The Truth in Print Vol. 21 Issue 9, Oct. 2015
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
There’s So Much More to
Tell One Another about Anxiety (Pr. 12:25)
About the time I was studying Abraham and
Sarah’s “compact” that lasted way too long — the half lie in Gen. 12:13 that
brought so much anxiety in theirs and others’ lives — an article on what not to
tell people with anxiety and panic disorders had caught my eye — a review of a
clinical psychologist’s advice, Scott Bea, titled: “7 Things You Shouldn’t Say
to Someone with Anxiety” by Lindsey Homes (2-17-14). Abraham and Sarah would
have been much better had they prayed together to God and asked for protection
(Phil. 4:6-7; I Peter 3:7). I do know that they had God’s protection and
providence (Gen. 12:1-3), that he denied his wife the opportunity to be a
strength and help in the right way, and rather than praying she let him bring
her into his half lie — she got a much needed rebuke via sarcasm later on for
the same kind of ungodliness (Gen. 20:16). The Gen. 20 incident simply shows
something she should have corrected long ago.
Now, the below headings are suggested in the
article referenced above.
Saying calm down might
have the opposite effect upon one in anxiety.
The world’s advice would suggest such. But being
Christians we have so much more to say that can actually decrease one another’s
anxieties. I’m quite certain that in practicing the admonitions in the context
of Phil. 4 we’re striving to stay calm. I’ll put it this way: God’s promise of
eternal life is sure (Titus 1:2); when speaking of death the emphasis is on one
must be “ready” to meet God (Lk. 12:39-40); we know each day that our salvation
is nearer than when we first began in Christ (Rom. 13:11). One can calm and
quiet their own soul (Ps. 131:2).
Saying don’t sweat the
small stuff just isn’t meaningful enough.
What do you tell a child who thinks that
spilling the milk is the end of the world? Nothing is more comforting than
knowing as Paul said to those in Corinth that “all things are yours” (I Cor.
3:18-23) — Paul, Apollos, Peter …the world ... life ... death ... things
present ... things to come…all are
yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. They “all... are yours,” that
is, are for you (Rom. 8:28), and belong to you, as they belong to Christ your
Head (Heb.1:2).
Rom. 8 presents some of these from a
different perspective of being threatening here — but also from the standpoint
of our confidence that they can’t separate us from the love of God in Christ
Jesus (Rom. 8:38) — Death… Life (in all its hardships)…Angels (reminds us of
Gal. 1:8)…Principalities (having the most powerful being you can know of in any
realm, the physical or spiritual including Satan)…Powers (governments, armies,
powerful men, power and influence belonging to the oppressive rich) …Things
Present (sight seen, at hand and threatening)…Things to come... Height or depth
(distance has no bearing)…Any other created thing. Yes, we have a decisive
victory in Christ over these. How could we possibly tell one another to “buck
up” over spilled milk!
Commanding one to calm
down is ineffective.
Well of course it helps at times to take
that walk — you know that. Consider though that the effect of Sin is anxiety
(Ps. 38:18); Anxiety causes depression (Pr. 12:25) — and those in the church
full of strife and works of the flesh are filled with it (Pr. 17:19; Gal.
5:19-20). Consider the below:
2Th 3:11
“For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life,
doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies” (Note: You find these among
those wrecked with anxieties).
2. 2Th 3:12 “Now such
persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion
and eat their own bread.”
3. 1Th 4:11 “that you also
aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your
own hands, as we commanded you,” (Note: The disciplined are not anxious as are
the undisciplined).
4. 1Ti 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present
age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God,
who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (Note: And here they are not hoarding
but sharing!)
Telling one to just do it
(suck it up) makes them defensive and feel unsupported.
The doer of God’s word will be blessed. It
is a matter of respecting authority. Consider what James says:
Ja. 1:23 For if anyone is a hearer of the
word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
Ja. 1:24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind
of man he was. Ja. 1:25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and
continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one
will be blessed in what he does.
Saying everything is going
to be fine doesn’t do much.
Well, Christians don’t tell people outside
of Christ’s church that everything is going to be fine in view of eternity.
Quick fixes for anxieties that come because of sin simply do not last. Christians
follow this rule:
Php 4:6 Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God;
Php 4:7 and the peace of
God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
Telling one you are
stressed out too.
This is said to be too much of the old
“misery loves company” attitude. However, there is indeed a comparison among us
who are Christians. And there is nothing
wrong with talking about it!
Ps. 34:19 says “Many are the afflictions of
the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Paul told other Christians concerned about
his and others’ afflictions in Christ, “That no man should be moved by these
afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto” (I Th. 3:3).
Peter said concerning the Devil, “Whom
resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are
accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (I Pet. 5:9).
Have a drink and it will
take your mind off of it.
And they are right in saying that after that
drink the worry is still there. But what about members of the church who rob
themselves of the benefit of collective worship and edification by improperly
handling medications? If you allow medications to cause you to miss assembling
when you can do otherwise that’s willful sin (cf. Heb. 10:25f).
So then walk circumspectly, and not as a
fool, and glean the benefits of collective worship: “15 See then that ye walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 18
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 19
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord; 20 Giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God” (Eph. 5:15-21).
Don’t say, “Did I do
something wrong?”
This is explained as you must accept you
can’t control another’s emotions. A Christian who studies knows better than to
think this would help — if you’ve done no wrong you have in no way caused
another to sin over too much anxiety in their life (Cf. I Jo. 2:10). That’s
their sin not yours. Christians let New Testament teaching control their
emotions. And they rely upon one another for help and strength in doing so.
Letting God’s word have the priority against anxiety is just one of the lessons
in the Gospel — that priority comes with instruction, commands and admonitions
— "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I
say?” (Lk. 6:46).
By Bob Lovelace
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