“When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.’”
Luke 2:48
For three agonizing days Joseph and Mary searched for their precious Son. There have been a few times and places where I have lost track of one of my children. Those few anxious minutes felt like hours as the sickening feeling of anxiety welled up in my gut. How much more painful to lose track of a child for three days? Life need not deliver such extreme forms of distress in order to provoke my anxiety; its small doses produce dread and anxiety easily enough. My inner turmoil is a reflexive consequence of such circumstances.
Jesus taught, however, that I should not be anxious in view of the fact that my heavenly Father is sovereign – for not even a single bird falls to the ground apart from Him. All circumstances, including ones that cause me much anxiety are within His sovereign control – and He loves me and cares for me. Nevertheless, anxious circumstances invariably produce my anxious feelings.
God’s great power upholds His vast promises, and trusting in Him is the antidote to all my anxieties. While anxiety may be reflexive, it is also deadly, for it lives next door to unbelief – and faith in God is the cure for both. God’s strong promises will mitigate my worst fears.
It’s encouraging to me that even Joseph and Mary felt deep anxiety while looking for Jesus. After all, they had strong faith in the same sovereign God. Not only so, but they had specific promises concerning Jesus which should have upheld their faith in God. If I lose track of a child I have no specific promise other than God’s unconditional promise of goodness with respect to all circumstances. But Job lost all his children, and God was behind those terrible circumstances for good too. Faith in God kills anxiety, even in the face of the worst circumstance. So why didn’t God’s promises through Gabriel’s proclamation, or Simeon’s prophetic blessing, or Anna’s testimony, prevent their anxiety?
I’m sure God’s promises did strengthen Joseph and Mary over these three terrible days. They probably reminded themselves of these specific words over and over as they fought back thoughts of tragedy, shame, anger, and frustration. The point that captures my attention is that however successfully it they fought this fight of faith against fear, they still felt the affects of anxiety.
So then what is the difference between feeling anxiety and being anxious through unbelief? I think the difference is in what I do when I’m anxious, and the foundation for what I do with it. Anxious circumstances most certainly will arise, and gut wrenching turmoil shall accompany them. The tests of anxiety are eternal, faith-revealing occurrences that both humble me through my shameful failures, and bless me through Christ glorifying grace which sustains my faith.
What means might I use to avoid the shameful reproach of unbelief and uphold my faith in God’s promises during anxious trials?
1. O my soul, do not be arrogant, denying the presence of anxiety when it manifests itself in inner turmoil and troubled thoughts. You are no more immune to the affects of anxiety than a child is to the affects of tickling. The simple pressing of the right buttons will produce anxiety. Don’t add the sins of pride and self-reliance to the sins of unbelief.
2. O my soul, don’t rail against the circumstances that bring about your anxiety. Anxiety comes from within, not from without. God is in control of all circumstances – when such circumstances result in your anxious thoughts God is not at fault – you are. Don’t try to cure anxiety by fighting against the circumstances – especially when those circumstances delivered through the words or actions of other people! Such fighting might bend the circumstances, somewhat, to make more comfortable provisions for your flesh, but the poison of anxiety will remain.
3. O my soul, do cast all your anxiety on the Lord for He cares for you. God’s strength is glorified in His anxiety bearing capacity. Even if you could bear an anxiety yourself – which you can’t – your strength would then be exalted, not God’s. Don’t cast anxiety on the Lord only after you come to the end of your rope, as if you were almost able to bear it but needed a little boost. No, cast any and every anxiety on the Lord so that His faithfulness and His strength will be exalted through your weakness.
4. O my soul, by prayer and a petition make your needs known to the Lord. And be thankful – even for the desperate circumstances that have cast you upon the Lord for help. In such a way faith will have its work on anxiety, transforming it into the servant of your faith as it drives you desperately to the Lord, “When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul,” Psalm 94: 19.
5. O my soul, lift your eyes up unto the hills from where your help comes. Why else would your sovereign, caring, loving Lord bring the sufferings of anxiety your way – but to cause you to rejoice and delight in His wonderful deliverance?
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