Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 35 

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Matthew 6:25–34

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:25–34, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

We live in a very anxious age, don’t we? As I say that, I do not mean to suggest that people from the past did not experience anxiety. Indeed, they did. After all, Christ addressed this subject in his sermon on the mount for a reason! The feeling of anxiety is common to the human experience. But it does seem that our age is particularly anxious. As a pastor, I notice this topic coming up more and more frequently. And I am also hearing that folks are feeling anxious and they don’t know why. I’ve heard this called free-floating anxiety. It is a feeling of anxiousness, or unsettledness, with no obvious cause. Others are anxious, and they definitely know why! There is something that is causing them concern – a deadline, a problem, a particular worry about the future. Whether the feeling of anxiety is free floating or attached, mild and manageable, or severe and debilitating, I think everyone in this sanctuary – at least those who are old enough to be aware of such things – would admit to feeling anxious at some point in their lives. 

To be anxious is to be concerned, apprehensive, or worried about something. And when we are anxious in the mind and we often feel it in the body. Sometimes it feels like there is a pit in our stomach. At other times we might feel tightness in our chest or experience shortness of breath. And sometimes our muscles simply grow tense. It’s amazing, isn’t it, how our immaterial souls and physical bodies interact? 

Brothers and sisters, we are all called to be at peace. Christ commands his disciples to “be not anxious” but to trust in God for all things (Matthew 6:25ff). God’s word calls us to “Humble [ourselves]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt [us], casting all [our] anxieties on him, because he cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV). In Christ Jesus we are to “[r]ejoice in the Lord always…” and “[l]et [our] reasonableness be known to everyone…” for “the Lord is at hand…” We are to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let [our] requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV).

These passages that I have just cited provide precious remedies for anxious souls. Where are we to go to find relief from our anxiety? Well, in prayer, we are to run to God the Father through faith in Christ the Son, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, we are to cast our anxieties upon the LORD, knowing that he cares for us. The remedy for the anxious heart truly is faith in the Triune God, our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. If we wish to be at peace inwardly, we must first be at peace with him. And this is possible only through faith in Jesus the Messiah. He atoned for the sins of all who believe in him in order to reconcile us to God. He lived a righteous life so that he might give us his righteousness and make us right before God. If you wish to be at peace inwardly, then you must be at peace with God through faith in Christ.

 And having been reconciled to God through faith in Christ by the working of the Spirit, God’s children must then learn to trust him for all things. Faith truly is the remedy for the anxious soul. As we learn to trust the Lord more and more, knowing that he is sovereign over all and that he cares for us, then we will find ourselves at peace more and more.

Well, now that the remedy for an anxious heart has been prescribed in a very straightforward way, I would like to take some time to consider anxiety more carefully so that we might know how to respond when it comes upon us.  

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Is All Anxiety Sinful?

One question that I would like to ask is this: is all anxiety sinful? In other words, do we sin against God each and every time that we feel anxious? 

I supposed that some might say, well yes, after all, Jesus commands his disciples to “be not anxious” in Matthew 6:25. Therefore, each and every worrisome thought that enters our mind or anxious feeling we feel in our bodies is a sin, for it reveals a lack of faith in God. 

I would beg to differ. And I would ask that you please hear me out on this. I think an important distinction needs to be made between natural or reasonable anxiety and sinful anxiety.

Now please hear me. I do understand that some forms of anxiety are sinful from the start. We will get to that. And I do also understand that sometimes anxiety that is not necessarily sinful from the start may become sinful if we do not do the right thing with it, namely cast it upon the Lord, trusting in him, knowing that he cares for us. Nevertheless, I think it is very important (and biblical) to have a category in our minds for anxiety that is natural or reasonable, and not necessarily sinful. 

We are humans, brothers and sisters. We are creatures who depend upon God the Creator and Sustainer of all things and for our every breath. In other words, we are frail. Or to use the language of Scripture, we are “but a breath” (Psalm 62:9; 94:11, etc). And I wonder if there is a sense in which anxiety – that is to say, feelings of concern or apprehension about some danger – is in fact a gift. It is an emotion that we feel that reminds us of our frailty and singles that we need to take action because of some threat, the most important action being this: to depend upon the Lord in faithful prayer. 

It may be helpful at this point to think of the emotion of fear. Just as the scriptures say, “do not be anxious”, so too the scriptures say, “do not fear.” But I think most would agree that the command to fear not is not forbidding what we might call natural or reasonable fear. A woman who sees an ominous figure walking towards her on a dimly lit street, or a man who thinks he hears an intruder, does not sin against the Lord when they feel the emotion of fear, do they? Their heart rate elevates. The hair on the back of their neck stands up. And hopefully, they are moved to take appropriate action. When fear is natural and reasonable, it is not sinful. When the scriptures command us to fear not they are calling us to not live in fear, to be driven by fear, or be debilitated by it, but to trust the Lord, especially as it pertains to his precocious and very great promises. And I want to say that something like this is true concerning anxiety. 

Is it reasonable for you to feel a bit anxious concerning the big test? Is it reasonable for you to feel anxiety concerning the upcoming interview? Is it reasonable for you to be concerned (and even to feel it in your gut) when your child is ill or when your loved one is in some danger? I think so. The feeling of anxiety is a signal that there is something that requires you to take action. Sometimes there are practical things for you to do – study, prepare, seek a remedy, etc. And certainly, we must always run to God in faithful prayer.

Please allow me to demonstrate from Scripture that we really need this category of natural or reasonable anxiety. I could do so from a few passages. But the thing that I really want you to consider is the experience of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the garden of Gethsemane. Did he not experience great angst as he contemplated the physical sufferings that awaited him, and the wrath if God he would endure? So extreme was his anxiety that he sweat drops of blood. Luke 22:44 says he was in agony. The Greek word means “to be in a state of great mental and emotional grief and anxiety—‘anguish, intense sorrow.’”  (LouwNida, 318). Did Jesus sin when he felt this angst or anguish? Was this anxiety he felt the result of a lack of faith? Of course, not! No, the Son of God experienced natural or reasonable anxiety in the garden through the human nature he had assumed. 

But what did he do with it? That is the question. Was he debilitated by this angst? Did it move him to run from his calling or doubt God’s love? Did he remain in it? No, he did what Peter commands us to do with our anxiety. He humbled himself under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time God would exalt him. He took all of his natural and reasonable anxieties and cast them on the Father, knowing that the Father cared for him (see 1 Peter 5:6–7). Luke 22:44 says, “And being in agony [Jesus] prayed more earnestly…” Verse 42 reveals the content of his prayer. He prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42, ESV). So then, in his agony or angst, Christ “prayed more earnestly”. He brought his desires to the Father and submitted to the Father’s will. Continuing now in verse 44: “… and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow…” The Greek word translated as “sorrow” here also means distress, mental pain, or anxiety. “…and he said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation’” (Luke 22:44–46, ESV). 

This text is very instructive, in my opinion. Christ experienced anxiety so severe that he did not only feel a pit in his stomach or tightness in his chest, he sweat drops of blood. But what did he do with his anxiety? He took action. First, he prayed. “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly…”, the text says. And then having prayed – having submitted his human will to the will of the Father – he rose up and continued on in obedience to the Father. What, on the other hand, were the disciples doing in their distress (λύπη  – “a state of mental pain and anxiety—‘sadness, sorrow, distress’” (Louw Nida, 317). They were sleeping. And Jesus said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:46, ESV). It’s interesting how anxious feelings can sometimes paralyze us.  But Jesus says, “Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 

So why have I devoted so much time to this question, is all anxiety sinful? And why have I been so concerned to distinguish between natural or reasonable anxiety and sinful anxiety? One, it is biblical. In fact, we cannot make sense of the experience of Christ in Gethsemane without this distinction. Two, I am afraid that many in our day have bought into the lie that if they ever feel anxious, something is wrong with them. I want to say, not necessarily. And the problem might even be worse for Christians, especially if they have been told that anxiety is always sinful. If the Christian believes this, then they will feel guilt regarding their anxiety, when perhaps they should not. And if this is the case, they may be ashamed to talk with others about it. And if they do talk to God about it, it may only be to confess the “sin” of anxiety. But the Scriptures do not call us to confess the sin of anxiety to God (in every instance). No, the Scriptures call us to take our anxious thoughts and feelings and to cast them upon the Lord in faithful prayer. Three, making room for what I have called natural or reasonable anxiety gives us a little space to do the thing we really need to do, and that is to process these emotions, to be sure they are reasonable and within their proper bounds, and then to bring them to God through faith in Christ to find relief and peace. In other words, understanding that every anxious thought or feeling is not necessarily sinful, gives us some room to fight for peace. 

An illustration came to mind. It’s kind of a silly one, but I think it is helpful. I’m sure you can think of a movie scene where someone is threatened by intruders and they immediately fall to the ground, put their hands in the air to surrender, and then are taken into captivity for a time. I wonder if this does not illustrate the way that many respond to feelings of anxiousness. They are quickly overcome. They are quickly defeated and debilitated. Like the disciples in the garden, they do not fight, but sleep, metaphorically speaking. But in contrast to this, I’m sure you can think of a movie scene where a kung-fu master is threatened by intruders – not one or two, but a dozen or more. He does not surrender but fights with all of his skill and might to repel them. He fights to repel the threat and to be at peace. I think this is what the Scriptures are calling to do with things like worry, fear, and anxiety. To think these thoughts or to feel these emotions does not mean that we have been defeated (have fallen into sin), but we must fight for peace in Christ Jesus, lest we be taken captive. 

Brothers and sisters, when you feel anxious, it means that it is time to take action. And now I ask, what action are we to take? 

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Enter Into Faithful Prayer

One, as has already been said, we are to enter into faithful prayer. And by “faithful” I mean two things: One, prayer that is constant and earnest. Two, prayer that is full of faith.  

We are to follow the example of Christ in the garden. “[B]eing in agony he prayed more earnestly” (Luke 22:44, ESV), the Scriptures say. We are to do what Peter commands. He tells us to, “Humble [ourselves]… under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt [us], casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for [us]” (1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV). We are to heed Paul’s instructions in Philippians 4:4ff. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4–7, ESV).

Brothers and sisters, I do wonder if we are not sometimes anxious because we are prayerless. Granted, this is not the only explanation for persistent anxiety, but I must present it as a possibility. Are you faithful in prayer, brothers and sisters? And when you pray, are you praying in faith?

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…” (Matthew 6:25, ESV). The word “therefore” indicates that what Christ is saying here about anxiety is related somehow to things that he said previously in his sermon on the mount. And I think it is important to remember that one of the things Christ addressed before this is prayer. Christ’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. He instructed them (in 6:9) saying, “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13, ESV)

I have said that the remedy for anxiety is faithful prayer. Perhaps it could be said, more specifically, that the remedy for anxiety is the prayer that Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. I think an argument can be made that the preface to the Lord’s Prayer, along with each and every petition, functions as an antidote to the causes of anxiety, if we pray them with understanding and with faith in our hearts. Consider, for example, the  fifth petition, which is “Give us this day our daily bread.” When we pray this prayer, “we pray that of God’s free gift, we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life and enjoy His blessing with them” (Baptist Catechism, 111) Notice the obvious connection between this fourth petition and the words of Christ concerning anxiety: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on…” (Matthew 6:25, ESV). It’s as if he said, because you have prayed to your Father in heaven and have asked him to provide you with your daily bread, do not be anxious therefore.

The remedy for anxiety is faithful prayer. Indeed, the Lord’s Prayer is particularly helpful. But is this the only thing we can say to an anxious soul – simply, trust the Lord in prayer? While this is the essential thing to say, I do not believe it is the only thing. 

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Remember The Goodness Of God, His Covenant Promises, And His Power To Accomplish All Of His Purposes

Secondly, when feeling anxious we must remember the goodness of God, his promises to us in the covenant of grace, and his power to accomplish all of his purposes. 

At this point I must remind you of the preface to the Lord’s Prayer. Christ taught us to approach God as “Our Father in heaven.” These words, “our Father in heaven” remind us to draw near to God “with holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, [who is] able and ready to help us…. (Baptist Catechism, 107). In other words, when we call God “Father” it reminds us of his love and concern for us. He has set his fatherly love upon us in Christ Jesus. He invites us to draw near to him. And his word reassures us that he has good things for his children. He is the “Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Indeed, we know that “Every good gift and every perfect gift” comes from his hand (James 1:17, ESV).

Some may be tempted to say, well, I have not received good things from God. My life is very difficult. Three things must be said in response to this. One, I do not doubt that your life is filled with many difficulties, but you must not allow this to lead you to question the goodness of God. God is always good, even when we experience trials and tribulations in this fallen and sin-sick world. Two, though it may be that your life is filled with many difficulties, I trust that there are many blessings too. We must count our blessings and be thankful to God for them. Remember Paul’s word: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV, emphasis added). Thankfulness or gratitude is so very important, brothers and sisters. Three, in Christ we must learn to see that there are blessings from God even in the trials we face. Indeed, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). By faith, we know this to be true, even if we cannot see it with our eyes or comprehend it with our reason at the moment.  

When we approach God as Father, we are reminded of the unconditional love that he has for us in the covenant of grace. We are reminded that he, by his grace, has set his love on us. He has forgiven us all of our sins in Christ. He has given us Christ’s righteousness so that we might be reconciled to him and adopted as his children – all of this has been received by faith in Christ alone. And God has promised to keep us in Christ to bring us safely home into our heavenly inheritance which Christ has earned. We cannot forget these precious promises from God the Father. 

And when we approach God as our Father in heaven we are reminded of his power and his majesty. He is perfectly good, he is most wise, and he is infinitely able, brothers and sisters, for he is almighty. Indeed, God the Father is worthy of our trust. 

Where do we learn these truths about God, his character, and the grace that he has shown to us in Christ Jesus? We learn this from the book of Scripture. But notice that in Matthew 6 Jesus encourages the anxious soul to look also at the book of nature to be reminded of God’s goodness, power, and covenant faithfulness.  In verse 26 Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Verse 28: “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” And then Jesus makes his point in verse 30: “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30, ESV)

Those who are anxious must remember the goodness of God, his promises to us in the covenant of grace, and his power to accomplish all of his purposes.  

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Take Practical Steps

Thirdly, those who are anxious must take practical steps to alleviate their anxiety, if possible. 

I do not wish to spend much time on this third point, but I do believe it is important to state. When I say that faithful prayer is the remedy for anxiousness, and when I encourage you to remember God and his goodness, I do not mean to suggest that there is nothing more to do. No, the one who is anxious may also need to take practical steps to alleviate their anxiety.

Are you anxious about money, friends? Then having prayed, having cast your anxieties on the Lord, and having remembered his goodness, his covenant love, and power, then ask, is there anything for me to do to fix this problem that is causing me angst? Perhaps you need to make a budget and spend less. Perhaps you need to pick up an extra shift. Perhaps you need to seek a promotion or search for a new job, etc. 

I suppose I could set many examples before you, but I don’t think that is necessary. The point is this: we are to trust the Lord in all things. We are to depend upon him for everything. But we must also be responsible. This truth concerning our responsibility before God is found in Matthew 6 in these words: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). In other words, the one who is anxious is to trust the Lord in all things, and they are also to concern themselves with living a life of obedience to God, for the furtherance of his kingdom, and to the glory of his name.  

Mind you, the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are about this. When we pray,  “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”, are we not praying that God, by his grace, would enable us to live for his glory, for the advancement of his kingdom, and in obedience to him? Indeed, we are. And it is no accident that these are the first three petitions. They are mentioned first because they are to be our highest aim. 

If your soul is anxious, brothers and sisters. Please pray and remember God’s goodness. But also ask the question, is there anything for me to do here, practically speaking? Is there something that needs to change in my life? Is there some unhealthy, unwise, or even sinful thing that needs to be turned from? Is there something about my way of life that is hindering me from being at peace? Granted, sometimes the answer these questions is, no. Something is threatening me. There is nothing at all for me to do about it. I must simply trust the Lord in it. But in my experience, the answer is often, yes. 

Are you living in sin? If so, then it is not surprising that you are not at peace. The Lord chastises those he loves. The Spirit is grieved within us when we sin. Turn from the sin and to Christ to be at peace. 

Are the priorities of your life out of sorts? Are you chasing after money and living for the things of this world thinking that they will bring you comfort and relief? “[S]eek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV). 

Or is your life cluttered and hectic so as to produce within you a cluttered and hectic mind and heart? So far as it depends on you, seek to bring order to your life so that you are able to pray, reflect upon God and his goodness, and meditate upon things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8). 

Our age is an anxious age. There are many reasons for this, I’m sure. But I cannot help but think that one reason is this: we are distracted by many things and bombarded with many concerns. It may be that the Lord is calling you to slow down, simplify, and focus your attention on things of real importance. It may be that you need to unplug from the constant fear-mongering of the media. I’m sure there are many other practical things that could be done to alleviate anxiety – things that are within our sphere of responsibility. The most important is this: “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, ESV).

I have two more points to make, and I will make them rather quickly. 

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Think About Your Thinking

Four, if you are anxious be sure to think about your thinking. Notice, I did not say overthink about your thinking. Some are prone to do this. No, simply think about your thinking. And ask yourself the question, are these thoughts that I am entertaining reasonable, true, and beneficial?

Jesus addresses this in Matthew 6, doesn’t he? In verse 27 he says, ​​“And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” His point is this: worrying about things that are beyond your sphere of responsibility accomplishes nothing. It only does damage. No good comes from it. Think about your thinking, brothers and sisters. If you are consumed by worrisome thoughts about things that are beyond your control, you must recognize that, and, with God’s help, put an end to it. 

Jesus also addresses this in verse 33, saying, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Some have developed the bad mental habit of living in the past or in the future. They spend a lot of time asking the question, what if? What if this would have happened instead of that? What if I choose that path instead of this one? What if this happens again? What if this leads to that? What if the trouble that come upon them comes upon me? Etc. 

A few years ago one of our sons fell ill and developed a high fever and pneumonia. He was even having, what we think were, high fever hallucinations. The whole thing was strange and concerning. We ended up in the hospital for many days – maybe ten. The Drs. couldn’t get the fever to break and seemed perplexed. As the days passed by, I remember having to think about my thinking. I had to work, with God’s help, to bring every thought under control, and to encourage my wife to do the same. It took real effort. But taking things one day at a time while trusting the Lord in the present and for the future, brought peace.

Perhaps you need to fight this kind of battle in your own mind. Some will error by living in the past or in the future. Others may have a habit of catastrophizing, that is to say, assuming the worst will happen. Brother and sisters, though it is true that we cannot always control the thoughts that come into our minds, we do choose which thoughts to entertain. May the Lord help us to think about things that are true, reasonable, and beneficial.

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Look For Idols Of The Heart

Fifthly, and lastly, those who are anxious ought to look for idols in their heart, and if they find any, they must cast them down, for anxiety thrives wherever idols are present. 

As I have said, it is reasonable and natural for people to be concerned for their own well-being and the well-being of those they love. I do not think this is sinful anxiety, but natural. This was the kind of anxiety that Christ experienced in Gethsemane. But think with me –  if someone loves this world and the things of this world in an ultimate and idolatrous way – then the anxiety that is felt concerning the potential loss of that thing, whatever (or whomever) it may be, will not be easily overcome.

I want to show you something in Matthew 6 before we move to a conclusion. Notice the text that immediately precedes the passage about anxiety.  Before Jesus says in verse 25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…” he says in verse 19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19–21, ESV). Where is your treasure, friends? In other words, where is your heart and life? Is it stored up in heaven, or is it here on this earth? 

Look at verse 22, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” The meaning of this verse is a little more enigmatic, but the basic question I have for you is this: what have you set your eye upon? What do you look to for satisfaction? What do you see as being of supreme worth? Where is your hope found? Is it the glory of the God of heaven? Or is it something here on earth? Is your eye fixed on the Creator or the creature?

And now look at verse 24: “No one can serve two masters, for 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 God and money.” So I ask you, who do you serve? Is God your Master? Do you live for him? Or do you live for the treasures and pleasures of this world?

Christ’s words in verse 25, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life…”, flow straight out of what is said before. And the point is this: if our treasure is here on earth, if our hearts are set upon the things of this life, if we are living for the things of this world, then it is no wonder that we are overwhelmed with angst at the thought of losing these things, for they have become our very life, and as gods to us.  

Now, I am not claiming that all anxiety stems from idolatry, but I am urging you to take a look. Examine your heart and ask, is there anything in this created world that would cause me to be utterly ruined or undone if it were taken from me? That is the question to ask while hunting for idols of the heart. If you find one, cast it down off of the throne of your heart so that God alone may sit there, and see if this does not bring you peace. 

 If God alone is on the throne of your heart – if he is your highest treasure, your greatest good, and your ultimate hope – then there is nothing that can be taken away from you that will leave you ruined or undone, for God is eternal, unchanging, ever faithful and true.  Yes, we may find ourselves concerned about the things of this life. And yes, we will certainly grieve when we suffer loss in this life – and that is appropriate within its proper bound. But never will be undone if God and  Christ are the hope and the source of our life. 

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Conclusion

Friends, Christ came to give us peace. 

Through his suffering and obedience to the Father, we have peace with God.

Peace concerning death and life everlasting.