Don't be anxious... about ANYTHING??

The anxiety in our country right now is palpable. What will happen to this country of ours that has become so deeply split along political lines?

While I don't know what will happen to this country, I do know that anxiety is not to be the emotion that steers or controls me as a follower of Jesus. 

Jesus, in Matthew 6, had this to say: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear...  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul says it strongly: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Philippians 4:6) 

Of course in the midst of what feels like social upheaval and a broken world, "don't worry" is easier said than done, isn't it? 

For those of us who find ourselves anxious during this moment in time. how do we disconnect from the gnawing worry? Both of the passages above give us concrete steps:

1. Seek God and His Kingdom. Did you catch that? Jesus doesn't point the anxious back to seeking a "kingdom of this world" but instead says "seek HIS Kingdom." God has a Kingdom-mission for all of us, if only we see it and respond. What's God asking you to do today that is part of His Kingdom-mission? Perhaps pray. Or encourage. Serve someone He brings to mind. Tell someone else His Good News. Turn away from the things that are making you anxious, and set your mind - and actions - on Him. 

2. Pray and Thank. God invites us to talk to Him about what is making us anxious. He invites us to make requests of Him. AND... in the midst of all this GIVE THANKS. Why is the "with thanksgiving" so important? It's because when we begin to list out what we are thankful for... those gifts that God has given us, those prayers that have already been answered, those people who surround us... then we see how God has already worked in our lives. We see the gifts He has already given us. And in that place of thanksgiving, we are reminded that He loves us and that nothing is too big for Him to handle. He will never leave us or forsake us. 

And when you find your anxiety rising? Memorize this verse and say it until it roots itself deep in your soul: 

"...God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:5-6)