Paul's Prescription for Fear and Anxiety
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4). It is so easy to intellectually know this and to still be incredibly anxious over the prospects of your future. In no previous era has the average person been so aware of the macro situation, i.e., the big picture state of one’s country and the countries of the world. At the same time, in no previous era has the average person been so aware of his own micro situation, i.e., how the overall economy affects his employment prospects, his vital statistics (blood pressure, medical conditions, etc.), local crime rates, and so on. Saturated by negative news, it’s hard to keep sight of the Gospel, the good news concerning Jesus Christ.
If you believe though that Jesus brought answers to life’s greatest problem, sin, then it stands to reason that He would also have some answers regarding life’s many lesser problems. In fact, there are many passages in the Bible that provide potential help with fear and anxiety. One that immediately comes to mind though is a text that actually discusses anxiety, written by a man who had every reason to be afraid. Paul knew from the word go “how many things he must suffer” for Jesus (Acts 9:16). Widespread travel gave him a macro picture of a powerful but corrupt government that was growing more and more antagonistic to the faith he preached, and on a micro level, he was able to say that he stood “in jeopardy every hour,” and further, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:30-31). Either of those perspectives would bring anyone anxiety, and yet from a Roman prison he wrote encouraging the Philippians to “stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1), offering five incredibly helpful pieces of advice for combatting fear and anxiety.
After telling the Philippians to stand fast, Paul immediately encourages two sisters among them to stand together. Euodia and Syntyche are both active in the church; Paul describes them as women “who labored with me in the gospel” (Philippians 4:3). At the same time, Paul has to beg them, “be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2). From this very personal message, we can extract our first piece of advice: to overcome fear and anxiety and stand fast in the Lord, you have to stand together with your brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s sad how many Christians forget that the greatest tool God has given them to overcome the world apart from Jesus’ Gospel and its powerful salvation (Romans 1:16-17) is the body of Jesus Christ. A journey through 1 Corinthians 12 ought to be enough to convince anyone that it is foolish to do anything but draw as close as you possibly can to your brothers and sisters. Having “the same mind,” i.e, the mind of Christ (Philippians 4:2; cf. 2:5) helps.
Paul then offers the simple exhortation, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). You remember the hymn right? “If the skies above you are gray, you are feeling so blue; if your cares and burdens seem great, all the whole day through… sing and be happy today.” That’s probably the last thing you want to be told if you are anxious and afraid, and yet it might be exactly what you need to do, since James tied the two together: “ Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13). Specifically, you need to reflect on the words of another hymn: “When upon life’s billows, you are tempest tossed; when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings.” Fear and anxiety typically overwhelm us when they convince us that everything is wrong or that what is wrong is what matters most; to overcome fear and anxiety, we must focus on the never-ending power of what is right. There is “always” a reason to rejoice when you are “in the Lord.”
Paul’s next words may seem out of place in a set of prescriptions for fear and anxiety: “Let your gentleness be known to all men” (Philippians 4:5). That is, until you reflect upon what these words require. Fear and anxiety represent inward facing emotions; they cause us to dwell upon how things have affected, are affecting, or might affect us. To overcome fear and anxiety, our inward focus must become an outward focus. We have to think about how we can affect our circumstances instead of how our circumstances can affect us. Do we project the gentleness of God’s love, or the fear that God’s love should have already cast out (1 John 4:18)?
I wonder if “The Lord is at hand” in Philippians 4:5 might be better suited to stand next to the central instruction that follows Paul’s encouragement to stand fast: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Instead of envisioning ourselves as drowning in our problems, we should see the Lord near us and act in a way consistent with that powerful truth. Yes, to overcome fear and anxiety, we must take advantage of our Lord and Mediator and pour out our hearts before God in prayer. The peace of God can then come to rest upon our unburdened hearts as we remember Jesus is the Christ, and Christ means king. It’s interesting how this is one of those times where Paul puts Christ first in the text; it’s powerful to remember that regardless of what is making us anxious, Jesus is Lord and King over this too.
Paul closes out his encouragement to stand fast by reminding the Philippians that their minds are gardens and that gardens must be cultivated. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Negative thoughts are like eight track tapes (an audio format that was designed to play on a continuous loop) in that they play over and over again in our heads. To overcome fear and anxiety, we have to consciously replace negative thoughts with thoughts that pass the test of this text. It might help if, every once in a while, we turn off or tune out the doomsayers on both sides of the news media spectrum and find some news consistent with the good news of Jesus and dwell upon it. I promise, it’s out there.
Fear and anxiety are powerful (as are the many forces that motivate them), but who is prepared to say that either they or anything is more powerful than the Lord? Don’t let the floods of life convince you that are is any danger to those who have built their lives “on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-27; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:4). Indeed, “stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1).
If you believe though that Jesus brought answers to life’s greatest problem, sin, then it stands to reason that He would also have some answers regarding life’s many lesser problems. In fact, there are many passages in the Bible that provide potential help with fear and anxiety. One that immediately comes to mind though is a text that actually discusses anxiety, written by a man who had every reason to be afraid. Paul knew from the word go “how many things he must suffer” for Jesus (Acts 9:16). Widespread travel gave him a macro picture of a powerful but corrupt government that was growing more and more antagonistic to the faith he preached, and on a micro level, he was able to say that he stood “in jeopardy every hour,” and further, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:30-31). Either of those perspectives would bring anyone anxiety, and yet from a Roman prison he wrote encouraging the Philippians to “stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1), offering five incredibly helpful pieces of advice for combatting fear and anxiety.
After telling the Philippians to stand fast, Paul immediately encourages two sisters among them to stand together. Euodia and Syntyche are both active in the church; Paul describes them as women “who labored with me in the gospel” (Philippians 4:3). At the same time, Paul has to beg them, “be of the same mind in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2). From this very personal message, we can extract our first piece of advice: to overcome fear and anxiety and stand fast in the Lord, you have to stand together with your brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s sad how many Christians forget that the greatest tool God has given them to overcome the world apart from Jesus’ Gospel and its powerful salvation (Romans 1:16-17) is the body of Jesus Christ. A journey through 1 Corinthians 12 ought to be enough to convince anyone that it is foolish to do anything but draw as close as you possibly can to your brothers and sisters. Having “the same mind,” i.e, the mind of Christ (Philippians 4:2; cf. 2:5) helps.
Paul then offers the simple exhortation, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). You remember the hymn right? “If the skies above you are gray, you are feeling so blue; if your cares and burdens seem great, all the whole day through… sing and be happy today.” That’s probably the last thing you want to be told if you are anxious and afraid, and yet it might be exactly what you need to do, since James tied the two together: “ Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms” (James 5:13). Specifically, you need to reflect on the words of another hymn: “When upon life’s billows, you are tempest tossed; when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings.” Fear and anxiety typically overwhelm us when they convince us that everything is wrong or that what is wrong is what matters most; to overcome fear and anxiety, we must focus on the never-ending power of what is right. There is “always” a reason to rejoice when you are “in the Lord.”
Paul’s next words may seem out of place in a set of prescriptions for fear and anxiety: “Let your gentleness be known to all men” (Philippians 4:5). That is, until you reflect upon what these words require. Fear and anxiety represent inward facing emotions; they cause us to dwell upon how things have affected, are affecting, or might affect us. To overcome fear and anxiety, our inward focus must become an outward focus. We have to think about how we can affect our circumstances instead of how our circumstances can affect us. Do we project the gentleness of God’s love, or the fear that God’s love should have already cast out (1 John 4:18)?
I wonder if “The Lord is at hand” in Philippians 4:5 might be better suited to stand next to the central instruction that follows Paul’s encouragement to stand fast: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Instead of envisioning ourselves as drowning in our problems, we should see the Lord near us and act in a way consistent with that powerful truth. Yes, to overcome fear and anxiety, we must take advantage of our Lord and Mediator and pour out our hearts before God in prayer. The peace of God can then come to rest upon our unburdened hearts as we remember Jesus is the Christ, and Christ means king. It’s interesting how this is one of those times where Paul puts Christ first in the text; it’s powerful to remember that regardless of what is making us anxious, Jesus is Lord and King over this too.
Paul closes out his encouragement to stand fast by reminding the Philippians that their minds are gardens and that gardens must be cultivated. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Negative thoughts are like eight track tapes (an audio format that was designed to play on a continuous loop) in that they play over and over again in our heads. To overcome fear and anxiety, we have to consciously replace negative thoughts with thoughts that pass the test of this text. It might help if, every once in a while, we turn off or tune out the doomsayers on both sides of the news media spectrum and find some news consistent with the good news of Jesus and dwell upon it. I promise, it’s out there.
Fear and anxiety are powerful (as are the many forces that motivate them), but who is prepared to say that either they or anything is more powerful than the Lord? Don’t let the floods of life convince you that are is any danger to those who have built their lives “on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-27; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:4). Indeed, “stand fast in the Lord” (Philippians 4:1).
-Patrick Swayne
patrick@tftw.org
patrick@tftw.org
Posted in Bible Study, Christian Living
Posted in Fear, Anxiety, Philippians, Philippians 4:1-8, Philippians 4, Philippians 4:6, News, Self-Help, Mental Health, in the Lord
Posted in Fear, Anxiety, Philippians, Philippians 4:1-8, Philippians 4, Philippians 4:6, News, Self-Help, Mental Health, in the Lord
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