This is Part 2 of a series on Anxiety. Read Part 1 here.
The most highlighted passage in the bible according to Amazon is Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, with prayer and supplication, make your requests known to God.”
We are an anxious people. Our current American culture suffers from anxiety and stress-related disorders, perhaps, more than any other culture in the history of the world.
And despite being in the richest and most entertained nation in the history of the world, and despite the constant sales pitch that we can and should be happy, we can and should be at peace—we obviously aren’t.
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Before we get to the most highlighted verse in the bible in parts four and five—the one that says “don’t be anxious…”—we have to do some reconnaissance work.
Look at Philippians 4:4-5, the verses right before—they’re important too:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand;”
These are three statements that maybe seem disconnected (and certainly they can stand on their own), but the Apostle Paul is never random.
The most highlighted passage in the bible according to Amazon is Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious…”
Anxiety doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There is a ground that anxiety grows in. There’s some things that affect us that can breed anxiety. Or another way to put it is that there is a way to cultivate your life that tends toward more peace.
We need to take inventory of our heart, of our relationships, and of our theology. The bible wants you to consider yourself, others, and God, because all three factor in to whether we are anxious or at peace.
In Part 1, we looked at your heart. Here in Part 2, let’s take a look at your relationships.
TAKE INVENTORY OF YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” (Phil. 4:5a)
Reasonableness is one of the most difficult Greek words to translate; every translation of the Bible has something different. And it’s because it means more than just one thing; it means gentleness, graciousness, moderation.
But what it’s saying is don’t be anxious towards one another; instead, be gracious, be gentle.
Do you look to others to bring you peace? Do you look to others to alleviate your anxiety instead of going to Jesus?
A couple of years ago we took the staff on a two-day strategic planning retreat. Part of our time was to share with one another what we thought their strengths and weaknesses were. And the staff told me that sometimes I’m moody.
I went home and told my wife and she just laughed at me, right in my face—it made me moody.
Now, just naturally I have what you would call an unpleasant resting disposition. But I can also take my anxiety out on others and that can make them anxious.
We have a tendency to take our stress out on one another. We’re anxious and then we make them anxious. Or we aren’t gentle or gracious to others and that makes them anxious, and then we get anxious cause there’s conflict. It’s a mess!
Do you look to others to bring you peace? Do you look to others to alleviate your anxiety instead of going to Jesus?
Verse five juxtaposes well with verse 6 and shows us how we should respond to others with our anxiety, and how we should respond to God.
let your | gentleness/graciousness | be known to everyone (v5)
let your | anxieties/requests | be known to God (v6)
Take inventory of your relationships. How do you respond to others, and how are they responding to you, and does that play into your anxiety?
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This post is an excerpt of Jim’s sermon, Anxiety. Watch it here.
Read Part 1 of this series here.
Jim’s latest book, Jesus For You, launches this Fall. Get a free chapter and more here.
Read other blog posts here.
Listen to sermons here.