I’ve mentioned this before; I struggle with worry and anxiety. In fact, this was the subject of my post in my other blog! It's a lesson I've been trying to learn for a while.

Last week, God used a very painful neck to teach me (again) that lesson. I woke up on Thursday morning with horrible neck and back pain. It was so bad that I couldn’t turn my head at all. The problem was knots in my muscles, knots caused by stress and worry. Anxiety was becoming a pain in my neck, literally.

God does not want this for me. Stress and worry are part of the life designed for the Christian. See the often quoted Matthew 6:25-34 and Luke 12:22 This is the famous “lilies of the field” passage. God very clearly wants us to “not be anxious.” One thing I think is key in reading the verses is that we as Christians are not to leave trouble-free lives. No, I think the Bible makes it clear that we will encounter trouble, if only for the fact that we are followers of Christ. But, and this is a big but, those troubles are not to cause us anxiety because we know that God is in control of our lives. He will take care of us. Note, too, that the verses do not say that we will not experience pain or sadness or even anger because of those troubles—we most certainly will at times—but we are not to experience anxiety.

I think it is important to realize that anxiety is an emotion we can control, and the absence of anxiety does not indicate our lives are trouble-free. Rather, we can encounter trials in our lives and not experience anxiety. 

The question is: How Do We Not Feel Anxious?

Philippians 4:6 “⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

To me, this verse tells me not only to not be anxious, but it also gives me something to do in anxiety’s place: 1) pray, and 2) give thanks. Whenever I begin to feel anxiety and worry cloud my mind, I will try and stop and pray. I will focus on everything God has done and I will be thankful.

I'm sure I will be dealing with this for a long time (what can I say? I'm stubborn), but now I have ways of dealing with my anxiety. After all, I have a lot to be thankful for.