Why do we get anxious? What’s the root cause? 

A recent report said in the United States, “anxiety disorders are the most common mental health concern.” Over 56 million adults are affected by them, which comes to 19.1 percent of the US population. But in the younger generations, it gets even worse. Researchers have noticed there has been an incredible uptick of anxiety-related issues among Gen Z (those born after 1997). They tend to report more stress and anxiety than previous generations. Many researchers have noticed the direct tie between young people using smartphones and social media and this rise of anxiety.

Because I’m a follower of Jesus, I believe He is not only the Son of God, but that He speaks with profound wisdom and insight into all aspects of human life. That means that while He was here on earth 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ message is always relevant and timely. Let me encourage you to take the time to read the entirety of His famous Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7 this week. In that sermon, Jesus tells us how to say “No” to anxiety.

Fear is the first negative emotion described in the Bible, and fear and anxiety are closely related.

The most frequent command in the Bible is “Fear not.” Some have said that we find it 366 times in the Bible. Now think about that. That’s a “Fear Not” for every day of the year, even on leap years! 

The key to overcoming anxiety is getting a bigger view of God. Anxiety is actually a symptom of small faith. That’s exactly what Jesus says in this passage. Anxiety stems from seeing your problems as bigger than your God.

There is a way to deal with problems productively without magnifying them or seeing them as bigger than God. And the key is to see your Heavenly Father’s direct care over every aspect of your life. Remember, God does not roll the dice when it comes to your life. He exercises His Fatherly control over everything that you are dealing with—no matter how big or how small it might be. As my pastor friend Steve McCracken has said, all of life is “Father-filtered.”

Essentially, Jesus taught that the secret to overcoming anxiety in your life is to choose to delight in the sovereign power and gracious provision of our Heavenly Father.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26, ESV)

Jesus reminds us to study nature, to look at the flowers and the birds and take a lesson from creation so that we better know our Creator. A few days ago, my family and I went to Washington Park here in Portland and checked out the International Rose Garden. At one point, a bold (and fat) squirrel ran right up to my kids (pictured above). The reason? My boys were eating from a bag of mixed nuts, and he wanted in on that. In other words, the squirrel decided he could trust us because he saw us as a source of provision.

That got me thinking about why we do or don’t come to God with our problems. Do we really see Him as our Heavenly Father who loves to provide for His children?

Elizabeth Cheney wrote this little poem called “Overheard in an Orchard” to help us understand what Jesus is saying here:

“Said the robin to the sparrow,
‘I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.’

Said the sparrow to the robin,
‘Friend I think that it must be,
That they have no Heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me.’”

Part of the reason for this passage is that Jesus is telling us we have every reason to be settled and secure, every reason to feel confident about the future, every reason to be happy, because we really do have a Heavenly Father who cares for us unceasingly and individually.

This is also a message about our witness to the world. The gospel is a joy-giving message (Luke 2:10). And it’s a message for everybody! So when we live as children of our Father, we adorn the message of the gospel and give people a reason to want what we have.

I want to point out something pretty basic here. We can choose not to be anxious about the things of life. How do I know that? Because Jesus tells us not to be anxious. Many times people say things like, “I just have an anxious personality” or “I’m just a worrier,” like it’s a permanent fixture of their identity. 

Let me say something that many need to hear. We are not merely driven by instincts and genes. Being human means God has given us agency. We can make choices that change the course of life. We don’t have to do what we’ve always done. When people say, “This is just how I am,” they aren’t recognizing that freedom from sin and fear is found in Jesus. That’s part of what it means to be redeemed. 

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can choose to live differently. And in this passage, Jesus is calling us to a new way of life. To look at life the way He does. To have the mind of Christ. He wants us to see that we can choose to delight in God, no matter what circumstance we face.

Here is something very practical to try: For every worry that enters your mind, choose to delight in God in that specific area.

Jesus asks that rhetorical question to put things in perspective: “Isn’t life more than what you put in your mouth and what you put on your body?” The obvious answer is….yes! You are not the sum total of your diet or your wardrobe. Life is not quantifiable like food or clothing.

Jesus is telling us that when we feel anxious and start worrying about the future, what we most need is to shift our perspective. We need to see things as He sees things, with God at the center of all reality. 

There’s a little parable that illustrates this principle of choosing to delight in God.

Once upon a time, there was a widow with two sons. One sold fans; the other sold umbrellas. Sunshine brought her misery, because she knew no umbrellas would sell. Rain brought her misery, because she knew no fans would sell. 

Finally a friend remarked, “If the sun is shining, people buy fans. If the rain is falling, people buy umbrellas. Change your attitude; be happy!” 

It’s a simple story, but this is actually a life-changing principle. If you look for reasons to be anxious, you will always find them. But if you look for reasons to be happy and grateful to God, you will always find far more. 

Everyone wants to be happy, but something that most people overlook is that happiness is a choice. Because true happiness comes from delighting in God.

Jesus isn’t just telling us to see the glass half full. He’s saying that with God, the glass is completely full. In other words, He’s calling us to see things as they really are. He’s not telling us to live in a dream-world. He’s telling us to see reality for what it is. There is a God who loves you more than you could possibly know, who knows your every need, and is already working out the details to make sure you have all things in Jesus. Through faith in Christ’s shed blood, you have been purchased, redeemed, adopted, made new, forgiven of everything that could be counted against you. And through faith in the empty tomb of Jesus, your eternal destiny is secure, and it’s not because you measured up. It’s all by sheer grace! That is gloriously GOOD NEWS.

A couple years ago, my friend Tim had an accident while helping his buddy. He fell off a ladder and broke his femur. For those who don’t know, the femur is the largest bone in the body. It was an extremely painful injury that set him back from doing some of the things he loves—like going for long walks and hiking to his favorite fishing spot. 

But when I visited Tim in the hospital, he was smiling from ear to ear. Ordinarily, this might surprise me. But this is who Tim is. Or I should say this is who Tim is in Christ. When I asked him how he’s doing, he just told me how thankful he is that God has a good purpose in this. He actually looked forward to how God might use this painful injury! That’s what it means to choose to delight in God in all circumstances.

Are you interested in learning more about Jesus Christ and what He’s done for you? I’d love to hear from you!