Prescription for Anxiety
by Don Bromley
(Matthew 6:25-34)
Alarm versus Anxiety
Anxiety: A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear January 4, 2009resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
Anxiety or Alarm?
Toxic Anxiety: negative, self-defeating, and persistent.
Background: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Introduction:
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
First reason:
Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? (v. 26)
The second reason:
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
The third reason:
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (v. 27)
The fourth reason:
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that
not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these.” (v. 28-29)
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
The fifth reason:
So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things…
The sixth reason:
"and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."
The seventh reason:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be given to you as well."