Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety in
a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad”.
I smile just reading that
verse. Quite simply, I get tired when I
am told over and over again to stop being anxious and give it to God. Not that
that advice is not Biblical, it certainly is, we find that principle in
Philippians 4, but I get tired of it because of what Proverbs 12:25 tells us.
A good word from a brother or
sister can help alleviate my anxiety and free me to go to God with my cares. You can have a role in helping folks give
their anxiety to God by just dropping simple words of encouragement. Premature exhortations to give their anxiety
to God, may only further the flames of chaos in their life, as it is only one
more thing for them to do.
For those who struggle with
anxiety know how much a simple word of encouragement can help in those chaotic
moments of life (myself included, Paxil didn’t do the trick, so I am left
finding my answers to anxiety through God’s Word and friends. This has proven to be a much better approach
to my anxiety than medicines alone). I
have a couple of brothers whose mind works like mine does. When my minds starts to spin out of control,
and it is usually starts with something very small that starts this downward
spiral, I will call my brother up and he always has an encouraging word for me
that usually starts with , “Dude, I was just struggling with that this week, I
know it’s tough for you right now.” Those
words can break the cycle of anxiety just long enough for me to give it to God.
If your heart is anxious today,
let me say I get it. Your mind often
times feels like a tornado is sweeping through it picking up the debris of
worry, fear, and anger and tossing it all around. You become mad at things that normally don’t
frustrate you, no amount of to-do lists can bring structure to your life, and
at times, you are incapacitated and don’t know how to move forward. Whatever is causing the worry or fear is real
to you and God knows (as we just read in Proverbs) that it is a burden on your
heart. Therefore, I pray you find the
right brother or sister who can put an encouraging word in your heart in order
to help break the chaotic cycle and to put a smile back on your heart just long
enough that you can, in return, give it to God.
On the other side of the coin, if
you are experiencing a season of tranquility, praise God! Can I encourage you to use that tranquility
as a means of ministering to the person next to you who feels as if their world
is falling apart? Also, try avoiding
pushing that person to enter into the state of peace that God has given you;
that may take some time for that person struggling with anxiety. I know you truly want them to experience what
you are experiencing, but for today, give them a word of encouragement from
Scripture, from your personal life, or just tell them how glad you are that
they are a part of your life. Then, when
you see the smile begin to form on their lips, you can know that God’s Word is
true and sharper than any two edged sword piercing to the souls of men. (As
Hebrews 4:12 tells us)
