Don’t Be Anxious

Downloadable Reflection Guide

Anxiety can be defined as:

Intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations.

When fear takes hold, it can take root in hear hearts forming into anxiety. When you are anxious you experience nervousness. Your heart might race. You may find that you are sweating or trembling. You likely have a hard time concentrating on or thinking about anything. Have you had those moments? Have you found yourself struggling to deal with the challenges of life because you are not able to even concentrate enough to think your way through how to respond well?

We all have those times when we feel anxious, which is why Jesus addresses anxiety in the course of the famous Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus offers a helpful suggestion for managing our anxiety. Take life as it comes. Really in a certain way, it is that simple. Much anxiety comes from the intense, excessive, and persistent worry about things we cannot, or cannot yet do anything about. Some of us are planners, we like to know how we will handle life not just today, but in the coming days, weeks, and even months. This does not mean we can’t be spontaneous, we just thrive in adequate structure through planning. Yet, much of life cannot be fully planned. Many things are beyond our control.

Jesus, therefore, reminds us that “tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” There is enough to focus on today to allow concerns for tomorrow to overwhelm us. This is not a call to not plan, but rather to keep all things in perspective and focus today on what is taking place today. To be fully present in the here and now. Knowing and trusting in Christ means we are more able to set aside our anxiety about what might take place tomorrow. 

Thoughts for Reflection

Are you a planner? How does this impact how you approach the uncertainties of life?

How can this passage be a reminder to focus on life today rather than being anxious for tomorrow?