The Lies of Anxiety

Feeling anxious? Check out - 8 Arguments For Why You Should Be Anxious Today and How the Bible Responds by Justin Taylor

An important lesson of the Christian life is that the heart of the battle is a fight not between abstract commands (do this! don’t do that!) but rather arguments. Unbelief does not just offer dictates; it offers reasons why we don’t need to trust the Lord. And to counter that, gospel-flavored belief argues with our unbelief. In other words, it provides reasons for why trusting the Lord is always the good and wise things to do.

Here are some notes on how this might work with the temptation to fret and worry and be anxious and unsettled, rather than acting in joyful, confident, restful faith. I’ve included the argument of unbelief, a Scripture passage, and some observations on how the argument works.

1. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE GOD IS TOO FAR AWAY TO HEAR MY NEEDS.

Philippians 4:5-6: ”The Lord is at hand; [therefore] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

• The truth: “The Lord is at hand”
• What is prohibited as a result: “do not be anxious about anything”
• The alternative that is prescribed as a result: “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God [i.e., the Lord who is near to hear and to help].”

2. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE GOD DOES NOT CARE FOR ME AND I NEED TO GET MYSELF OUT OF THIS HUMILIATING STAGE OF LIFE.

1 Peter 5:6-7: Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

• The truth: God cares for me.
• The command: I am to humble myself.
• How? By casting all of my anxieties on him.
• A corollary: Carrying rather than casting my anxieties is an expression of pride.

3. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE IF MY PROBLEMS AREN’T SOLVED I COULD DIE.

Matthew 6:25: “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

• You still have eternal life even if you have no food
• You will still have a resurrection body even if you are physically deprived.
• Even if your struggle ends in death you will not have lost the most important things; therefore, don’t spend your time being anxious about lesser things.

4. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE I HAVE NO PRACTICAL EVIDENCE IN THE WORLD THAT GOD VALUES ME OR WILL TAKE CARE OF ME. 

Matthew 6:26, 28-30: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? . . . 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?”

• God values the birds and the grass, which he richly provides for and adorns.
• God values me much more than the birds and the grass.
• Therefore, as an argument from the lesser to the greater, obviously he will be even more invested in providing for all of my needs.

5. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH IT HELPS MY LIFE.

Matthew 6:27: ”Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” [Answer: no one.]

• The truth: Anxiety can’t add a single hour to my life.
• Presupposition: I shouldn’t spend my time on pointless activities that have no benefits.
• Result: I shouldn’t be anxious.

6. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO LOOK OUT FOR MY NEEDS.

Matthew 6:31, 33: “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For . . . your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

• The truth: God knows I have needs for food, drink, clothing
• The implication: When God knows a need and he loves the needy he is glad to be the supplier of the need.
• The result: My focus can be on God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, knowing that my needs will be taken care of.

7. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT; AFTER ALL, EVERYONE DOES IT AND IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR THEM.

Matthew 6:31-32: “Do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things. . . .”

• The truth: Unbelievers are anxious about how their needs are going to be met.
• Presupposition: Christians are not to act like unbelievers.
• Result: We should not be anxious like the world is anxious.

8. ANXIETY IS WORTH IT BECAUSE SO MANY TROUBLES ARE COMING TO ME IN THE FUTURE IF I DON’T WORRY ABOUT THEM NOW.

Matthew 6:34: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

• Tomorrow is going to do just fine without your help, but thanks anyway.

What Need I Fear

"Alone with none but thee, my God,
I journey on my way;
What need I fear, when thou art near,
O king of night and day"

- St. Columba (521-597)

HT @lensweet

Facing Fear

From Darrin Patrick - Face Your Fear

Courage is a word typically reserved for extraordinary circumstances — the soldier in battlefield, the first responder at the scene of a wreck, the nurse in the emergency room — where split-second decisions can save a life. Most of us don’t have to employ that kind of courage, but we all face fearful situations.

The fears we face:

- defending an unpopular course of action in a meeting
- addressing performance issues with a direct report
- confronting negativity in the break room
- leaving work early (or on time) to be with your family
- asking forgiveness from your spouse
- challenging the anger or frustration of a spouse
- disciplining your child’s behavior

Every fear we face tempts us to run which inflates but does not remove fear. Every fear we face tempts us to respond in like kind — with fear.

Fighting fear out of fear doesn’t work.

Our typical strategy is to fight fear with fear. We address our direct report so our supervisor doesn’t do the same with us. We head home risking the disappointment of our boss so we don’t experience our spouses’ disappointment. Fighting fear out of fear may get us an immediate result, but it doesn’t build lasting courage.

To become courageous, we need to fight fear with God. In a letter to a young man wrestling with self-doubt, Paul writes, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control” (2 Timothy 1:7). Here, Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit. Notice, he doesn’t appeal to Timothy’s natural abilities, nor does he threaten him with some form of judgment. He says, “Look, you’re not alone to face your fear! God is with you! God is for you! God is in you!

No Worries

From Radio Free Babylon
(Click on image to enlarge)

Facing Your Fears

Good post by Darrin Patrick on facing your fears in the new year-

A new year, a new list. Right?

Before you think my inner cynic is coming out, know that I am not against New Year’s resolutions. I just don’t think they are the first list we should be writing down. And that’s part of the reason we lose traction right around the Super Bowl.

This year, start with your fears. List them!

That is what motivates most of our resolutions. Literally, we can be running from our fear on the treadmill. Or lifting the weight of fear off our chests. A friend of mine, who is now a personal trainer, confided in me that he still sees “that scrawny kid” when he looks in the mirror. His arms are twice the size of my thighs!

You can accomplish a lot trying to avoid painful feelings. But you also miss out on a lot of opportunities. Fear not only distorts what you see in the mirror, it causes you to fixate on yourself. Living in fear blinds you to the needs of people in and around your life. It saps your energy for risk and adventure. Everything you’ve got is spent holding up this shield of resolutions.

In Psalm 3:3, David describes God as “a shield about me.” The Bible often describes God as a shield. In David’s day, there were actually two types of shields used. There was a lighter, round one that you could carry in one hand, and hold a weapon in the other. But there was also a long, rectangular shield that was so large at times that another person had to carry it.

When Goliath came out against God’s people, the “giant” had his own shield-bearer (1 Samuel 17:41). When David heard this, he left his baggage behind (v22) and went out with no armor (v39). When David wrote Psalm 3, I imagine he recalled this encounter in mind. He was not alone. God was his shield-bearer.

If you are going to say no to fear, you need to see God as David saw Him. Don’t try to lift it on your own. Let Him take care of it. He’s got big enough arms!

Move By The Sight Of The Cost

"How can the inner workings of the heart be changed from a dynamic of fear and anger to that of love, joy, and gratitude? Here is how. You need to be moved by the sight of what it cost to bring you home. The key difference between a Pharisee and a believer in Jesus is inner-heart motivation. Pharisees are being good but out of a fear-fueled need to control God. They don’t really trust him or love him. To them God is an exacting boss, not a loving father. Christians have seen something that has transformed their hearts toward God so they can finally love and rest in the Father."

  — Tim Keller,  The Prodigal God

HT: Of First Importance

Help My Unbelief

Help My Unbelief -Pete Wilson

"If you feel like your life is marked by fear and anxiety right now on any level than I’m praying this prayer for you today."

Just One Litttle Problem....

HT: Jason Clark

The Freest Person on Earth

Wow. Just wow.

"You see, real freedom is not liberty to do what we want or the absence of distress. Real freedom is the deep-seated confidence that no matter what, God really will provide everything we need (Philippians 4:19). The person who believes this is the freest of all persons on earth, because no matter what situation they find themselves in, they have nothing to fear (Philippians 4:11). "

                        From Jon Bloom at Desiring God
       
      
 

Jesus is Greater....

"Jesus is greater": This should be a complete sentence all by itself. However, I love how those three simple words are continued in this little piece by Justin Buzzard:

Jesus >

Jesus is greater.

JESUS > Sin + Fear + Guilt + Regret + Discouragement + Need + Pain + Shame + Failure

Jesus is greater than sin, he took on, paid for, and beat your sin.

Jesus is greater than fear, he is bigger than whatever makes you afraid.

Jesus is greater than guilt, he has made a complete atonement for our guilt.

Jesus is greater than regret, he redeems our broken past.

Jesus is greater than discouragement, he is never discouraged even though he knows the worst about you, your circumstances, and life in this broken world.

Jesus is greater than need, he knows all of your needs and your needs are not difficult for him.

Jesus is greater than pain, he knows your pain and is stronger than what is hurting you.

Jesus is greater than shame, he cleanses dirty people, making us whiter than snow.

Jesus is greater than failure, he loves to work with failure–it’s his specialty.

JESUS > Sin + Fear + Guilt + Regret + Discouragement + Need + Pain + Shame + Failure

Hat Tip: Peter Cockrell

A Diagnostic Kit: Four Gospel Truths

Here's a Monday morning diagnostic kit for yours and my gospel health:

The key to gospel change is the recognition that change takes place through faith. We become Christians by faith and we grow as Christians by faith. Faith recognizes that God is bigger and better than anything sin might offer. So what’s the connection between faith in God and your Monday-morning struggles? Identifying and remembering these four liberating truths about God will help:

1. God is great – so we don’t have to be in control
2. God is glorious – so we don’t have to fear others
3. God is good – so we don’t have to look elsewhere
4. God is gracious – so we don’t have to prove ourselves

A failure to embrace one of these four truths lies behind most of our sinful behavior and negative emotions. So ‘the four Gs’ are like a diagnostic kit to help us identify the gospel truth that we need focus on.

From: 4 Gospel Truths to Remember on Monday Morning | Crossway