The Antidote to Anxiety
Is it actually going to be okay?
Christ FellowshipChrist Fellowship Church
We, as Americans, are the most anxious people on the planet. According to a published report from the World Mental Health Survey, Americans consume more anxiety medication than any other people on the planet. And that was before the COVID-19 global pandemic.
While many of us struggle with fear and anxiety, how do we deal with it, and what do we do when anxiety attacks?
The apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7:
Be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.
“Be anxious about nothing…” That’s easy to say, but it’s a lot harder to do!
Have you ever told someone it’s going to be okay when really you had no idea if it was going to be okay? If you're a parent, you've probably done that many times. For example, you’re on an airplane, you hit turbulence, and your child looks at you just to make sure it’s OK. And you’re like, “Everything’s good, it’s going to be okay.”
As if you have any clue what’s going on!
There are plenty of situations in life where we don’t really know if it’s going to be okay. Yet Paul tells us to “Be anxious about nothing” … Be anxious about NO thing… NO thing should rob your joy… NO thing should steal your peace.
What’s great about this passage is that Paul continues by getting really practical. He doesn’t just give us some bumper sticker theology like “Don’t worry, be happy.” He actually gives us an antidote for anxiety, a way to be free from fear!
The word “Antidote” by definition is: A remedy or treatment to counteract the effects of poison.
An antidote is a remedy—a treatment or a plan—to counteract the effects of poison. And the truth is many of us have been poisoned by fear and anxiety. It’s eating at us. It's disrupting our peace. It's disrupting our thoughts. It's consuming our lives.
So what’s the antidote to anxiety? Paul gives us three practical things to do:
1. Prayer
The first thing we need to do when anxiety attacks is pray. Prayer is simply talking to God and telling Him how we’re feeling. Just be honest with Him! As Pastor Todd often says, “Prayer needs to be our first response, not our last resort!”
2. Supplication
Once we talk to God and tell Him how we’re feeling we then need to ask Him for help. Supplication is crying out to God—“Oh, God! Oh, God! I'm desperate for You, I need you, please help me with this!”
3. Thanksgiving
The third thing we need to do is thank God for all of the good things He’s done in our lives. When we reflect on all the ways He’s helped us in the past, our perspective changes. We stop focusing on our problem and we remind ourselves that God loves us and can be trusted.
A great way to practice thanksgiving is by listening to worship music at home, at work, or in your car. Remember, it’s difficult to worry and worship at the same time!
When we do these three practical things, it’s amazing how quickly our fear and anxiety starts to actually be okay. As Paul writes in verse 7: “And then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.”
Want to learn more? Check out this message from Pastor Todd on this very subject.
More Mind Games resources can be found here.