Today, let’s talk about anxiety. There's so much that can be said about stress and mental health. The Bible tells us that we do not need to be anxious. We can go to Jesus to help us with so many things, which is amazing.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:34

We don’t need to be anxious, but if we are, that’s okay. We should and can go to God and tell him why we are anxious and worried. We need to surrender. The Bible tells us that we can be set free of everything because of Jesus on the cross. When we feel anxious, we know we can go to him and tell him why we are anxious and ask for peace and whatever we need. 

“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

We can have peace that surpasses all understanding when we give it all to God.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7

God doesn’t give us fear, the Enemy does. Jennie Allen, in her book Untangle Your Emotions, mentions that emotions don’t have authority over us. We have authority over our feelings because of Christ Jesus. Our feelings don’t control us. Feelings are not good drivers and we can’t let them control us. Feelings crash all the time and when we let our emotions drive, it leads to poor choices. The Bible tells us that we can cast our fears onto the Lord because we can’t carry them on our own.

“Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

Emotions aren’t the enemy. They’re a gift to pull us closer to God and each other. Our flesh wants to make our emotions the enemy.  The flesh wants our emotions to control us in very bad ways and cause us to have unhealthy coping skills. We feel stuck in our anxiety. We have the Holy Spirit to help us get unstuck. Living life tangled up emotionally and filled with anxiety isn’t really living at all. As an example, others struggle with anxiety more than others. We all have our own things we struggle with. Jennie says in her book that if we keep letting our emotions take over and keep being tangled up in them, it can keep us from doing what we enjoy. I recently got into a car accident and it was not my fault. I got so anxious and afraid to drive after the accident, but I kept doing it anyway. The accident made me afraid to drive again, that’s what anxiety can do. It can hold us back from doing things we need to do. We don’t need to be afraid, God is always with us, wherever we go.

“I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 34:4

We can seek the Lord and He will help us with our fears. We can trust God because He never fails. 

Prayer

Lord, I pray for the readers and that you would help them give their worries to you. Deliver them from anxiety and let us not let our emotions drive. Help us not let anxiety keep us from doing things we love to do. I ask that you give peace to us, even if we are anxious. Give us peace that surpasses all understanding and help us to know that you alone will never fail. Amen.