By: Rex Stump
Wauseon, Ohio
Summer is officially here and many are traveling for vacation, spending weekends camping or at a lake, or traveling ballpark to ballpark! But do you know who never takes a vacation? Anxiety and Worry!
No matter where you go, no matter how hard you try to leave it all behind…anxiety and worry find a way to follow you, or at least it’s waiting at the end of the driveway when you come home.
Unfortunately, a vacation, a weekend away, or a road trip just simply won’t eliminate or erase all that anxiety and worry.
We may need to seek a professional counselor, a doctor, pastor, or anyone with wisdom to help us through this time.
We may change our nutrition, exercise, rest, and our habits to help us handle anxiety and worry. But in all these things that we try, we need help beyond these things.
If you are a Christian, you have the answer for help!
The apostle Paul dealt with external AND internal challenges! In 2 Corinthians 7:5 Paul said, “When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.”
A Bible hero, a man of God in history that we admire, also faced anxiety, or fears on the inside, as he put it. He is just like you and me.
He went on to say in 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.”
The Lord of peace? Yes, Jesus said in John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” He gives peace, like no one else!
As a father, when my boys were little and we were in chaotic crowds or situation, I would grab hold of their hand.
They may have sensed fear or worry and reached for my hand…or maybe they were oblivious to the danger, so I grabbed their hand first.
Regardless, in that chaotic, worrisome moment, one of the first things I wanted my sons to know, “I’m right here.” “I’m near you.” I wanted them to experience peace.
We need the nearness of God, and the Bible reminds us of this truth about our Heavenly Father.
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8
I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely. Psalm 63:8
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, (Philippians 4:4-6)
Often we read those verses, celebrate the rejoicing in verse 4, and skip to not worrying in verse 6…but did you read verse 5? Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near!
The Lord is close beside you right now, so don’t worry. Look at it like this, our Almighty God is here, in our geographical zone, closer than we realize, now, accompanying us, surrounding us, sharing our space, even living within us. David said in Psalm 46:1, He is “an ever-present help in trouble.”
He occupies every address and resides in every corner of the universe. He is close enough to notice the look in your eyes, the tone of your voice, or the posture of your body. Our Lord draws near and speaks to us in times of anxiety and worry.
When we consider the nearness of Christ, we’re reminded that He walks beside us every moment. That should lessen our worry barometer!
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.