In today's fast-paced world, it is so easy to focus in on our to-do lists and get sidetracked on what truly matters. Especially being a college student, it is easy to succumb to the pressures of school and friends meanwhile we put our spiritual lives on hold. Pop on social media and you can find lists of memes, tweets, and comments elevating this concept of "stress" as if it's normal to overanalyze and be over-anxious about the situations of our lives.
When it comes down to it, there will be trials and healthy stress as we walk through life. But if you claim to be any kind of spiritual person in the Christian world, God clearly warns against OVER stressing in our lives.
I think it's time that we call it what it is and stop falling into the trap of anxiety.
In Matthew 6:25 Jesus says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothes?"
Anxiety can be a lack of faith and a touch of selfishness or a mix of the two. We flippantly throw the word stress around and all of a sudden, you are surrounded by people who are stressed out almost all of the time. You even catch yourself saying how stressed out you are multiple times throughout the day.
If you find yourself with this habit, think about what you're saying about God.
See also: If You Are Overwhelmed, Drained, Stressed, Or Hurt, It's Time To Look To God To Be The Constant In Your Life
Jesus goes on in Matthew 6:26 to say "Look at the birds in the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
If God can provide for the birds, who don't have minds to reason compared to humans who were made in the image of God, then certainly He will provide for you.
All worry assumes that God doesn’t care. Or that
God says don’t worry about tomorrow because He’s God is the past, in the present, and the future.
We need to stop trivializing anxiety because it is a direct strike against God.
Our society is blinded by material gratification. Let’s not elevate it in our minds above all else. Don’t cripple the present by worrying about the future. Because God is already there and He sees your future and says this is good.
What does your anxiety say about what you believe about God? Because what you believe about God has to impact your life. Anxiety can destroy your faith, your relationships, your potential to influence others.
God gives you strength for each day and He is the God of tomorrow. Fear is a liar. Fear tells you that there’s terrible pain that awaits. Fear tells you to worry about trouble you haven’t encountered yet.
Let’s stop glorifying anxiety and start glorifying God!!!!!
Matthew 6:24 says “You cannot serve two masters.” In this case, you cannot serve both anxiety and God. You can’t fall into the trap of despair while singing tunes of God's faithfulness. That’s not consistent. When you worry, you refuse to trust God and to know God.
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” - Matthew 6:33
Place your eyes on Him and God will sustain you, both in the fundamental, earthly things and in the spiritual realm.
