HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 32
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PROMISE FROM GOD
• PSA L M 1 0 3 :8 | The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with
unfailing love.
Anxiety See also Grief; Hope; Pain; Stress; Worry
Pressures in our lives can build and pull us in different directions. These pressures pull
against our sense of well-being, and anxiety begins to overwhelm us. Trying to do too
much work with too little time or too few resources can stretch us beyond our capacity.
Trying to cope with the financial demands of life without adequate income can make us
begin to feel desperate. Difficulties in marital relationships, in parent-child relationships,
or in work relationships can lead to deep anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. What is
the answer? We need a perspective that comes from God. And we also need the help
of wise counselors and friends who God can use to bring us his presence, wisdom,
and hope.
Should I be surprised by the anxiety I am experiencing in my life?
• J O H N 1 6 :3 3 | “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you
will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
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Jesus warned us to expect stress and trouble in this life. This world is filled with trials
and sorrows that generate deep seated anxiety. The key to dealing with anxiety is to not
be surprised when it comes, but to learn how to respond when it comes. While there are
many healthy and positive ways to handle anxiety, never neglect the spiritual help the
Holy Spirit promises to provide if you ask.
What are some causes of anxiety?
• G E NE S I S 3 :6 , 2 3 | So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her
husband . . . and he ate it, too. . . . So the Lord God banished them from the Garden
of Eden.
• G E NE S I S 4 4 :1 8 | Then Judah stepped forward and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant
say just one word to you. Please, do not be angry with me, even though you are as powerful
as Pharaoh himself.” (See note on Stress on page 44.)
• 2 S A MU E L 1 1 :4 ; 1 2 :1 3-1 4 | Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to
the palace, he slept with her. . . . Nathan replied, “. . . the Lord has forgiven you, and you
won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless . . . your child will die.”
• L U K E 2 2 :5 6 -6 2 | Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!” But Peter denied
it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!” . . . At that moment the Lord turned and
looked at Peter. . . . And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.
Anxiety can have roots in things we have done in the past. When we sin, we can bring
anxiety along with sin’s painful consequences into our lives.
• E X O DU S 1 6 :2 -3 | The whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. “If
only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. (See note on Stress on page 67.)
Anxiety can build when we fail to trust God for help.
• MAT T H E W 1 :1 8 -1 9 | Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage
took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the
Holy Spirit. Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to
disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
Change often produces anxiety in our lives.
• J A ME S 1 :2 -4 | Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way,
consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your
endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed,
you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.