From Richard B

Don’t hang around in Anxiety Street

Good morning everyone. If you read last week’s Mid-Week Bridge you will know we read Philippians 4: 1-7. So we are going to do it again – but focus on the next bit:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So last week we talked about rejoicing – and leaving no room for those wandering thoughts and anxieties.

It’s interesting to note that the fruit of rejoicing is gentleness. The attitude of gratitude softens our hearts and causes us to wonder at all we have in Jesus and not be ungrateful, hyper critical and therefore harsh. Why? Because we start to realise that all we have is not down to luck or our ability but due to the grace of God. Just think for a minute: you have a roof over your head, food on the table – but had you lived in another country or in another century – what is the likelihood that that would be the same? We are incredibly blessed and even more so because of all that Jesus has done for us.

So why not try that today. Start rejoicing. Saying thank you to God for all he has done….then start to note how that changes you. Don’t leave room for wandering thoughts and anxieties.

Sandwiched between rejoicing and anxiety in our reading are four key words: “the Lord is near”. So we should rejoice as the Lord is near but what should we do when those anxieties flood back in.

Firstly Paul says: “don’t be anxious about anything”. Now – don’t fall for the old trick of saying to yourself: “I’m feeling anxious – I shouldn’t feel anxious – therefore I’ve let the side down – I can’t be a very good Christian….therefore I give up or I give in.” No – if we were never going to be anxious about anything – Paul would not have needed to say: “don’t be anxious”. Anxiety is part of the “human condition”. What Paul is saying is not to stay in anxiety.

So what should we do in the face of anxiety? Well – as we learned last week – don’t listen to yourself but speak to yourself. And with our thanking God for all we can think of – tell him about your anxieties. Peter writes and we sing: “Cast your burdens onto Jesus – he cares for you.” Billy Joel wrote a song which said: “Tell her about it” – well – in our case, tell Jesus about it. Tell him how you feel and give the anxiety to him. Ask him to take it.

And in all this trust him. James writes in James 1 about not being “double-minded”. That is trusting God one moment then distrusting him the next.

Once we have asked the Lord to take our anxieties – with all the faith you have – trust him. Tell him you will trust him. Ask him to help you trust. Keep your mind on him. Do not let doubts creep in. Tell them where to go! Discipline your mind. Keep your mind stayed on God.

My experience of this is that an anxiety will present itself….I will struggle for a period of time (I wish this was shorter!)….and then I go to the superior promises of God, I tell him all about it. And tell him that I can’t deal with it. In this I endeavour to keep my mind free of doubt and quickly tell them where to go when they re-appear. Then sometime later something happens (almost when I am not looking, typically a few hours on). It’s what Paul says:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And the wonder is that I find myself praising God. Isn’t God great?

Aren’t the promises of God wonderful? Isn’t it incredible that with everything there is, God cares for us in our momentary troubles? It’s the most wonderful thing that warms our hearts.

May God add his blessing to our reading today.

Amen


Category: The Bridge , Thought for the week