As a fifth-year senior at the University of Kentucky who will be graduating in August, I have had my fair share of anxiety and fear. From taking classes that are advanced in my program to getting bad grades on assignments, the anxiety is easy to creep in. Add to that the realization that in order to graduate with my degree in journalism, I have to complete an internship. And having two part-time jobs makes that harder to get done or even apply for. So far, I have only completed one application. But it isn't just now I am worried about. It's the future too. Particularly August. I am worried about not being able to get a job after I graduate. But as I read in my Bible the words my God breathed out, I can manage the way I worry about things. Here are some verses to help you with anxiety.
1. Matthew 6:25-27
"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 not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of 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? Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"
I particularly am affected by the last line of that passage. It teaches me that no matter how much I worry, things are going to happen anyway. Sometimes they are bad things. Other times it is not. This teaches me to trust in God even in the prospect of bad things coming my way.
2. Isaiah 43: 1-3
But now, this is what the LORD says- he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead."
A God who will be with you even as you walk through fire and pass through the waters? That is a loving God right there. This verse shows the magnitude of God's love for us. For me. For you. God loves you.
3. Matthew 6: 34
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I like this verse too. The whole gospel of Matthew (who I was named after) has ideas and concepts that can help someone live their lives confident in God's grace. Many bible verses are tailored to help us in different areas of our lives. Do you feel broken within? There are verses for that. Divorced, lost your job or going through some sort of grief? There are verses for that.
4. 1 Peter 5: 6-7
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
The important thing we must do as God's children is to humble ourselves before God. We need to admit to ourselves and to God that we can not live this life on our own strength, on our own merit, and on our own steam. We need God to help us through our lives, through good times and bad. It is comforting to know that I have a Heavenly Father who is in my corner and loves me limitlessly and unconditionally.
5. 1 Corinthians 10: 13
"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
God is not out to see you fail. You will be tempted and that is part of being a mortal person. But even in the midst of sin and vulnerability to sin, God is with you. He will help you fight the temptation to sin. Another thing is that you are never alone. Whatever you have done, are doing, or will do, someone has done it before. God will show you the same mercy that He shows them.
I will leave you with a quote from Christian author Max Lucado "No one can pray and worry at the same time." The answer to anxiety is to talk to God about it through prayer.
