Anxiety, Worry, Fear
by Ron Scurfield
Anxiety can unsettle our peace and disturb our relationship with God. It’s an unwelcome intrusion into our lives and sometimes we find it hard to deal with. The psalmist David called upon God to reveal his anxious thoughts, ‘and lead me in the way everlasting’ (Psalm 139:23). He didn’t want them, and knew God’s way was better.
The Apostle Paul tells us we shouldn’t be anxious about anything, but to bring our problems to God and allow His peace to fill us with the presence of Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). When we allow the Holy Spirit into the situation and see the problems as God sees them our faith in Him is re-established, and we find His peace returning as our relationship with God is restored.
To worry is to dig a pit for ourselves, and fall into it. Let’s not walk into the enemy’s camp and think the worst. ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths’ (Proverbs 3:5-6). As we ‘seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness’ (Matthew 6:33), we will see God’s blessings flow from the throne. Let’s put our hand into His and allow Him to lead us through the darkness and into the light that always appears at the end of the tunnel.
From the seed of worry fear is born. Fear is believing that God is not able to deliver us from what we see as inevitable. Jesus said, “with man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).
The love of God for us all was demonstrated on the cross of Calvary. This wasn’t just a demonstration, but a transformation. As we accept personally His love that cost so much, and receive the reality of it in our heart, we realise how much He cares. He needs us to depend on Him, and ‘to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’ (Ephesians 3:19).
Fear is in the unknown. Faith is having confidence in the truth. ‘His truth shall be your shield’ (Psalm 91:4 NKJV). ‘There is no fear in love. But perfect love cast out all fear’ (1 John 4:18). ‘God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him’ (1 John 4:16).
Prayer: Father, forgive me for being fearful. I have not put my trust in you as I should, and allowed the enemy to have a foothold in my life. I now choose to turn from all my fears and look to You for strength and direction. In You I put my trust. Help me Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Ron Scurfield with his wife Jill, are part of the Associate Ministry Team at Ellel Grange and occasionally Ellel Scotland. Ron enjoys walking and writing and meeting interesting people, but his greatest joy is seeing God transform lives, setting people free to live the abundant life that Jesus intended.
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