Overcoming Anxiety

In preparing a message over Thomas the disciple, it was brought to my attention that Thomas, although widely known as 'Doubting Thomas,' was more than just a doubter and worrier.  He was also a very dedicated disciple.  John 11 records for us that even considering the risk of returning to Jerusalem with Jesus (to be with Lazarus), which would mean sure danger and a threat on their lives, Thomas was ready and willing to accompany Him: "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." 
 
Thomas had his bold side, but as we know all too well, he also had a worrisome side.  Thomas dealt with anxiety when Jesus shared that He would soon be leaving them but that they knew where He would be going.  Thomas frantically wanted to know how they could possibly find Him when they, in his estimation, knew nothing!  Its also puzzling that when all the other disciples stayed locked away in the room after Christ's crucifixion, Thomas was nowhere to be found.  What was he doing?  Did his grief over the loss of Christ and his anxiety from the thought of going on without Him move Thomas to flee?  To wallow in depression?  To search for Jesus?  We will never know....
 
When we deal with our anxieties, as Thomas and many others deal with, we must have a biblical plan of attack or they (and Satan) will eat us alive.  Here are some practical, biblical steps:
1) Pray and pray often
2 Thess. 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing."  Ps. 55:22 - "Cast your cares on Him and He will sustain you."
 
2) Memorize Scripture (particularly Philippians 4:8)
-This particular passage tells us to meditate and think deeply on all things good, noble, trustworthy, righteous, etc.  The only way to do that is to have Scripture stored in our minds and hearts.  Scripture is our Sword (Eph. 6), our weapon in the battle for our minds.  Use it!
 
3) Don't face anxiety alone.
Thomas was overcome and missed Jesus when He first showed up because he wasn't with those who were closest to him during such a difficult time.  Jesus was gone, Thomas chose to go at it alone, and he missed Jesus.  1 Peter 5:8 says that Satan prowls around like a lion.  Lions seek out the weak prey that wander off on their own.  Christians, we must stick together with other Christians, especially when in a season of anxiety.
 
There is grace and strength in Christ.  Applying these practical principles to combat anxiety, along with coming to Christ for His grace in times when our faith is failing, will provide the necessary healing in fearsome times.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From a Pastor's heart: Trying to understand God in loss...

Image
John 11 tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The story goes that it is reported to Jesus in advance that Lazarus, a close friend of His, had become  ill and would soon die.  Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, whom He also knew very well, Mary and Martha ( vs . 2-5 ).  Upon hearing the news, Jesus did something we may find puzzling - He stayed where He was two more days instead of rushing to heal Lazarus (or even speaking healing to Lazarus from a distance, which He had done before to others - Matt. 15, Luke 7, John 4 ). When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead in the grave four days ( v.39 ).... On the surface, this is just as puzzling to us as it was to them.  Why did Jesus wait?  Why didn't He heal right away when they pleaded with Him to do so?  Why did He refrain from answering the prayers of those Scripture claims He loved? We know this scenario in our world all too well, unfortunately.  In the midst of stories of miraculous healing and a
Read more

Perspective - Psalm 39

Image
“I said, I will guard my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle, while the wicked are before me…….Then I spoke with my tongue: ‘Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am.’”   - Psalm 39:1, 4 King David wrote many Psalms of lament – being in intense anguish and sadness – over his enemies, his own sins, etc.   In Psalm 39, the question arises in the beginning, what was David keeping his mouth shut for so that he wouldn’t sin?   And after keeping silent, why does he then speak up in prayer only to ask God to show him how frail and how short his own life truly is in the grand scheme of things?   Dr. John MacArthur offers that David had made a covenant with himself to not blame/accuse God for the unfairness he believed he was witnessing in everyday life – a theme common in books such as Ecclesiastes and Job – why do the wicked seem to prosper while the good people suffer?   This is an interesti
Read more

What God says about depression....

Image
" Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD ."  - Jeremiah 17:7 Depression has become a widely experienced season of life for countless individuals.  Although it is still seen, by and large, as a taboo subject, depression is slowly becoming a more popular topic of public discussion with the rise of mental health awareness on a vast number of fronts. In the Christian world, many have expressed that the Church has not performed particularly well over recent decades in talking about and dealing with the depression issue.  For many, the belief has been that Christians should never become depressed, and if one finds his/herself in a depressed state, then his/her faith or spiritual condition is in question. Does the Bible have anything to say regarding depression?  Certainly it does!  God understands us, after all, Jesus walked among us.  He understands depression because He Himself walked in a season or two of it!  Depression is a natural human re
Read more