I admit, I was attracted to the title of this article. I tend to get anxious from time to time, so I wondered what advice the author would give. So did other Monday readers, making it the most clicked article from Monday’s post, and making it this week’s Friday Feature:
The 1 Secret to Squashing Anxiety this Year
Please read the article first. Then, see a few of my own comments below.
1. Calvin is not detached by experience.
He may dwell in history many years back, but reading his experiences should give weight to his words. This theologian meant what he said. He endured much and had a real weight to his words.
2. Anger wears anxiety’s mask.
I can relate to this. I remain convinced of the power of anxiety and anger to most challenge my sanctification. When events have us uptight and unsure, anger can fill the hole and make a false, shifting foundation.
3. Worship always remedies in temporary ways.
Calvin, Ann Voskamp, nor I would ever intend to write a one-time prescription for anxiety. “Just focus on the glory of Christ one time and all is forever cured” would prove shallow.
If the events which bring anxiety only came once, this prescription might work. But at times they feel like waves, so we must learn a patterned response of allowing Christ’s glory to speak louder than the anxious chorus of voices demanding our attention and stressful response.
Christ endured and suffered perfectly. All anxiety He could have experienced He laid at the feet of the Father. That is how he stands perfectly ready to accept all our anxiety. We must repent of our sin and trust that Jesus has more capability to control than we do.
So, as often as the anxiety comes, we must worship just as much. Would you agree this is precisely why God commands His people to stay together and to worship regularly. In regularly remembering the mighty acts of God, we learn to trust those more than our own perceived might.
Think. Describe the roots of your anxiety.
Act. How can dwelling on the glory of Christ speak specifically to your anxiety? If you’re unsure, ask a trusted friend to help you see.