I recently went on an overseas trip. And once again, prior to leaving, worry of the unknown crept up on me.

What if we miss our connection? What if we get on the wrong train?  What if I can’t find a restroom? (You have to pay to use them in many places throughout Europe, by the way.)

Besides the fact that every one of my worries was unfounded and it was an absolutely wonderful, seamless trip, my heart was convicted again at how easy it was for me to forget God’s excellent track record of faithfulness and start to worry that He might miss something.

Why is it so easy for us to worry when God has clearly shown us in His Word and through our circumstances Who He is—He is capable, He is loving, He is all-knowing, He is all-powerful, and He never misses a thing. It’s when we are not communing and connecting with Him that we begin to think we are on our own.

Why the Anxiety?

Anxiety is quite the buzz word today. Nearly everyone has it at one time or another. Just about everyone excuses it like it’s a normal part of life. But anxiety doesn’t need to hold any presence in your life if you belong to Jesus. His Word actually promises that.

That’s right. God’s Word, unlike anything else,  can guarantee us an anxiety-free life when we acknowledge and depend upon His presence.

In Philippians 4:6 we are instructed to “be anxious for nothing” (NKJV). In the New Living Translation, that verse and the following one tells us: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in [the awareness of] Christ Jesus.”

I love that. According to that passage of Scripture, all I have to do is take my concerns to Him, thank Him for the peace He offers, and then experience it. When you and I do that, we’re reminded He’s there and He’s got us. And that’s when the peace (which exceeds anything we can understand) replaces worry and anxiety.

My friends, being anxious about anything is not something inherent in your personality or body chemistry. It is not something you are destined to experience. Instead of telling yourself or others “I struggle with anxiety,” boldly declare where your trust is: “I know God’s got this.”

Many times throughout Scripture, God commands us to “fear not” and assures His people that His presence goes before them.  Our loving God knows our human tendency to worry, and to work ourselves up about something we can’t control. But as the Only One who is all-powerful and absolutely IN control, He is assuring us that we don’t have to fear or worry or become anxious because He is with us. And He’s got us.

Jesus Understands

In John 14:1, Jesus compassionately told His followers: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me” because He was going to prepare a place for us so we would always be with Him. He is not the God who leaves us stranded. He will never say, “You’re on your own now. You’ve got this, yourself.”

Jesus personally addressed our tendency to worry and become anxious about our circumstances, our provision, and our future. In Matthew 6:25-34, He told us: “Do not be worried about your life…, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. … For the [unbelievers] eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

Then He gives us the solution to our worry problem: We are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you” (Matthew 6:25-27, 32-33 NASB).

So, my friend, can your God do anything? Is He really as capable as He says He is when He tell us in His Word that nothing is impossible for Him? Truly, He can take care of your future. He can take care of your next meal, your next rent or mortgage payment, your next relationship or no relationship. Jesus is enough and when we really believe that, and we understand how precious we are to Him, there’s absolutely no reason to be anxious.

Our Challenge

What if you and I were to focus today on all God has given us as a way of reminding ourselves of His excellent track record, instead of looking at what we don’t have, or what might possibly happen, and fretting about it?

Let’s worship Him the minute worry enters our minds as a way of reminding ourselves where our hope is, where our comfort is found, and where our security lies.

In the words of Randy Alcorn, author of the incredibly encouraging book, Heaven, “no wonder the devil is so intent on keeping us from grasping our standing in Christ—if we see ourselves in heaven with Christ, we will be drawn to worship and serve him here and now” and there won’t be any room for thinking of ourselves or our inabilities. Our minds would be fully focused on who God is and what He’s capable of.

He’s the One I want to focus on, don’t you? He is enough. For our tomorrows, for our lack, for our weaknesses, for our disappointments. The older I become, the more precious to me the anticipation of seeing Christ face-to-face, and the more those fears, worries, and anxieties about health, material wants, convenience, and death fade in comparison to the unsurpassable glory and anticipation of one day seeing Him.

How will you focus on Him today, instead of all you are tempted to worry about? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below so I can be praying for you.

(And for more on this capable God who is with you, for you, and has a reason for the circumstances you’re in, see my book The New Loneliness.)