If so, you are not alone. Statistics show that anxiety was increasing even before the pandemic. There is much to be anxious about in our broken world.
I often worry about things, like Martha in Luke 10:
38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
41-42 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”
“Fussing”...yup, that’s me. It makes me a good problem solver and project manager, my intuition alerting me that there’s some action needed. But it can get away from me if I’m not careful.
It turns out the Bible has a fair bit to say on the subject of anxiety. Psalms, Jesus, Paul, James, Peter, the Prophets, Proverbs, Deuteronomy. I have lots to read. And reading the Bible calms me - double win!
On Sunday we will read what St. Paul had to say about anxiety (and other things) in his letter to the church he founded in Philippi. We will welcome Ashu Biswal, visiting us for the first time, to share his wisdom on the following passage:
Philippians 4:4-9 MSG
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
It’s worth repeating:
“Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”
There is also a whole lot of advice in this passage about where our attention should be focussed. And focussing on these things rather than on our worries sounds like a good idea to me.
Image by ASweeneyPhoto, https://www.flickr.com/photos/alexandra_sweeney_photography/
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