When the Cares of My Heart Are Many…

“Our anxiety gives us the opportunity to grow in our trust of God.”

“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.”

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

We are currently in the middle of a mental health epidemic. If you live with a clinical and diagnosed anxiety disorder, I do not believe this is the anxiety that Paul is referring to. So while the passage can be applied to the life of someone with clinical anxiety, Paul is certainly not making light of the difficulty of living with mental illness. Rather, the anxiety Paul is referring to is an anxiety that is the opposite of trust. It is an anxiety rooted in unbelief in the character of God. 

Anxiety is a normal emotion experienced by all people. Anxiety in and of itself is not sinful. Instead, it is our thoughts and actions that are the result of our anxiety that can be sinful. So when (notice I didn’t say “if”) we experience anxiety, it should lead us towards God. Our anxiety gives us the opportunity to grow in our trust of God. In fact, Paul says we can trust the Lord in our anxiety with prayer and thanksgiving. The opposite of anxiety is also peace. Peace can come in any moment of our lives in unexplainable ways. The peace of God truly “surpasses all understanding.” 

I’m simply going to come right out and be honest with you this morning. The phrase, “let go, and let God” is not only unhelpful, it’s also unbiblical. I will give whoever said it first the benefit of the doubt, and believe they said it with good intentions. Instead of letting go, we should be holding on to God with everything we have. We can be assured that we are firmly in the grip of our Father, and He will not let us go.

Action Steps:

• Read Psalm 94:19 and Matthew 6:25-34

• Listen to Prince of Peace by Hillsong

Written by Michelle, mom of 1