What is your Anxiety?
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say: Rejoice! Let your kindness be known to all men. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but let your requests be made known before God in all prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 4: 4-7
What is anxiety: from the original Greek merimnaō: Worried, Thinking. Excessive, tiring and hard work. I long for it. Dedication and interest with which something is done. Intense desire to get something, interest and determination to do things.
“But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”” Luke 10:40-42 NLT
Worry and anxiety leads us to neglect our spiritual life. The concern we feel about our daily duties and responsibilities is so great that we lose sight of the best part. Our mind is constantly bombarded by things that are fighting for our attention.
“The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.” Luke 8:14 NLT
I once heard a thought from Stovall Wheems and it said something like this …
The constant demand on our mind, distractions, and noise can overwhelm us and put us in a spiritual fog. Life has a way of piling up pressure and pain, causing our emotions to spiral out of control. As we get tired and overwhelmed, our conscience can become desensitized; not really bothering about things that once convicted us. God’s voice slowly muffles (fades), and we begin to lose our passion for Him. The fire begins to fade into darkness, and we put ourselves on automatic pilot, operating from a position of obligation or routine in our relationship with God of affection and fervor.
Stovall Wheems