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Sometimes it’s not the World Around You
This day and age, it is easy to point to what’s going in the world when it comes to experiencing anxiety. It works as a perfect distraction, if you want to avoid the real issues at hand. Much of anxiety is self-imposed and has nothing to do with world events. For instance, one can read about something tragic in the news, but how much does it really affect your life; unless of course, you are directly related to the story. Some proclaim the sky is falling, but is it really?
Stating the obvious, some have issues they are refusing to address, and those can be wide-ranging. It would be easy to talk about deep psychological concerns with all its attachments, but we’ll go a different route this round. So, how’s your spiritual walk? Do you feel like you’re not doing enough? You know, praying, fasting and doing all kinds of good works. Do you have yourself good and overextended? Is it enough?
Let’s not forget about sin. How’s that fight going? Is that wearing on you? Do you find yourself constantly asking for forgiveness? Is this what God had in mind?
John 14: 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
Even though Jesus gives us peace, or perhaps more correctly, gave us peace, we can see many Christians are still in the hunt for it. They may have experienced the initial peace and joy accompanying their introduction to Jesus. For the first time they felt the weight sin lifted off their shoulders. Peace at last, clean and simple. Jesus did what they couldn’t do for themselves: rid them of sin and death. And then it happened: somewhere along the way, everything got complicated.
The Simplicity of the Gospel
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
This verse in the Bible puts the Gospel in the simple terms. No one could earn salvation. Being saved is an act of faith, which is in Jesus Christ. The ability to act by faith came by His grace. That grace is God’s unmerited favor which enables us to do what we could not do ourselves. It was never about what we did, or could do; it’s about what Jesus did.
Our righteousness is purely positional: we are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). For those who love to be in control of your destiny: it is out of your control! You cannot add to the righteousness of Jesus by doing pious works that make you look or feel good. By the way, just because someone can make themselves look righteous, it doesn’t mean they actually are. As Ephesians clearly states, we are created in Him unto good works. In other words, because of our new nature, good works follow. No one can make themselves good.
As a matter of fact, acts of righteousness tend to be done in secret. The world doesn’t need to know how wonderful we are.
Matthew 6:1-2 Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father Who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men (read verses 3-6 for fuller context).
Of course, there is paradox: Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:12).
There is a way we carry ourselves that glorify God. Simply being led of Holy Spirit takes care of all appearances. The moment a person tries to prove he is good, it goes bad. It’s all about glorifying God!
Add Works, Add Anxiety
Why is it that some want to add some sort of behavior modification to walk righteously? In some cases, they work so hard at not doing the wrong things, they put themselves in bondage. The Law of Moses basically says, “Thou shalt not.” Under the Law of the Spirit, we are no longer under that law. And yet, some measure their goodness by the Ten Commandments, even though love fulfills them. It’s not about following a bunch of self-imposed rules.
Just as Jesus said, the traditions of men make void the Word of God (see Matthew 15:3-9). Could it be that the harder you try to be “good,” the more anxiety you feel? The more you try to live up to other peoples’ expectations the worse it gets? Trying to follow a bunch of exa-biblical rules is a recipe for anxiousness. God is more concerned about relationship than you are about following rules.
The hunt for peace ends with relationship with Him. If you are led by Holy Spirit, everything will be in its proper place.
Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
