Anxiety is not sin until we yield to the temptation to embrace it and act on it.
To take anxiety as your own and yield to it and adapt attitudes and actions that attack the character of God,then it becomes sin. So in the morning, the enemy knocks, first thing when you wake up. “Who’s there?”…” Anxiety, and I would like to come in. I want to divide your mind to distract from devotion to Jesus Christ today.” Sorry, can’t do it. Why? The words of the King to me are to stop it, to choose instead to PURSUE Him, His Kingdom and righteousness. Seek as the PRIORITY of life – His kingdom, to sit at His feet and listen to His Word, and to say my prayers. “Prayers” as used in Philippians 4:6 – 60 times this word gets translated prayer as is used in Philippians 4:6 in the New Testament, and it’s always used as reverence for the Lord. It can be translated worship. So here’s the alternative. “Knock, knock.” “Who’s there? Anxiety. Thank you very much for reminding me, it’s an opportunity to worship the Lord.”
Here is what I’ll do some mornings. Some mornings I’ll wake up and there’s a situation and the temptation comes to worry, and I’ll say oh, time to worship. And I’ll go through what I call, “The Alphabet of Praise.” Take a letter from the alphabet and place something that is true of the character of God and praise, worship Him. Maybe something like this may help and encourage you….maybe say
“LORD…
A –You’re Almighty, Awesome…
B -You’re Beautiful, and Believable
C –You’re My Covenant Keeping…You are Creator
D –You’re my Defender, You’re the Delight of my heart
E – You’re Eternal
F – You’re faithful, You are my Father
G – You’re gracious, you’re good, You are God
H – You’re Holy, You’re High, my healer, my helper
I – You’re Immortal, Invisible
J – You’re my Justifier, my joy
K – Your my King, Your Kind, You know me
L – You love me, You are my Lord, You are my light, Your Word is a…Light unto my path
M – You’re my Master, my maker, my Messiah, You are Merciful
N – You’re near me
O – You’re omnipotent, omniscient and Omnipresent
P – You’re precious, You are pure, You’re prefect, priceless
Q – Quiet in Your Love
R – You’re my Redeemer, You Rule Supreme,
S – You’re my Savior, my strength, my song, Sovereign…
T – You’re my triumphant One, You’re truthful
U – You’re unchanging, You are unwavering
V – You’re victorious
W – You’re wonderful, You are Wise and Winsome
You’re my Alpha and OMEGA…
And you know what happens? Just what happened to you right now. For a moment you forgot what you had been thinking of- your problem and changed the FOCUS to the Problem – Solver- the Lord Jesus Christ.
As you recite your “Alphabet of praise,” you CHOOSE not to Be occupied and Yield to Anxieties! Why? You changed your FOCUS, and you said your prayers God’s way.
THREE WAYS TO RESPOND TO THE TEMPTATION TO ANXIETY?
Attack the temptation by choosing to…
1.- PRIORITIZE. What are you taken up with? PURSUE– THE KINGDOM OF GOD. RIGHT PRIORITIES IN YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
2. – PRAY– GOD’S WAY. -Phil 4:6
3. – PRACTICE YOUR OWN, “ALPHABET OF PRAISE.”– Praise Him because He is worthy. He seeks those who “worship in spirit or in truth.” May He find you worshiping Him today!