What Should You Do If You're Feeling Anxious Today?
If you are worried about current events in the news or in your community, here are some thoughts to consider.
Do you struggle with anxiety?
There are so many things to be anxious about today, including global, communal, and personal challenges.
Just yesterday morning, I had breakfast with my friend Nate (a frequent TMC writer), and we discussed the surge in gas prices caused by the U.S. war with Iran. Then, we talked about the passing of our Mayor of Nampa, Idaho, who died tragically two days ago.
As a full-time freelance writer, I sometimes ask myself questions like: Will I be able to get enough clients? Will work remain steady? Will there be a global or local event that changes my industry? I have concerns within my household: Will my family be okay? Am I raising my kids the right way? Do I love my wife as I should?
And then there are the personal worries. What if my health doesn't hold up? Can I juggle the mental load that's weighing on my mind? How do I hold everything together?
Perhaps thoughts of anxiety are flooding your mind today. If so, the Apostle Paul has some wonderful advice.
Don't Worry About Anything
In Philippians 4, Paul wraps up his letter with heartfelt encouragement to the church in Philippi. He understands the challenges they face and the hardships they’ll continue to endure. Still, his message is clear: when life gets tough, don’t give up.
Paul begins by saying in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
He calls the believers to a radical response that runs counter to their natural instincts. Although rejoicing in the midst of trials may seem impossible, Paul insists that joy is not based on our circumstances but is rooted in the unchanging character of God, not in the ever-changing difficulties we face.
Paul adds in Verse 6, “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” As N.T. Write notes,
Anxiety was a way of life for many in the ancient pagan world. With so many gods and goddesses, all of them potentially out to get you for some offence you mightn’t even know about, you never knew whether something bad was waiting for you just round the corner.[1]
The antidote to worry wasn’t simply to ignore one’s problems. It was to bring all concerns to God in prayer. Only then could the believers experience “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
Make Trust Your Default
Paul’s secret to living strong was found in his reliance on Christ. His contentment didn't come from having everything he wanted but from trusting in Jesus, who gave him the strength to endure any situation.
In an age where people feel they have a right to be perpetually anxious and live in fear and worry, Paul’s words feel very challenging—even impossible. But as Francis Foulkes writes, “Anxiety is to have no place in the lives of Christians.”[2]
This doesn’t mean we never fear or have anxiety attacks, but it does mean we don’t live in an anxious state of doubting God’s promises, his nature, and his ability. Our default is to trust in him, even when our emotions lag.
Bring your concerns to God, choose to think on what is good, and live in alignment with your beliefs.
[1]N. T. Wright, Paul for Everyone The Prison Letters Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon, vol. 14 of Accordance electronic ed. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 131.
[2]Francis Foulkes, Philippians, eds. D. A Carson et al., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 1257.
