God's Answer For Anxiety Pt. 2

Last week, we learned the first step in reducing anxiety – asking God (praying) for help rather than worrying. Why does God want us to ask? He is the source of all our needs – wisdom, strength, happiness, hope, peace, patience, salvation, encouragement, and so much more! Anxiety and worry demonstrate the opposite of trust in Him as our Source, but rather indicate that we’ve forgotten His unlimited resources.

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:11:

“…Give us today our daily bread.”

Bread represents life’s basic necessities – everything we need, our sustenance. Why did Jesus state it this way? God is concerned about all our basic needs! In Philippians 4:19 (Phillips), we are promised:

“God will supply all that you ever need from his glorious resources in Christ Jesus.”

“All” means everything, and if this verse is true – what do we have to be anxious about? Absolutely NOTHING! If God supplies all our needs, our anxiety is truly worthless.

It is equally important that we understand what the verse doesn’t say – it does not say God will supply all we want (feed our greed). We live in a culture which makes our wants seem like needs. For those of us who are parents, we don’t give our children everything they want because they want everything! Like children, often we are not particularly good judges of what we need the most. God gives us what we need, but not always what we want, because He is a loving parent. He supplies it from “His glorious resources,” which means God’s ability is greater than your anxiety.

In Matthew 6:32–33, Jesus says:

“For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”