Seeing Anxiety Differently
Movement Live Notes
Friends, we have been dealing with the topic of anxiety for the last few weeks. We have looked at many ways to get through anxiety, but today we want to discuss seeing anxiety differently. Let's take a moment to do something different. Right now, in what you're going through, wherever you may be, attempt to magnify the Lord with me and just exalt His name. Just say, "Lord, You are good. No matter what I'm going through, Lord, You are good. You are transcendent. You are imminent. You sit high, You look low. You're personally involved in what I'm going through. I know I've been anxious. I know I've been flustered. I know I've been dealing with this anxiety disorder. However, in this very moment in this situation, I choose to change my perspective. I choose to have a perspective of praise. That's what I choose to do."
Paul tells us in Philippians 1:12-14, “12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." In other words, Paul is sharing that being imprisoned was happening to him for a reason. Specifically for the advancement of the gospel. What would it be like for us to consider view our anxiety and everything else going on in our worlds, the way Paul teaches? He changed his perspective from pain to praise. That is our encouragement. We need to move our perspective from pain to praise. We must change our thinking from "I am stuck in this" to "I am getting out of this."
Paul was chained to the Roman guards, who were switched out every 8 hours. So, here is that Paul had the opportunity to advance the gospel to a different Roman every 8 hours. Since his perspective was one of praise, there was freedom in his imprisonment. Paul said that even in his trial, he would rejoice because the gospel was being shared. We ought to have this view. We ought to still rejoice in the Lord always! In every moment of anxiety, in every moment of worry, friends, let’s rejoice in the Lord.
