An Anxious Heart

In the message "Consistent Trust" we were encouraged to "trust in the
Lord with all your heart" (Proverbs 3:5). We saw how a consistent
trust ought to invade all areas of our life. We must be able to
trust God for our eternity as well as our daily walk. A good measure
of our trust (or lack of trust) is in our level of anxiety.

Being anxious, or having anxiety, is defined as being mentally
troubled with worry or concern. Unfortunately, we have all been
battling anxiety ever since Adam ate the forbidden fruit and tried in
vain to hide from God; "I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid"
(Genesis 3:10). The negative effects of anxiety were understood
three thousand years ago when King Solomon wrote his proverbs of
wisdom; "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers
him up" (Proverbs 12:25).

Anxiety remained a necessary topic as Paul preached the Good News of
Jesus. Almost in the same breath that he instructs us to "Rejoice in
the Lord always!" (Philippians 4:4), Paul teaches on removing anxiety
from our life; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God" (Philippians 4:6).

When we find ourselves being overly concerned or mentally troubled
about ANYTHING, we must go to God (with thanksgiving) and give our
burdens to Him. This doesn't mean we ignore our problems, but we
must learn to view the things of this world against the backdrop of
eternity. The concerns of this life always fade as we compare them
to the eternal glory of His Kingdom.

Matthew 6:25,34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry {or be anxious} about your life,
what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more important than food, and the body more important
than clothes? But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well."

When we feel weighed down, pressured, or stressed - when concerns are
coming in fast motion from all directions and we don't know where to
begin - we must stop and take a long, deep breath! We must refocus
on Jesus and His Word. We must be reminded of eternity in the
presence of a loving God and diligently seek His Kingdom; "make every
effort to enter that rest" (Hebrews 4:11).

As we draw closer to our Heavenly Father, our eyes become adjusted to
His light and we see He has already given all we really need. As we
love Him more, all fear is removed: "perfect love drives out fear" (1
John 4:18). And as we trust Him more and more, we will receive His
gift of peace and no longer live with the burdening weight of an
anxious heart.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God's Daily Word Ministries

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Scripture references: The Holy Bible: New International Version.
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P.O. Box 190
Lorena, TX 76655
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