Remember

 

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV) We are often troubled by thinking about ourselves as superior to those around us. We always have a good motive for our actions, and an excellent reason to be angry with those who get in our way. In some strange way, we want to be like God, where all we do and say is "right," and those who question us are wrong. Yet, we are not God, and this thought process breeds tension and division. We can never be at peace while wishing harm on others. All of us are sinful and need God's mercy and grace; we would be wise to remember this when others do things to hurt us.

God enjoys us!

 "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:7-13 (ESV)

We often put pressure on ourselves to pray appropriately. Unfortunately, this pressure can fuel anxiety as we focus on method over substance.

The Lord's Prayer, as an example, should put us at rest after reading the first line. Those who pray effectively pray to their Father.

As a father, I have not been as concerned with the proper method of communication as I have been with the content of the communication. I always want my children to talk with me, and I realized throughout the years that their approach changes as their seasons of life change.
God enjoys us and enjoys our communication with Him. If He is your Father, you need to relax and speak to Him as His loved child. There is no need to be anxious.

Sustainable energy for the challenges life presents.

 

"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:5-6 (ESV) The constant pressure of performing to an acceptable, even admirable, standard to others breeds anxiety. Anxiety comes from the fact that our show may be lame or unappreciated. Those who perform in public must also concoct some sort of answer to their prayers, so the commoners are impressed. This, too, breeds anxiety. When the pressure for success is fueled by our ability to perform rather than in Christ, we drown in our anxious thoughts. Knowing the will of God and living in obedience to Him is the fuel of our future and always results in sustainable energy for the challenges life presents.

Anxious people miss out on the joy of generosity.

 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 6:1-4 (ESV)

Those trying to impress others are constantly anxious because their peace comes from what others think of them. But unfortunately, this variable is continuously changing, and is usually fueled by gossip, slander, and politics.
Peace of heart comes when we serve God from a heart of worship, whereas anxiety is a barometer notifying us of an imminent heart storm. As we commit our way to God, we depend upon Him to sustain us, which erases all anxiety. When we give, we bless and imitate our Heavenly Father, who constantly gives.
Anxious people miss out on the joy of generosity and the thrill of being an instrument of God.

Ordinary if you know God.

 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry.  Esther 4:1 (ESV)

Queen Esther was anxious because she was planning to risk her life on behalf of her people. Fear of death, pain, suffering, humiliation, and the unknown is a crucial element of anxiety.
"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come into the king these thirty days."

And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your Father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Esther 4:11-14 (ESV)

Trusting the Lord to deliver the righteous is not extraordinary; it is ordinary if you know God. If Esther looked at the protocol and thought about others who broke with expectations with this king, she would be worried.

Mordecai saw the problem and God's provision in the placement of Esther. Stability and peace were dependent upon Esther using her position to run into rather than away from the pain.
Sadly, some people wanted to kill all the Jews, yet sadness is different than anxiety. The consequences of sin will always bring sadness, yet those who focus on Christ and His power, plan, and provision will be at rest.

Anxious people live by what they feel.

 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."

As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, "How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you." But Hannah answered, "No, my Lord, I am a woman troubled in Spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.”
1 Samuel 1:9-15 (ESV)
Hannah was anxious because she could not conceive children. Her husband's other wives continually pointed out this problem, and it was a continual source of dissatisfaction. Hannah knew the only one who could help her was God, and she poured her heart out to Him. Perhaps she would have been calm if she had known God's plans. I imagine the more she focused on those who continually pointed out her "deficit," her anxiousness grew. (There always seem to be people willing to point out our deficits.)
When we experience anxious thoughts, we need to remind ourselves of what we know rather than what we feel. If we do not know God, we will have no good option, and will suffer the fruit of anxiousness. If we know God, we will trust His character and the apparent fact that He has a plan.
Anxious people live by what they feel. Those who live peaceful lives live by what they know about God and His love for them.

The fruit of self-centered lives is anxiety.

 And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Genesis 33:1-4 (ESV)

We are often anxious about things that could or might happen. Jacob was a deceiver willing to take from his family for personal gain. He lived with the guilt of his evil, and the pain of knowing he had wronged his brother haunted him. When he thought of Esau, he probably thought of how he would have responded if their roles were reversed. His obvious guilt and running away from the problem caused his anxiety.

All of this could have been avoided by doing what was right or, after failure, humbling oneself and doing whatever was necessary to make it right. Esau slept fine, while Jacob tossed and turned with worry. In the end, Jacob saw his anxiety as a total waste of time and energy.
The fruit of self-centered lives is anxiety. The fruit of the Spirit is life and peace. For now, the choice is ours