Be Anxious For Nothing: Jesus Got You (Part 2)
Last week I discussed what anxiety is and how it affects our lives. I laid out how it is the opposite of trust and provided 1 of 3 ways the Bible helps us with our anxiety. There is more but I will only discuss three for now. Before I get into the next two, I would like to share a quick story.
I enjoy working out. A lot. I have always been athletic. I played sports in High School and did fencing for a shirt time in college. I have gone to the gym, done the beach body P90x workouts and have been active in this way on and off my entire life. The past two years I have been the most consistent. I have not had long breaks these two years and I work out 4 to 6 times a week, sometimes seven. I saw much progress and then created new goals. With these new goals I decided to join a gym because I felt this would help me reach my new goals faster. At the gym I can target areas that are hard to target with what I have at home and allow me to lift much heavier than I do at home.
I go to the gym with my sister and my brother-in-law. He helped push me in a way I was not pushing myself when I work out at home. So now, I find myself challenging myself more and lifting heavier, even when I work out at home.
During the workouts he is the spotter for my sister and I. Whenever I want to give up, feel the weight is too heavy or I cannot do one more rep, I can hear him say come on, I got you! When he says this, I do get a burst of energy knowing that he is there to help me lift and to make sure I do not injury myself. Why am I telling you this story? Because it relates to life and the way Jesus spots us.
When we go through trials in life, Jesus is always there saying come on you can do it. I got you! And the same way I get that burst of energy at the gym when my brother says it. I feel that burst of energy when I remember that Jesus got me and the Holy Spirit is here to guide me.
We need to remind ourselves that Jesus got us. Hear the Lord saying I got you. He got you when you feel weak in your prayers, when you feel weak in your walk with Him, when you are not sure you can push. When anxiety has you overwhelmed and unable to think well and make decisions and live free. Remember…God got you.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NKJV
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
As I stated earlier, anxiety always comes with a level of uncertainty. Fear of the unknown. But if Jesus is directing me, I do not need to know the unknown. I do not need to know all the details, I do not need to know. Because God is taking care of it. I keep my mind focused on the prize and the path he lays out for me to get there. This is the second scripture in the Bible that help me be less anxious.
Philippians 3 verse 13 – 14. NKJV
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
We must forget what lies behind. Why is that important? Because many times we are thinking about what happened to us in the past and worried it will happen to us again. Well, my daddy left when I was a kid so how can I trust any man, or anybody will not abandon me. Now you are anxious about every relationship you are in, thinking the person will abandon you.
Every job I had ended up with me getting fired or laid off, so how can I trust this will not happen again. Many times, our worries about the future are influenced by our past. We let our past experiences make us think that the same things will happen. This is especially the case with trauma. The trauma stores in our minds and bodies in a way that gets triggered and will affect our present and future.
But with Christ we are new creatures’ old things are now past. That means those old things should no longer be dictating your present and future. We must forget what lies behind. Then when we do, our decisions will now be influenced by Jesus and our relationship with Him.
Paul says he is straining. Or in other words, stretching himself to move forward to what lies ahead, in verse 14. He encourages us to focus on the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
What you focus on affects the way you think, which will then affect what you do and feel. You can worry less when you are focused on the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. You worry less trusting as the scripture says in proverbs, that he will make straight your path. God will lead you. I trust that Jesus will add all the things you need in your life, as it says in Matthew chapter 6.
You have no need to worry if God is directing your path because God does not make mistakes. This is another reason trusting ourselves and other people is limited. We and other people make mistakes, are flawed and will get it wrong at times. Making it difficult to let go and not feel anxious.
God does not make mistakes. I know He will lead you to what is right. Even if you make a mistake along the way. Trust that he will course correct you and put you back into the straight and right path you may have veered off. Therefore, you must trust God to be anxious for nothing. What you focus on will also determine if you get anxious or not. Another instruction the bible gives us to not be anxious is found back in Philippians chapter 4 verse 8 -9. Here the bible tells us what to focus on.
Philippians 4:8-9 NRSV
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about[a] these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.
Now how do we focus on what is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing and commendable. How do we focus on the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus, how do we focus on and seek ye first the kingdom of God. We focus on the call and the kingdom. Then use Philippians 4: 8 to 9 to examine our thoughts and ask ourselves is this true, pleasing to God, honorable…
We focus on the Lord the same way we focus on anything. The word focus means to concentrate, aim, pay attention to. When we are focusing on graduating school we concentrate on whatever we are studying. We make sure to pay attention in class and our work while eliminating distractions.
Also, we have an aim. The aim is to graduate; the aim may be to at least get a B+ on the next paper. We focus on making this paper better than the last one when we got a C. That is the aim.
What is our aim as believers in Christ? To love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Love our neighbors as ourselves and to fulfill the will of the Father. Since that is my aim. I concentrate and pay attention to what God is telling me, showing me, and leading me to. I pay attention and concentrate on his Word. That is one of the main ways I will know what he is telling me and how he is directing me.
I focus on learning what it means to seek the kingdom, look for it, and pursue it. I go to the Lord for directions. I work to understand what it really means to love God and my neighbor. Once I get that understanding, I pay attention to it, concentrate on it then do it.
Here is an example.
I go to the word of God for direction and know what I am to focus on. Let’s say I am a new believer in Christ, and I am trying to focus on what the Lord says about my future and career. Whoever he called me to be and be able to care for my family and build wealth. That’s the aim. If that is the aim, what will I focus on. I will focus on the work he gave me to do and his Word. So, when the bills come up, the money looks low, or I am not sure exactly how this will be successful. I remember and meditate on
Deuteronomy 8:18 New King James Version
18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may [a]establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.
I meditate on that and always remember that it is the Lord who gives me power to build wealth. I am not doing this on my own. Or I will meditate on Matthew 6:34 and focus on what I need to do today not worry about tomorrow.
Matthew 6:34 NKJV
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
One thing I do more often now is always make sure I pray with scriptures. I find many different scriptures to support it which have helped my prayer life a lot. This helps you to learn how to meditate on the Word of God. The more you are focused on the Lord, you will learn to trust him. You will focus less on your worries and problems and then learn to live life being anxious for nothing.
Philippians 4:6 NKJV
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Mark 11:24 NKJV
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
Make your request known, with thanksgiving, believing that you have received it. Worship the Lord, praise Him, and thank Him as if it already happened. I do this because I trust and believe that what the Lord promised me will be mine. Believe that whatever he promised you He will fulfill for you. I believe that God will guide you through everything you go through in life. So, say thank you even now before you see it done.
There is no need for you to worry or even think so much about what you need. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and be anxious for nothing, knowing that Jesus got you.
