The Lutheran Hour
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"The Answer to Anxiety"
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Text: Philippians 4:6-7
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O Lord God, we confess that so often the cares and worries of this life can overwhelm us. We get anxious. We worry. Forgive us for those times we fail to recognize Your strength and Your love. Lift us up with the good news that because of Jesus, all of our anxieties can be cast upon You. Fill us with the certain hope that because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, all of our worries will end as we join You in paradise. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
It’s one of those conditions that every person deals with at one time or another in his or her life — some with much more frequency than others: worry, anxiety. We as human beings have virtually perfected the art. We worry. We worry all the time. The parent lies awake at night because the teenager was supposed to be home at midnight. It’s now quarter after one in the morning. Where is he? Is he all right? We worry.
The doctor says there’s a problem but he’ll need to do more tests to confirm what the problem is. We worry. How bad is it? Can I recover from it? How long before I know?
There’s a new owner of our company, the company we’ve worked for most of our lives. We worry. What will the new owner be like? Will the ownership change everything? Will I still have a job?
School is becoming overwhelming. These classes are way too difficult. We worry. Will I pass the classes? What will happen to my grade point average? Will I be able to graduate as planned?
On and on we keep coming up with circumstances in our lives that cause us anxiety and concern. We face them every day. And there are some among us — maybe you listening today — who feel especially overwhelmed by the cares and concerns of life in general. So many people suffer some sort of anxiety problem. The statistics are on the rise. With the fast pace of life and all the pressures of trying to stay ahead, many of us feel like we’re sinking.
Certainly there are a lot of resources out there which can aid a person in overcoming anxiety, be it temporary anxiety or more prolonged. And certainly many of these resources can be helpful. But it is interesting to note that when God addresses worry and anxiety, as He does in Philippians 4 through the apostle Paul, He offers one step, one alternative, one course that should be our first stop in dealing with whatever makes us so anxious. In Philippians 4 the apostle Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus said something similar when speaking to His disciples in Matthew 11: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
What God wants us to know, whether our anxiety is passing or chronic, is that He waits for us. He waits for us to give it to Him, whatever it is, no matter how minor or overwhelming. Sound like too simple a solution? Oh, sure, the preacher can say this but He doesn’t know what I’m going through. God does. And God loves you.
Think it through for a minute. Those things we worry about — what sort of control do we really have over them? I would imagine if we sat down and really considered it, nine times out of 10 the things that cause us the most anxiety are things out of our control anyway. Think of those examples we came up with a moment ago. Think of the parents who worry about their teenage son or daughter who isn’t home yet. What can a parent do at that moment? Not much. That teenager has to live his own life. And the parent certainly can’t control what’s happening at the present time.
When we receive a medical diagnosis, there are, of course, decisions to make. But what can we really do to make the problem go away? Medicines, therapy, diet changes can all be helpful, but the ultimate remedy isn’t within ourselves. The cure is out of our control.
When a new owner of a company comes in, we might wonder what changes are in store for us. But can we control those changes? Usually not. All we can do is what we are responsible to do. We do our jobs the best we can and the rest is out of our hands.
So now let’s go back to what Paul says in Philippians 4. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” This isn’t just some idle advice from someone who doesn’t know. This is God reminding us through Paul that most of the things we worry about aren’t under our control anyway. So, whose control are they under? Well, if we are to present our requests to God, it must be God who has control. And isn’t that really the best news for us in times of worry and concern? In fact, what freedom that gives us.
In this nation, we are constantly under the threat of terrorism. This is a relatively new condition for us. Certainly, prior to a year ago, there were always threats of one kind or another, but either we didn’t hear much about them or we didn’t take them all that seriously. Now we do. We’re told to keep our eyes open for anything suspicious. We’re told that something may happen here or there or at some time or another. We hear news stories about what might go wrong or what might be in store for us. This causes anxiety as we go about our daily lives. But what control do we have over it, really? There are some things that can be done but for the most part, we’re not the ones who determine what happens when or where. So, we pray. By praying, we are acknowledging God is the One who holds the world in His hands. What will happen next? We don’t know. But God does. And He has everything under control.
The situation at work, health issues, school issues — all of it is comfortably in the hands of God. He will help us work through them. This is sometimes frustrating for us. We’d like to think we can handle anything that comes our way. We tend to like having ultimate control over what happens in our lives. We may even challenge God or second guess Him because it doesn’t seem fair. But as frustrating as it might get for us, consider the alternative, which is infinitely better. In the Apostles Creed, we confess that Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. This means that Jesus is in the position of power, ruling over the heavens and the earth on behalf of His church. And who better to have the final say in what happens around us and to us?
Jesus is the One who loves us and gave Himself for us. He willingly came into this world to take our sins away. He showed infinite and unmatchable love when He did that. In whose hands would we rather have our lives? Our own, where sin and uncertainty are prominent, or in the hands of Jesus whose love is sure?
Doesn’t this address our most profound anxiety as well? What will happen to us after this life is over? This question has puzzled and concerned humanity ever since the beginning. Can I ever reach God? People worry about that. Have I been good enough to make it into eternal life? Oh, the anxiety this can cause. How do I find a gracious God and not be judged harshly by the ruler of the world? Dear friends, these questions and concerns need not cause us anxiety at all. The most important aspect of our lives, our standing before God, has already been determined, and determined in our favor.
Because Jesus came into this world to be the world’s Savior, we have a way to eternal life. Because Jesus took all of our sins away when He died on a cross, we don’t have to worry about whether our sin will keep us away from God. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we need not be overcome with anxiety about whether we’ll go to heaven. Those things are under the control of God as well, and He has seen to it that the fulfillments have been met. Jesus lived the perfect life and then took the punishment for sin on our behalf. Because of this, forgiveness for all we’ve done wrong has been won. God has come to us and has given us faith so that now, believing in Jesus, we don’t have to wonder what will become of us for eternity. Our salvation is certain and complete because of Jesus. This is the best news in the midst of anxiety and worry.
It is human nature to feel that we are the ones who determine our destiny. This has been played out in various ways throughout history. Certainly, one of the most common ways this is made evident is in our thinking that by our goodness, by our efforts, by our manner of living, we can somehow reach God or get closer to Him. At first, this may even sound like good news for us. All right, all I have to do is be good today. As long as I’m decent toward my neighbor, as long as I don’t use too many foul words, as long as I’m not overly critical of the people around me, then maybe God will love me more or accept me. But the Bible tells us what our consciences make plain. We’re unable to do even those most simple things. We are unable to meet even the low requirements we set for ourselves. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There’s no way we can be good enough or acceptable enough to God on our own. What great concern and anxiety that can cause. How will I ever reach eternal life?
God’s message to you today is to cast that all on Hm because He cares for you. The requirements for eternal life do not have to be met by you. They have already been met by Jesus. There’s no need to be concerned or anxious about the most important thing in life when we believe in Jesus as our Savior. He has done it all. He has won salvation by His death and resurrection.
So put your minds at ease today. Those things in life which cause us worry and anxiety are welcomed in the hands of God. Give them to Him. He is in control. And He loves you. That thing in life which causes the utmost anxiety, our standing before God, need not be a cause for worry at all. Jesus has made us righteous in His sight. You are forgiven. You are free. May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 13, 2002
ANNOUNCER: We’re talking with Rev. Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher Professor of Homiletics at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Ind. The question is “What is the difference between grace and luck?” In preparation for this, it began with a simple question but really the more I think about it, it really represents the divide between two entirely different ways of looking at the world. Do you agree?
FICKENSCHER: That really is true. And of course there are those who cut God out of the picture altogether, who really don’t see God in the mix at all. You really are left with something that becomes essentially random chance. When someone knows there really is a God who is as I said omnipotent and omniscient, then it’s impossible to see things as simply random.
ANNOUNCER: As I think about the difference between grace and luck, it seems to me there is one aspect that is in common between both of those, and that is that luck and grace are both undeserved.
FICKENSCHER: That’s very true. If I may, I would add another thought in this relationship between the two. It underscores what grace really is about. I think about what Vince Lombardi used to say in football. He said, “In football luck is when opportunity is met by preparation.” When a team has prepared carefully and then something on the field causes that preparation to come to fruition, the difference between what Lombardi was talking about and what we Christians realize to be God’s grace, is that preparation does indeed meet opportunity. God prepares us for the opportunities and God prepares the opportunities themselves. I think about what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2, that we were created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand. Before we were even born, God was preparing opportunities for us to serve Him, good works that we would have opportunity to do at just the right times in life. And I think for example in the book of Acts when God says to Philip, “I want you to go down to this deserted road that leads down toward Africa and just be there.” God sends along a man, an Ethiopian, a member of the court of the queen of Ethiopia, and riding along in his chariot coming from Jerusalem where he has picked up of all things, a scroll of the book of Isaiah. He’s reading along in the book of Isaiah and where should he happen to be reading but Isaiah chapter 53, one of the clearest passages in the entire Old Testament to proclaim Christ. As Philip then runs along side the chariot, he asks, “Do you know who you’re reading about?” The Ethiopian invites him up into the chariot to explain it. That was about as fortunate as we could call it — as good as luck could be that he should happen to be at that passage from which Philip could then begin to explain and declare Christ to him. Yet wasn’t it very clearly God preparing Philip with Philip’s awareness of the Holy Scriptures, and God bringing that man of Ethiopia to that place at that time? In this particular case in Scripture it’s quite clear, because the narrative indicates that God led Philip in just that direction. But the reality is, every single day God really is preparing opportunities for us to serve Him, and through His Word and Sacraments He has prepared us to fill those opportunities. That’s what Lombardi was talking about when he said, “when preparation meets opportunity.”
ANNOUNCER: We’ve been talking with the Rev. Carl C. Fickenscher of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Dr. Fickenscher, thank you for being with us.
FICKENSCHER: My pleasure.
ANNOUNCER: The next Lutheran Hour message is titled: “Sing to the Lord a New Song.”