Introduction
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25
Some people teach that Christians are exempt from the worries of this world, but it just isn’t true. We live in a fallen world that is full of trouble (John 16:33). Disease, heartache, financial loss, and all manner of sin touch our lives daily and produce the same anxieties that unbelievers experience.
These anxieties trouble each of us in different ways and to different degrees. Some of us encounter anxiety so intense that it manifests in physical symptoms such as pain, hives, profuse sweating, or the inability to eat, sleep, or even breathe well. But we all share the common root of our anxieties which is fear. We fear pain, loss, the unknown, etc. and these fears produce anxiety in our hearts, minds, and bodies.
But even though we face the same anxieties as unbelievers, there is a real distinctive for us who believe in Jesus – the gospel! The death and resurrection of Jesus to secure our eternal well-being are the “good word” that makes our hearts glad and relieves our anxieties if we learn to focus there. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25
Paul wrote to the young evangelist Timothy, who was prone to anxiety, “…for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,” 2 Timothy 1:7-10
Notice how the Scriptures connect the death and resurrection of Jesus to our freedom from fear and anxiety. Death, our worst and final enemy, has been abolished by Jesus on the cross so we can trust that He has also dealt with all the other things that cause anxiety in us.
Through His death on the cross, Jesus gave us His Spirit, and Jesus’ Spirit produces in us supernatural strength, love, and self-control. We don’t work harder to overcome our anxiety; we focus on and rest in the finished work of our Jesus.
Friend, though they do not feel that way, your anxieties are common, and they are not your problem. Your problem comes when you hang on to your concerns and focus on them. To be free of your anxieties, you must see Jesus high and lifted up, dying on the cross to bring you peace, shedding His blood to atone for your sin and set you free. See Him rising from the dead victorious, having conquered all things in life that cause anxiety. When you fix your thoughts on Jesus; He will overwhelm your anxieties with His love.
If you want to combat your anxieties and win, you must look to Jesus on the cross, and believe that God is for you. Look now and see the perfect love of Jesus displayed on the cross and allow His sacrificial love to cast out all your fear (1 John 4:13-19). If you are in Christ, friend, the victory is yours. Sin and death are defeated. Your situation, no matter how distressing, is temporary, but God’s love for you is eternal.
Illustration
In the book of Joshua, we read about an alliance of five kings who were summoned to help the King of Jerusalem fight against the Gibeonites. The Gibeonites were very anxious and alarmed to see such a strong alliance of king-nations gathering together against them, and so they sent word to Joshua, the leader of Israel, saying the following:
“Do not abandon your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us! Help us, because all the Amorite kings from the hill country have joined forces against us” (Joshua 10:6).
The Lord was with Joshua and fought for him, so the battle was won: “The Lord threw them into confusion before Israel, so Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely at Gibeon” (Joshua 10:10).
Now notice what Joshua did with the five captured kings. He instructed his chief fighters:
“‘Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.’ Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. And Joshua said to them, ‘Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.’ And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening.”
These five kings were hung on trees, and God’s Word had decreed that anyone hung on a tree must not be left on it overnight, for whoever is hung on a tree is under God’s curse (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
The hanging of the five men on the trees was God’s assurance to the soldiers that He was for them, that He would fight their battles, that they would be victorious over all enemies whom they fought. The impression of those men hanging on the trees no doubt stayed with them, giving them the courage that they would be triumphant in their battles.
Like the Gibeonites, we, too, have many things that can cause us to be anxious and fearful. But we turn to the Lord and call upon His Name. Jesus is our Joshua; He bids us come and put our foot on the neck of that which caused us anxiety, and He assures us that it is defeated. Then He shows us a King hanging on a tree. Jesus is our King hanging on the cross, under the curse of God (Galatians 3:13). His death on the cross is the assurance that God is for us, that He will defeat every enemy, that we will be more than conquerors in life because Jesus loved us unto death. Let the impression of Jesus on the cross, and Jesus risen from the dead, stay with you, focus on it, and as you do, it will give you courage in the face of fear. We are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
Application
Are you anxious about many things today? Is your anxiety causing you pain (mental, emotional, or physical)? Do your anxieties keep you from enjoying life or prevent you from building the kingdom of God? Look to Jesus! See that on the cross, Jesus has defeated your enemies. These things that cause you anxiety might be real or only possibilities, but either way, Jesus has conquered them. Look to the empty tomb and see that Jesus has risen victorious, and you were raised with Him (Colossians 3:1). God has given you His Spirit to strengthen and comfort you in times of distress. He will hold you together and keep you safe in His love (Colossians 1:17, Romans 8:35-39).
Are you feeling buried beneath a weight of anxiety and care? Does it seem that the troubles in your life are suffocating you and hindering your relationship with God and others? Look to Jesus! See His nail-pierced hands reaching out for you, lifting you up and out of your pit of worry. Hear Him inviting you to draw near to Him. Feel Him breathing out His last breath to give you a life filled with His peace. Bring your cares to Him, to entrust yourself, and those you love to Him. He is faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3). Jesus can keep you (Jude 1:24).
Is the devil filling your mind with troubling thought? Would you have a calm and quiet heart and mind? Cast your anxieties at the foot of Jesus’ cross and receive from Jesus heart-filling, mind-calming, peace-giving, joy-producing love, and freedom. Pour out your troubles and open your heart and mind to the redeeming love of Jesus that does not abandon you in trouble, but protects and surrounds you with songs of deliverance (Psalm 32:7).
There is freedom from anxiety in Christ, dear friend, but you will not experience it unless you come to the cross of Jesus, release your fears, and receive the peace that Jesus purchased for you.
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. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Question: List out the anxieties that are troubling you today. How does looking to Jesus alleviate your fears and calm your mind?
Cheryle writes, “Family gathering for Thanksgiving, past personal troubles, turning to food for comfort (false), the salvation of my children, grandchildren, and other loved ones. Jesus dealt with all these issues on the Cross and is working all things together for my good! Thank You Lord!“
Mike L. writes, “Facing my mortality, salvation of my loved ones, work, threats of war, the battle with everyday sins. It’s so comforting to know that He is in control of every aspect of the Universe, He knows what we can and can’t handle. Knowing that one day I will die to this physical body but then my real life begins and I’ll never have to deal with sin again!! Thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on my behalf this will be my reality and I can’t wait to spend eternity with Him.“
Reprinted by permission from the Looking to Jesus study at www.settingcaptivesfree.com. SCF exists to help men and women find freedom in Christ through the gospel.