Why Are You Anxious?

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
Based upon the responses I received from yesterday’s perspective, it is apparent that I am not the only one who has problems living-up to Jesus’ commands regarding anxiety. Actually, I didn’t think I was, which is why I offered my perspective. Anyway, I am convinced that it is impossible for anyone to live on planet earth (other than those who are comatose) without experiencing anxiety from time to time. Yes, I know that the religious prefer to call it “concern” but do not be deceived, it is for the most part genuine anxiety.
In spite of what Jesus said and implied about anxiety, and regardless of your spiritual maturity, when the Doctor tells you that he wants you to come back in a week for another test, because he is concerned about something he saw in an x-ray, you WILL experience anxiety for the next seven days!
When your promiscuous teenage daughter tells you that she has missed her “period,” you will experience anxiety, regardless of how many consecutive days you have a “quiet time.” When the police call to tell you that your teenage son has been involved in an auto accident, and is in the ER at the local hospital with a severe head injury, you will NOT lounge around with a cup of coffee, saying, “Thank you Jesus.” You WILL experience anxiety.
Now, sadly, some people spend their entire lifetimes, with only brief intervals, feeling anxious about everything, even the things at which most of us would never blink an eye. The truth is, most of the time they cannot explain why they are anxious, they are just anxious. Obviously, these people desperately need the benefit of medical treatment, but few ever get it—their anxiety prevents them from going to the Doctor and facing the truth. Those who do go, take the medication until they feel less anxious, and then stop taking it, becoming their own physician—foolishness, indeed.
Anyway, for most of us, anxiety is just a normal part of everyday life; in many ways, it keeps us on our toes—alert. So, why did Jesus tell us not to be anxious? Why was He so adamant about it? The answer: like most of what He said, He knew His saying it, along with our inability to obey, would drive us to Him. After all, where else can we be free from anxiety?