to address your part in it, and how can you invite God into that relationship? [03:23]
4. Consider a time when you were corrected. How did you respond, and how might embracing the idea of being justified by grace change your reaction in the future? [05:16]
5. What is one area of your life where you feel a lack of curiosity due to anxiety? How can you cultivate a sense of exploration and trust in God's provision? [09:20]
6. Reflect on a moment when you felt God's presence in a challenging situation. How did that awareness impact your anxiety levels, and how can you seek that presence more consistently? [06:45]
7. Identify a specific distraction that prevents you from focusing on God's watchful care. What practical steps can you take this week to minimize that distraction? [10:15]
Devotional
Day 1: Living a Watched Life
God's watchful care invites us to live a life free from anxiety, characterized by trust and divine attachment. Psalm 121 portrays God as a loving guardian, much like a mother watching over her child. This divine watching is nurturing, not judgmental, and it invites us to live a "watched life" where we are relieved from the burden of securing our own safety and well-being. When we acknowledge God's presence, we can replace anxiety with trust, knowing that we are under His loving care. This shift from an "unwatched life" to a "watched life" allows us to experience peace and security, as we are no longer alone in our struggles. [01:23]
Psalm 139:1-3 (ESV): "O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel like you are carrying the burden alone? How can you invite God's watchful care into these areas today?
Day 2: Navigating the Spaces of Anxiety
Anxiety can manifest in four distinct spaces: within ourselves, between us and others, in others, and between others. While we can address anxiety within ourselves and in our relationships, the anxiety in others is beyond our control and is a matter between them and God. Recognizing these spaces helps us understand where we can take action and where we need to release control. By focusing on our own responses and relationships, we can create a more peaceful environment and trust God to work in the lives of others. [03:23]
Proverbs 12:25 (ESV): "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."
Reflection: Identify one relationship where anxiety is present. How can you address your own anxiety in this relationship and trust God with the rest?
Day 3: Responding with Grace and Wisdom
Reactivity is a sign of anxiety, where we respond impulsively rather than thoughtfully. Living closely with God allows us to respond with grace and wisdom, even when we are wrong. This close relationship with God helps us to be less defensive and more open to correction, embodying the principle of being justified by grace. When we rest in God's care, we can respond to situations with a calm and thoughtful demeanor, rather than reacting out of fear or anxiety. [04:31]
James 1:19-20 (ESV): "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you reacted impulsively. How might you respond differently next time by relying on God's grace and wisdom?
Day 4: Embracing Correction with Gratitude
Those who live in close relationship with God are not defensive when corrected. They embody the principle of being justified by grace, allowing them to rest in God's care. This grace permeates their being, making them grateful for correction and open to growth. By embracing correction with gratitude, we can grow in our faith and become more aligned with God's will for our lives. This openness to correction is a sign of spiritual maturity and trust in God's loving guidance. [05:16]
Proverbs 3:11-12 (ESV): "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent correction you received. How can you embrace it with gratitude and see it as an opportunity for growth?
Day 5: Curiosity as the Antidote to Anxiety
Curiosity, not relaxation, is the opposite of anxiety. We are made for exploration and adventure, encouraged to explore rather than retreat. Anxiety tells us to retreat, but curiosity encourages us to explore. By trusting in God's provision and love, we can walk with Him, free from anxiety and full of curiosity. This divine attachment invites us to lift our eyes to God, the maker of heaven and earth, and embrace the adventure of life with Him. [09:20]
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where anxiety holds you back from exploring? How can you invite curiosity and trust in God's provision to guide you forward?
Quotes
Dallas wood writes in renovation of heart that walking closely with God is a burden only and precisely in the same way that wings are a burden to a bird or an engine is a burden to an airplane. It is that life that lets us soar. I want to talk to you about that for a few minutes. [00:00:25]
He will not let your foot slip. He who watches over you will not slumber. He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over your life. The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day nor the moon by night. [00:01:12]
The Lord will watch over your life. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. And you might have noticed the word that keeps cropping up is watch, watching. The Lord is the watcher. It actually can also be translated using Peterson writes about this the one who guards. [00:01:37]
It's not judgmental watching. It's not that God is up there with a critical eye looking for where you mess up. It's not even neutral watching. It's not the watching of a spectator. It's the watching that a mother gives over a child that she dearly loves. It's the watching that a coach gives of a team. [00:01:59]
Because if there is no one watching over my life I'm on my own. If I want good outcomes they're going to have to be up to me. If I'm going to secure my safety and my well-being if anybody's going to protect me if anybody's going to look out for me it's going to have to be me. [00:02:52]
Steve says that anxiety can occur basically in four spaces in your life and you might watch for this today. It can incur within me, in my own spirit in my own heart. You might pause for a moment just to see how much anxiety is there in you, and then secondly it can occur in the space between you and me. [00:03:16]
Evidence of anxiety Steve says is not so much fear or worry as what is sometimes called reactivity that is when I'm facing a situation might be difficult might be challenging and instead of responding to it out of what I value most, instead of walking through it together with God, I'm on my own. [00:04:31]
This is one of the characteristics of people that do that is when they are found to be in the wrong they will never defend it, neither to themselves, nor to others much less to God. This is pretty amazing. They are thankful to be found out. I'm not quite there yet sometimes. [00:05:19]
Anxiety is extremely contagious and it fills up those spaces in between us very very quickly. And so when I notice that I can't flip a switch I cannot make myself stop feeling anxious but what I can do is invite God to come into this space. [00:06:49]
The opposite of anxiety as Steve talks about it and other folks do as well is not so much a sense of relaxation or an absence of fear it's curiosity. Very interesting the classic experiment that looks at anxiety and detachment with little infants is called the strange situation. [00:08:42]
When the mom comes back in if there's a secure sense of attachment pretty soon the infant will be reassured and feel secure but they don't just sit next to their mom they go explore the room and this is a little picture of dominion we were made to explore we were made to have adventures. [00:09:13]
There is one who is watching over me and watching over you so I don't have to be worried or concerned there is nothing that I need that God is not able to provide and that he will not provide in an ultimate eternal sense nothing can separate me from his love. [00:09:48]
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