Answers for Anxious Thoughts

I teach youth Sunday School and have noticed a trend as my youth have requested prayer. Many Sundays, I’ll give them a post-it note and will ask them to write their name and their prayer request on the post-it note and then give it to me at the end of class to pray over. Through time, I’ve recognized a commonality in their requests: anxiety. There haven’t been many lessons in our Sunday School curriculum to address anxiety head-on, but this past Sunday, I found an in. The lesson highlighted a passage that mentioned the Holy Spirit being a counselor. That’s all I needed.

I looked up people in the Bible who battled anxiety. The first article I read listed a few well-known individuals from. For some of them, I hadn’t before recognized their actions as being driven by anxiety. I decided that we adults are not really that different from the youth. We struggle from anxious thoughts and are overwhelmed by worry from time to time as well. I’m going to try to categorize a few of these anxiety-ridden individuals as I tell you about each one. See if you relate to any of them.

The Type-A Personality

Our first stop is going to be in Luke 10 with a woman named Martha. You may be familiar with the story. Jesus is visiting the home of sisters Mary and Martha. While Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and hangs on his every word (I imagine), Martha can’t be still. She was “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40). Luke tells us that Jesus responded to her by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and trouble by many things…” I believe Martha is Type A, a perfectionist, a get-it-done type of gal. Can any of you relate?

The Worst Day Ever Personality

Our next stop is with a man who lost it all… or almost all. His name was Job and within a few short hours, he lost his oxen, his servants, his sheep and camels, and his sons and daughters. What a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! (I’m sorry! I couldn’t resist! It’s the elementary school teacher coming out in me!) In Job 3:26, he says, “I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." While you may not have lost nearly everything, how many of you feel like you have had the worst day ever… day after day after day??? Anxiety creeps in when we feel pounded with one bad circumstance after another.

The “Where are You, God?” Personality

Psalm is full of David’s accounts of depression and anxiety. He knew he had sinned and felt the deep pangs of remorse. But he was also chased down by his enemies multiple times- retreating to the wilderness and spending time all alone. Time after time, he called out for God to rescue him. His demeanor was one of desperation and despair and seemed to be laced with anxiety. Psalm 42:3 gives some insight to David’s emotional condition: “My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by fear and anxiety that you wonder where God is?

The Doubter Personality

Our next subject is Elijah. He had just experienced being fed by ravens in the middle of a three-year drought. He was then sent by the Lord to ask a poor widow for some bread. She responded that she didn’t have the ingredients to make him bread- to which he assured her that the Lord would supply the ingredients, and, of course, he did- with a never-ending supply. After the widow’s son passed away, Elijah, through the Lord, was able to bring him back to life. And then, he was part of a crazy, there’s-no-way-that-just-happened kind of miracle. To prove to the Israelites that his God was the one true God, he had four buckets of water thrown on a cut-up bull three times, and then God sent down fire to consume the bull. Elijah experienced all these incredible works of the Lord, yet as soon as Jezebel made a threat to Elijah, he literally ran for his life. Have any of you ever experienced God working in you one minute, but then you turned around to doubt Him the next? You’re not alone.

The “I’m Not Good Enough” Personality

We’re going to wrap up this journey of anxiety-ridden Bible folks with Moses. God had just instructed him to throw down his staff... and he did. The staff became a snake. Then God told him to pick up the snake by its tail... and he did. The snake turned back to a staff. God then told him to place his hand inside his cloak and pull it back out...and he did. His hand was covered in leprosy. Then God said to put his hand back. God even told Moses that if the previous two miracles did not work to convince the Egyptians that God was the One True God, he could take water from the river, pour it out on dry ground, and it would become blood. God was sending Moses as His messenger with these powerful signs and wonders, but Moses responded in Exodus 4: 10, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Essentially, Moses was saying what so many of us have thought or said numerous times before, “I’m not good enough.”

Can you related to any of these personalities? Or maybe you can relate to all of them. I’ve experienced most, if not all, of these feelings at one time or another. I battle the Moses personality the most, though. I love God’s response to Moses: “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:11-12). Who needs to hear that today? God made you perfectly to carry out his perfect plan. He has equipped you perfectly to answer His perfect call on your life. You are enough because He is enough!!! I feel like you need to read that again. You are enough because He is enough.

Answers to Anxious Thoughts

I wrapped up my Sunday School lesson by asking volunteers to read some scriptures that would thwart off anxiety. I want to share those passages with you.

1. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

2. “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16-17

3. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

4. “Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5

5. “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

6. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3

7. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Friends, these verses are treasures. They are more valuable than silver and gold and sweeter than honey (as the psalmist says). I gave my youth a bright-colored notecard and asked them to chose one of these verses to write down and read often. I’m encouraging you to do the same. Pick one (or more than one) and write it down. Priscilla Shirer speaks of choosing a verse, writing it down numerous times, and placing it all throughout her commonly visited places.

2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that our timid, or fearful, feelings do not come from the Lord. We need to recognize when we experience fear and anxiety and remind ourselves that these feelings are not from God. He’s given us numerous passages that give us confidence in Him- in our Wonderful Counselor and Prince of Peace. His Word tells us not to fear and it reminds us that we have everything we need when we are connected with Him.

I hope you know my heart in writing this post. I’ve read the verses and have taught my youth about these verses. But I, myself, am still working on living these verses. I penned a running list of fears I battle in last week’s post. I’m right there with you! Our youth are not the only ones experiencing stress, anxiety, and fear of the unknown.

I came across a verse last week that I remember learning as a child: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105. Even though I’ve been familiar with the verse most of my life, it came alive for me last week. Are you struggling with anxious thoughts, worrying about things you can’t change, stressing over the demands of life, or fearful of the future? God has given us His Word to light our dark, desolate, lonely paths. He did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline. What a gift! Let His Word illuminate your path! Perfect peace is waiting for you, Friends!