Overcoming Anxiety with God's Peace

For Further Study

Today, we want to address a common struggle that affects all of us in some form

or fashion: anxiety.

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines anxiety as “concern or solicitude respecting some event, future or uncertainty, which disturbs the mind, and keeps it in a state of painful uneasiness….it usually springs from fear or serious apprehension of evil.”  

None of us are immune to it!  Some struggle more than others.  According to experts, anxiety is at the highest levels in recorded history. In the fast-paced, often overwhelming world we live in, it’s easy to find ourselves burdened by worries and fears. 

We worry about our kids, our marriages, our finances, our health, our jobs, our future and countless other things.  According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 6.8 million adults in the US suffer with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 6 million suffer with panic disorder, 15 million with Social Anxiety Disorder, 19.3 million suffer

with a specific phobia, and 7.7 million suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

We, as followers of Christ, have the assurance of God's peace that surpasses all understanding.  So how can we be certain of this?  We back it up with truth, scripture.

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7 - “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be

anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with

thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ

Jesus.”

Finding peace in God amidst life's anxieties and stresses. Sounds too good to be

true?

OK so how do I apply this in my life today?  How do I “Be anxious about nothing?”

How about some practical steps to replace worry with prayer and thanksgiving.  If

you happen to be one who suffers from the disorders listed earlier, these practical

steps are still important to apply but may also require medicinal and psychological

treatment to find relief and freedom.  

1. Acknowledge Your Anxiety:

First, it is important to acknowledge that feeling anxious is a part of the human

experience. Even the most devout believers can experience moments of fear and

uncertainty. It is important to note that feeling anxious is not the same as being

anxious.  “Being” refers to identity, what we choose to believe and how we

choose to act. 

We feel a lot of things that we can’t help, but it does not have to define who we are or the truth of who God is. We can choose to trust God by faith and walk out that faith as opposed to giving in to fear. In the Bible, we see many examples of faithful servants of God who faced anxiety, such as King David, who often expressed his fears in the Psalms. 

In Psalm 56:3-4, David writes, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In

God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and I shall not be afraid. What can

flesh do to me?"

Notice that David acknowledges his fear but chooses to put his trust in God.  He

chooses truth over fear.

2. Seek God Through Prayer:

When we communicate with our Heavenly Father, when we rejoice in the Lord

and come to Him with Thanksgiving, we can unburden our hearts and minds.  In 1

Peter 5:7, we are instructed to "cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares

for you."

Prayer allows us to lay our worries at the feet of the One who is sovereign

and all-powerful.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 11, “Come to me, all who labor

and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  Let go of your worries, fears,

and stress so that your hands are free to receive His rest and peace.

3. Do Not Choose Fear but Embrace God’s Peace:

Scripture tells us 365 times to fear not or to be anxious about nothing. That is one

time for every day of the year.  I don’t believe that number is coincidental and

what it means to me is that we are never, on any day, to choose fear over faith. 

Again, looking at Philippians 4 verse 7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all

understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  God

promises a peace that transcends our human understanding. This peace is not

dependent on our circumstances but is rooted in our relationship with Jesus

Christ. In John 14:27, Jesus tells His disciples, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I

give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be

troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Notice Jesus said not to let your heart be troubled or be afraid. In Jeremiah 17:9, we are told that “The heart is deceitful above all things”.  The enemy uses our feelings to deceive our hearts into being troubled and afraid.  Do you realize that fear is actually a spirit?   2 Timothy 1:7tells us “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”  We have a choice to believe the lie of the enemy and let our fear guide and direct our lives or we tap into our relationship with God and by faith choose

power and love and self-control which leads to the peace that surpasses

understanding. 

I remember being in the hospital room with my mom when she began to seize

and convulse as her eyes rolled back in her head.  I remember my dad crying out

for help, my brother and sister screaming out to her, and nurses rushing into the

room as my mom was dying in front of my eyes.  The scene and situation was

anything but peaceful.  However, I remember knowing that God was present and

He was reassuring me that everything was going to be ok.  I was able to calmly

talk to my dad and instruct him to say what he needed to say to mom.  It was in

that moment that I realized what “the peace that surpasses all understanding”

truly meant.   

By trusting in Christ, we can experience a peace that calms our fears and

reassures our souls.

4. Practice Rejoicing and Gratitude:

Rejoicing and Gratitude are powerful antidotes to anxiety. When we focus on the

blessings in our lives and thank God for His goodness, our perspective shifts. Paul

encourages us in Philippians 4:4 to rejoice in the Lord always.  Scripture doesn’t

just say this once but repeats it.  Whenever something is repeated in scripture,

this means that this is a point of emphasis, so we need to pay very close attention

to.

Paul also tells us in verse 6 to bring our anxieties to God through prayer, not

with a mindset of doubt or hopelessness, but with thanksgiving. It is important to

note that this writing by Paul occurred when he was in prison.  From a prison cell,

Paul is encouraging the church of Philippi to rejoice, to not be anxious, and to take

our burdens and fears to the Lord with Thanksgiving.   

By cultivating a heart of gratitude and verbally praising Him, we become

more aware of God's presence and provision, even in the midst of our

struggles.

5. Meditate on God’s Word:

God’s Word is a source of comfort and strength. By meditating on scripture, we

can find solace and encouragement. Joshua 1:8 says,"This Book of the Law shall

not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that

you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will

make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.:

When we fill our minds with God’s promises, we replace anxiety with hope

and confidence in His faithfulness.  1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but

perfect love casts out fear.”  God’s love is perfect 24/7.  If His love is perfect

all the time and perfect love casts out fear, why are we fearful?  It is

because we reject His perfect love when we don’t believe that God is who

He says that He is or we don’t believe that we are who He says we are.  We

can’t define God the Father apart from His children.  And we can’t define

ourselves as Children of the Most High King apart from our Heavenly

Father.  It is in the intimate knowing of who He is and who we are as a

result of that relationship that we embrace God’s perfect love that casts

out fear. I invite anyone who doesn’t have that intimate relationship with

our Heavenly Father or haven’t made the decision to make Jesus the Lord

of your life, please come and talk to me, Jerry, or one of the elders.

CONCLUSION:

Anxiety may be a part of our human experience, but it does not have to define us.

By acknowledging our fears, seeking God through prayer, not choosing fear but

embracing His peace, practicing rejoicing and gratitude, and meditating on His

Word, we can overcome anxiety and find rest in the arms of our loving Father. Let

us trust in the One who holds our future and cast all our cares upon Him. May the

peace of God guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen!

For Further Thought and Study:

1. In today’s opening scripture, we looked at Phil 4:4-7. Now look at vs 8,

what are we instructed to think on? Why is this important?

2. Take a look at Isaiah 26:3-4. What are some key principles from these 2

passages?

3. Open up to Matt 6:34, after meditating on it a bit, write it out in your own

words.