Overcoming Anxiety, Worry and Tension from CBN.com
Anxiety, worry and tension are some of the most destructive forces we can face. They sap our strength and slowly undermine our faith, keeping us from maturing in the Lord. If we are to grow in our relationship with Jesus, we must discover God’s plan for freedom from the crippling cycle of stress.
The Source of Anxiety
Anxiety, worry and tension occur when we face a situation and choose to rely upon our own strength rather than upon God and His Word. Maybe it’s because we have forgotten that God can handle any problem. Or perhaps we let our carnal nature persuade us that we can do a better job handling the situation ourselves.
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By doing this, we are actually engaging in a subtle form of idolatry. Consider the first commandment God spoke to Moses: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7). In other words, we should trust God alone.
But when we choose to lean on our own understanding—instead of God’s promises—we are placing ourselves, or the overwhelming situations we are facing, before the Lord. The moment we step into that place of self-reliance, we open our emotions to a flood of anxiety, worry and tension. But there is hope and freedom for anyone caught in this snare.
Breaking Free
God wants us to be free from worry. Jesus said, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). But to enter that rest we have to cut off stress’ source of power: our unbelief (Hebrews 3:19).
In one of the greatest passages of Scripture, Jesus confronts our futile anxiety (Matthew 6:25-34). He tells us to look at how God feeds the birds of the air and arrays the lilies of the field. How much more will He care for his children?
