Trusting God in Times of Anxiety
Saying no to anxieties can be a scary activity. Anxieties appear to provide an answer, a way to know what the future will hold. Granted, that future is always negative, but at least that future is always known. The unknown can be frightening. For an anxiety, what is unknown will always be negative.
But what does God say about the unknown? God says to wait and trust because, as the saying goes, while you may not know what the future holds, you know who holds the future. Again, the apostle Paul wrestled with the unknown and concluded: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
You do not know what tomorrow will bring, and nothing you can do will reveal that knowledge to you. Anxieties boast that they know about tomorrow, but they do not. Only God knows what tomorrow may bring you — or if you’ll even have a tomorrow. I suppose that is why Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
Your fears cannot save you; only God can. When you choose to align yourself with your fears, you move farther from God. Make no mistake; your anxieties
will fight hard to retain control. As you begin to surrender your trust more and more to God and his promises, the less and less your anxieties will be happy. They will scream and wail and throw a temper tantrum for attention.
This is the time for prayer. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). The apostle Paul did not say you could hold on to some anxieties; he said don’t be anxious about anything. He did not say you could be anxious in some situations, he said you weren’t to be anxious in every situation. That is a tall order!
Anxieties try to present themselves as wise and prudent. Not being anxious, they will tell you, is foolish and dangerous; yet, by surrendering your anxieties to God, you gain peace. Paul says this peace “transcends all understanding.”
Surrendering your anxieties to God, then, is an act of faith. Remaining joyful in suffering, peaceful in turmoil, confident in troubles does not make earthly sense, so don’t try to understand this peace from an earthy point of view, from an anxious point of view. Instead, look at this peace — at this promise — from God’s point of view of faith. Anchor yourself to that which you cannot see (Hebrews 11:1).
Authored by Dr. Gregory Jantz, founder of The Center • A Place of HOPE and author of 37 books. Pioneering whole-person care nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Jantz has dedicated his life’s work to creating possibilities for others, and helping people change their lives for good. The Center • A Place of HOPE, located on the Puget Sound in Edmonds, Washington, creates individualized programs to treat behavioral and mental health issues, including eating disorders, addiction, depression, anxiety and others.
