Living By Faith Blog

Worried, Fearful, and Anxious

I need wisdom for how to handle a relationship from way back in my past.

It’s difficult, because I have no idea what to do, every option looks painful, and I need to do something soon.

So last week I found myself feeling worried,  fearful, and anxious about this.

What Can I Do?

God’s word commands me to not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6), to fear not (Isaiah 41:10), and to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart (Colossians 3:15).

But how can commands like these be obeyed?  I can’t just choose to stop being anxious or fearful, because feelings can’t be changed by simple acts of will-power.

And yet God’s perfectly true words command me to not be anxious or fearful.  So what can I do?

What AND How

The good news is that God not only tells us what to do; he also tells us how.

We can see that in Isaiah 26:3 –

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Peace comes when my mind is stayed on God — clearly seeing and trusting who he is.  Which means lack of peace shows that I’m not clearly seeing and trusting God.

We can see the same truth in 2 Corinthians 3:18 —

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

So who I am — including my feelings — can be transformed by beholding the glory of the Lord.  And when my feelings are not transformed, that shows I’m not beholding his glory.

Riding a Stationary Bike

Last week I was riding a stationary bike.  And as I rode I felt worry, fear, and anxiety about this long-past relationship — which showed that I was not seeing and trusting Christ.

So I turned my heart to him, just as I was.  I confessed my worry, fear, and anxiety as willful blindness and sinful unbelief.

And even though this sin was still in my heart, I knew that by faith alone in Christ alone I was forgiven, clothed with Christ’s perfect righteousness, and welcomed and loved for his sake.

Then I prayed and asked the Father for more of the Spirit’s transforming work in my heart.  I quoted Luke 11:13 to strengthen my faith that he would answer.

Seeing Christ

Then I reminded myself that faith means trusting all that God promises to be to me in Christ.  And how my feelings of worry, fear, and anxiety showed that I was NOT trusting all that God promises to be to me in Christ.

So I set my heart on Jesus as he is revealed in God’s word, trusting that as I did this, the Spirit would change my heart (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I thought about how —

• Jesus would give me all the wisdom I need (James 1:5),
• he is in sovereign control of this situation (Mark 4:39),
• he has ordained this situation to bring me even more joy in him (2 Corinthians 4:17),
• he will provide every need I face through this situation (Philippians 4:19),
• and how I can trust him completely because he has loved me to the extent of giving himself up for me (Galatians 2:20).

As I set my heart on these truths, I kept praying that the Spirit would enlighten the eyes of my heart so I could see and feel the glory of Christ in these truths (Ephesians 1: 17-18; 2 Corinthians 4:6).

What God Did

In great mercy, the Father answered my prayer.

It’s hard to explain.  And I want to be clear that I don’t usually experience God working this quickly or dramatically.

But I’ll share what God did, to magnify his mercy, and to encourage your faith.

As I set my heart prayerfully on the truth of Jesus Christ, I slowly felt the Holy Spirit start to change me.

With the eyes of my heart I started to see and feel the truth that Christ was my sovereign, loving, all-satisfying wisdom-giver.

He was real.  He was true.  He was glorious.

And seeing him in his glory —

• strengthened my faith,
• calmed my fears,
• overcame my worries,
• filled me with peace,
• and satisfied me in him.

Questions?  Comments?