The One Act to Get Rid of Anxiety

Anxiety has taken control over the American believer. I am consistently brought back to this realization that believers in the United States are in the minority considering the problems we face. We tend to live in a bubble and believe what we face is what all other believers face as well. However a simple look into scripture, and into the lives of persecuted Christians around the world would show this to be an incorrect worldview.

We have come to believe that anxiety and discomfort is the greatest enemy to the believer. If you don't think this, I believe a quick self reflection would show you the opposite. The American believer will often see their greatest struggles as consisting of 3 things.

1. Will I Have Enough?
2. Am I Doing Enough?
3. Am I Enough?

Broken down, these three worries can be seen as the anxiety of self preservation, self production, and self worth. The issue with these three means of anxiety are not in the target, but rather in the source.

It would be foolish and sinful for the believer to never consider how they will be provided for, think about what they are doing, or determine where their worth is found. But what separates the American believer from that of believers around the world is the source of fulfillment in these areas.

Lets for a moment look at two opposite believers.
One was born and raised in the United States, in a middle class christian home.
The other is a Nigerian believer who was raised in poverty and came to Christ through the witness of another believer.

The American believer has little to actually worry about. The more they receive, the less they have to worry, however for some reason they end up worrying more. The Nigerian believer has less and less, and for some reason as he is pushed further and further into poverty and persecution, he worries less. We see this portrayed most evidently in the life of Paul. As we recently covered in Philippians 2, Paul writes...

Philippians 2:17-18
17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Paul tells the believers at the church of Philippi that they will find rejoicing in giving themselves up as a drink offering to the Lord. Simply put, the more they give of themselves, the more joy they will receive.

Maybe there is actually some truth in verses like....

Proverbs 15:16

“Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it.”

Proverbs 17:1

“Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.”

1 Timothy 6:6

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Psalm 37:16

“Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.”

James 4:10

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

1 Peter 5:6

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.”

Matthew 23:12

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Proverbs 22:4

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

Scripture is clear that having less can actually result in having more. Not that we are guaranteed a physical blessing if we do what is spiritually right, but rather the opposite. If we do what is right, we will receive a spiritual blessing.

This is so crucial for the believer to understand, that spiritual blessing is actually the goal. This is not to say that physical blessings are unimportant, or that God does not provide physical blessings, he absolutely does, but rather that we should not look at physical blessings as the promised measure and result of spiritual obedience.

Saying a prayer does not earn you a physical blessing.
Thinking good thoughts does not earn you a physical blessing.
Overcoming temptation does not earn you a physical blessing.
Having a mindset of humility does not earn you a physical blessing.

God could give physical blessings for these spiritual acts of obedience, and he often does, but that is not promised. What is promised however is that we will receive spiritual blessing for doing what is right in obedience to God. It is not the act of putting money in the collection box that guarantees that we will have more money. It is the heart of service and sacrifice to God, that results in joy, fulfillment, and true inner peace.

This is the interesting paradox that the Christian lives in. They believe in Christ to obtain. Maybe this is not the ultimate motive in salvation, but it is a result. The new believer obtains the Holy Spirit, they obtain true fulfillment, they obtain salvation. But these spiritual blessings to the believer only comes in the humility of repentance and sacrifice of self to follow Christ. The christian is living in this cycle of giving, not so that they can receive and obtain, but rather so they could receive and give more.

As the christian receives peace and fulfillment, they use that newfound encouragement to give even more. In a more physical sense, the obedient Christian will even use the physical blessings that God has provided them with to give even more to others.

While we could continue to unpack this, the idea can be summarized into one clear focus.

If the christian can only be promised joy through humility and sacrifice, then in turn, what is the answer to the epidemic of anxiety? Why is it that the believer who has less physically often has more spiritually? Why is it that Paul says joy is found in sacrifice?

Because, simply put...
the answer to getting rid of your anxiety is to consider yourself less.

The greatest medicine for the individual struggling with anxiety is to shift their mindset off of themselves and onto others and Christ. In our world today the common response to handling anxiety is to go down a long extensive path of self discovery and examination, and there is a reason why therapy never cures anxiety. I have never in my ministry heard of someone in great mental struggle spend time with a therapist and their struggle be conquered. Symptoms may subside, but the anxiety, stress, or mental overload is in reality just being strengthened beneath the surface. Why is this? Because we don't receive joy from within ourselves, or anything we can produce, or any mindset we can muster, so how could searching more within ourselves result in finding joy? It doesn't, in fact it does the opposite. The more we search within ourselves for blessing, the more we distance ourself from the only practice that can actually result in blessing and true joy, humility. Thinking of others, and God.

It would do us good as believers in the United States to see clearly where our source of joy and contentment comes from. If our joy comes from Christ, then relying less on ourselves and more on others and Christ, will result a true conquering of anxiety.

Call the therapist, cancel the appointment, and instead pick up a Bible, and go serve someone, and you will see your anxiety melt away as true joy fills your heart.

Luke 9:24

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

From the desk of Pastor Zachary Sperback,

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