Five verses for everyday anxiety
Today more than ever our fast paced lifestyles breed anxiety. Regardless of how minor the issue may seem to others, anxiety can take a huge toll on our daily quality of life. Anxiety can affect our long term happiness and eat up what little time we have to ourselves at the end of a busy day.
However, if we have faith in God we can find comfort and peace in His words. These are a few useful passages from the Bible that I will turn to whenever my anxiety creeps in or the stress of everyday life gets the best of me. These words help to relieve my anxiety, and remind myself that God is working in my life. I hope they can be helpful to you too.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 NIV
Earlier in this chapter, Jesus tells us not to worry about what we eat or wear. This kind of anxiety, although totally valid, can consume us. We spend so much time worrying about the days to come that the day we have right now slips away, wasted. Jesus reassures us saying that God knows we need these things, and that if we seek him first we will never need to worry about having them.
“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.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV
If we have faith that God is working in our lives, we should find comfort in knowing that God will lift us up when it is time.
When we are struggling with something personal, maybe we are praying to God for help with seemingly no response, it can be frustrating when we feel like God isn’t helping us when we think He should be.
Humbling ourselves, as this passage suggests, can help alleviate our anxiety. It is not our time, but God’s time that is relevant. God knows how our life will pan out, and it can be humbling to trust that God will help us when the time is right.
We don’t always get what we want, but if we trust in God’s timing you’ll find we get what we need. Hardship allows us to learn and grow, and with a little perspective, we may find that God’s timing is far more beneficial.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1 NIV
Here Jesus plainly tells us not to be anxious. Easier said than done, I’m sure. He is asking that we believe in Him, to have faith in Him. And with faith naturally comes trust. When our hearts are troubled, we should fall back on this trust. Remembering that through our faith we trust that God is looking after us. As I said, it’s easier said than done. The reason I find this passage so valuable is because it encourages me to take a step back and evaluate the things that are weighing heavily on me. When I do this, my worries seem silly when my faith is taken into consideration. Above all this verse reminds me to be strong in my faith, and with that, the weight on my heart seems to lighten.
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7 NIV
For me, this passage is a personal and mental goal. I still allow my anxieties to get the best of me most of the time, but to have total faith and confidence in the Lord seems like an extremely blissful existence to me.
“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.” Proverbs 15:16 NIV
The world we live in today glorifies over working ourselves. We are encouraged to push our minds and bodies to the limit for worldly gain. When we are inundated with this message it is important to reevaluate your priorities regularly; don’t allow worldly achievements to pull you away from the things that are most important to you in life, whatever that may be. By prioritising your relationship with God, you are also prioritising your own happiness and mental clarity.
Faith is the best cure for relieving anxiety I have ever come across. When we take a step back to acknowledge our blessings and God’s work in our life we give ourselves the opportunity to live a happier, more peaceful existence. I have learnt through experience that if you can leave everything in God’s hands, you will see God’s hands in everything.