Set Your Anchor
Jesus said, “Whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).
The apostle Paul uses a similar analogy when he argues for Christians to anchor to spiritual maturity. When we are anchored to God, Paul says we will “be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind” (Ephesians 4:14).
The final answer to anxiety, then, is to firmly anchor your faith in the strong and mighty bedrock of God and His promises. Anxiety has kept you tethered to the sandy shores of worry, fear, doubt, and dread. When the storms of life hit, when the streams of circumstance rise, even a little, and when the winds of doubt buffet your mind, you crash and give in to panic. Jesus calls this foolishness.
Anxiety does not like to be called foolish. Anxiety likes to be called prudent and watchful and alert. Anxiety puffs itself up and claims that it is the opposite of foolishness, that its concerns are wise. Yet Jesus calls this type of anxious life foolish.
The time has come to stop doubting God, as your anxieties demand. Saying no to anxieties can be a scary activity. Make no mistake; your anxieties will fight hard to retain control. As you begin to surrender your trust more and more to God and His promises, the less and less your anxieties will be happy. They will scream and wail and throw a temper tantrum for attention.
You may be a Christian who is allowing your anxieties to speak for God, which is never a wise thing. Allow God to speak for Himself. Here are just a few of my favorite examples:
- He loves you (Deuteronomy 23:5).
- He does not want you to live in fear (Psalm 27:1).
- He knows who you are and still loves you (Psalm 139:1).
- He wants you to be with Him always (John 3:16).
- Nothing can snatch you from His hand (John 10:28-29).
- His love for you will never fail (1 Corinthians 13:8).
- He says you are His precious child (1 John 3:1).
These are just a very small sample of God’s thoughts about you and His promises. There are so many more! As a baby step, find and memorize two or three promises that give you a sense of security and peace. Allow God’s voice—instead of the voice of anxiety—to fill your heart and mind. When you listen to God’s voice, Paul says God will “keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). God will guard your heart and mind. There is no stronger protection.
—From Seven Answers for Anxiety by Gregory L. Jantz.
Sometimes we find ourselves saying that we are happy under the circumstances, but as Christians we have no right to be under our circumstances. We should be on top of them reigning over them with Christ. —Herbert Lockyer