There are many challenging imperatives in the Bible. I would place anxiety on the top-five list. Yes, God provides strength and wisdom to fight anxiety. The reality, however, is that we often live with its presence daily. After all, it is easy to be anxious about thinking about an anxious-free life. Children, family, relationships, finances, and education add to the notorious list.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
It’s essential to add that anxiety in biblical categories is not avoiding all concerns. The anxiety the Bible addresses is not a concern for the well-being of a loved one who is traveling or the natural concern for the health of a friend. Anxiety in the Bible is the all-consuming and imprisoned sensation of driving your life through the lens of your troubles and cares.
To live concerned with big or little things is not the problem. The problem stems from allowing these big and small concerns to drive your day-to-day. In fact, according to Paul, anxiety stems from a lack of gratitude and proper devotion to God. It is rare to find a grateful person driven by his/her anxiety.
Anxious people draw others into their anxiety.
Are you that way? Do you use your anxiety to manipulate people? Or does your anxiety lead to petition and piety and praise to God?
Our Lenten journey drives us to the crucified Jesus. He offered his petitions to his Father in heaven. Even amid challenging circumstances, he directed his most profound yearnings and questions to the Divine Father, who does all things well. We are driven by our anxieties because we are not driven by our devotion to the Lord of the Cross.
Prayer: Gracious and Holy Father, in love you created us; you made us reflect your glory and expect your future glory to be manifested in our lives. Forgive us when we blind ourselves to your blessings by anxieties that darken our minds. We wish to see clearly your future, and so, we pray, take away our anxious hearts and replace them with comforted hearts who know and trust in your tender care through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
Notations
One of my favorite post-writing aspects is to get insights from readers. Jim Hale, who attended my talk and book signing in Moscow, ID, noted that the word for “greyhound” viewed as a virtue in Proverbs 30:31 is literally "girt of waist," which may have priestly connotations.
In Aaron Renn’s fascinating article on pornography, he observes the turning point of his porn-watching days:
I was not Christian for my early adult life and happily watched lots of porn. Today, not only do I not watch it, I don’t want to watch it. It’s not a temptation for me.
A key shift came when I was reconstructing my idea of what it meant to be a man. Like many, I went through a phase of naively trying to become an “alpha male.”
Whatever the flaws of that, one benefit was that as soon as I started thinking of myself as aspirationally high value, I no longer had any desire for things like porn.
One of the mindset shifts to escape porn is to recognize that it’s beneath you. That may not be the fix for you. But there are lots of anti-porn programs out there. Find the one that works for you.
It’s not always easy to break the porn habit, but it can be done. Don’t give up until you give it up.
I have been investing in Bitcoin before it was cool, so seeing it soar to $61k is an extra measure of mojo-power.
I was there this evening, so the conversation is pretty fresh on my mind. Joe and Jared discuss the Lordship curriculum at NSA. I don’t think you will find this high-level of academic excellence anywhere these days:
Nuntium
I am reaching the final days of my book tour on Podcast Land, and I am concluding my 14th interview today. Yesterday, I had five interviews in different time zones, including the island of Cyprus. I try to squeeze in these interviews late at night after work and when the kids go down. The last one I did was in my backyard hammock after 7 pm, and it was quite enjoyable. I hope to compile all these interviews in an upcoming substack.
Pray for my trip to Pennsylvania in the next few days, where I will gather with pastors from the CREC and other denominations to discuss pastoral ministry. I have a deep affection for ministers and their work, and I pray our time will be meaningful.
Uriesou Brito