Anxiety
You don’t need me to tell you there’s a lot of anxiety in the world. Threats and stresses of all kinds abound. It’s uneven, of course. Some individuals, families, communities feel like they are doing all right; they aren’t particularly anxious about anything. For other individuals, families, communities, the word anxiety is too weak.
Jesus and others have a fair amount to say about anxiety and being anxious. Mostly: Don’t be. They aren’t blind to what causes anxiety, and they aren’t foolishly optimistic. Let’s look at a sampling.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives extended attention to what most of us would think are legitimate anxieties. But he says (paraphrasing), “Don’t be anxious about your life, not even what you’ll eat. And don’t be anxious about the future.” (Matthew 6:25-34) To someone who doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from or where they’ll sleep tonight, or someone terminally ill, this might seem harsh. What Jesus is saying is that there’s more to consider than the immediate need.
Jesus warns his followers that they’ll face arrest and trial for following him. That would tend to make any of us anxious! But he says, “Don’t be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say,” when your hauled in before the authorities. (Luke 12:11-12)
The apostle Paul writes, “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6) The apostle Peter says essentially the same thing. “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
Does this sound like a chipper, “Don’t worry, be happy!” attitude? Something that would only be said by someone who has it easy, or is out of touch with reality? Look at who’s speaking, and recall what they endured. They are all familiar with the cold reality of hate, insecurity, poverty, even violence.
Jesus and his apostles are reflecting teachings from the Hebrew scriptures they grew up with. They know Jeremiah says the one who trusts God is a green tree in the desert, not anxious even in drought. (Jeremiah 17:5-8) They know the psalm that says “eating the bread of anxious toil” accomplishes nothing, and the Lord gives unworried sleep to those who are His. (Psalm 127:2)
Why all this counsel not to be anxious? Clearly, God recognizes we do have anxieties. It’s a problem for us. If basic needs like food and shelter are uncertain, worry is natural. If we are persecuted for our faith, who would not be worried about what we’ll say when we’re accused?
What does Jesus say? “The Father knows what you need, and is more than capable.” The real question is whether we trust Him. Paul and Peter say, “You can give your worries to God, because He really loves you.” Jeremiah says, “If you’ve put down deep roots of trust, you’ll get through the hard times.” When we’ve done this, believed that the Lord loves and cares and is capable, we have no need to get all wound up, working harder and longer and losing sleep, as the psalm says.
These passages aren’t saying that believers have no problems, or that stresses in our lives are a sign we don’t have enough faith. That’s not the point of any of them. The point is that stresses and troubles will come, and the question is how we’ll react to them. In Jeremiah’s parable, will we prove to be the scrub bush that withers, having little root? Or the deep-rooted tree that stays green even in harsh circumstances?
Thinking about things like this, reading this kind of passage, we might beat ourselves up for being anxious. We know we do worry sometimes—does that mean our faith is weak? We can grow anxious about being anxious! Instead, the counsel our Lord gives us is, “Let it go, let me handle it.” And when we do, we can have that unworried sleep. God will be there for us tomorrow.
Love, Paul