“Anxiety in the heart weighs it down {causes depression,}
BUT
a Good word makes the heart Glad.” – {Proverbs 12:25}
Anxiety left unchecked will run riot in the mind effecting you emotionally leading to depression. Anxiety unchecked has a devastating effect! Depression is serious, debilitating- and it can begin with an anxious thought that is accepted, embraced, coddled as “truth” and has devastating effects on the individual and often on those around them!
“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop…
Either an anxious care and solicitude about living in the world, as the word signifies;{ concern that someone feels about someone’s health, happiness, etc}. when it seizes a man’s spirits, it depresses them, and keeps them down: or a fear and dread of adversity, or sorrow and grief, on account of some calamity and distress; when it gets into a man’s heart, it sinks and bows it down, that it cannot take any pleasure or comfort in anything.”- {John Gill Commentary}
Anxious thoughts unchecked will take you CAPTIVE or you can choose to take them CAPTIVE in obedience to Christ! Anxiety always travels with fear (Read, Luke 12:7,25) Anxiety is perverted faith! It is to DOUBT God’s care and involvement. It is a faith issue. His faithfulness and character and Word that is challenged and called into question.- (Read, Luke 12:28)
ANXIETY IS A THINKING PROBLEM;
Anxiety begins with a THOUGHT. A THOUGHT that does not include God or misrepresents Him! Either you CHOOSE to THINK on it and be taken CAPTIVE to it OR you take it CAPTIVE to obedience to Christ!
ANXIETY IS A TRUST PROBLEM;
Perverse faith which is what anxiety is and is a THINKING DISTORTION OF FAITH! Read Luke 12 27-28! – Ask yourself – which Promise of God cannot be trusted? What is there about the Lord Jesus cannot be trusted? Because when we choose to SIN against God by attacking His character and His Word…that is what we do!
ANXIETY IS A FOCUS PROBLEM;
The focus is on…self, and off of the LORD JESUS!
There is a way to break the devastating…pattern.
HOW?
1. – THINK GODLY THOUGHTS…”BUT …” is The glorious Divine INTERRUPTION! We do not have to live the old way we have always responded in Christ there is a new way a new power, a new life….!God says He has an alternative, “…But A GOOD WORD MAKES IT GLAD.”
Note; “A GOOD WORD” – just one good word causes the heart to go from anxiety to GLADNESS! Such is the power of God’s Word! THINK on that!
Not just thinking but PERSEVERING in maintaining an attitude of faith in the Lord! At the point we cease to persevere is the moment we stop living by faith in Him. The battle is for your mind and the goal is to keep you from trusting The Lord!
“… A Good Word makes it GLAD!”- A word of “COMPASSION, KINDNESS,”
* THINK ON the Character of God
* THINK ON the Promises of God (Read Luke 12:27-32) . God’s promises are ” PRECIOUS AND MAGNIFICENT.” –{Read 2 Peter 1:3-4.} They are to be Appropriated, not merely admired!
2.- TRUST GOD;
Take Him at His Word.
3. – TRAIN YOURSELF TO PRACTICE THANKFULNESS;
THANKFULNESS IS HUGE in battling Anxiety (Read Phil 4:6 and the promise to those who practice v 6 is found in v 7).
Thanksgiving Is An Anxiety Buster!
Thank God for who He is. Thank God for His promises which are true. Thank God for the ability to apply them. Thank God that Jesus died for the SIN of Anxiety that you may NEVER BE A SLAVE TO IT AGAIN! If it is not in His life it is not to be in yours or mine! This DOES NOT MEAN, that the TEMPTATION to anxiety is sin. It is only when we yield to those thoughts and act upon them by rejecting God, His Word then we are sinning.
Often we have responded by submitting to anxiety and Giving it Authority over us in our lives, in our thinking, distorting our feelings and responding in actions to it. it is a SINFUL response… And until we see that, we will continue down this road accepting “this is my life!” That’s a lie! You have been freed from the sin of anxiety and though tempted you do not have to YIELD to the temptation to sin against God. Anxiety says, “God, I know You mean well but I cannot trust You, so I will handle this myself !” And how has that worked out for you? If you’re like me – not too well! Why do we act like this again and again? There is the key “again, and again,” it has become a habit pattern, perhaps even before we gave our lives to the LORD and this is how we have always responded and we need to know we are no longer under the authority of the evil one who injects thoughts of anxiety to pull our thoughts away from God and His provision in His Word for us and leave us looking at our own deficient resources rather than the sufficiency of Him. We need to renew our thinking as Romans 12:2 teaches, and we do this by hiding His Word in our mind and meditating on it and applying it. Is it easy? No! For the evil one hates God and you, and so at times the fight of faith to trust the Lord can be intense “But God…” He gives us His Word where we find “…A Good Word…” from His “precious and magnificent promises”-{Read 2 Peter 1:4}. Note the promises are not one, though that would be enough but “plural.”
He lavishes us with words of PROMISES which He has the ability to Keep and He DOES. Promises of encouragement, hope, comfort, power, strength, and wisdom, to gladden our hearts such as…
- – He gives us “everything pertaining to life and Godliness.” -{Read 2 Peter 1:-4}
- -“I can do ALL things through Christ who infuses me with strength” -{Read Phil 4:13}.
- – “Not that we are adequate{sufficient} in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy {sufficiency} is from God,”-{2 Cor 3:5}. These are three good promises to meditate upon and also
- Phil 4:6 “Be anxious …” Now if we stopped there to obey this command, we could often say we are following this, but it does not stop there it says, “Be anxious in NOTHING but in everything by prayer, supplication with THANKSGIVING let your requests be made known to God…” and note HIS PROTECTIVE PROMISE in verse 7 to those who follow His prescription.
- – “And the PEACE OF GOD which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!” -{Phil 4:7}.
It takes faith to pray and apply it… but it also takes faith in self to REJECT Him and His Word! So where will we find a “Good Word?” Hmm… in His WORD! As I said to someone recently,”If I had brains. I’d be dangerous!”
A CHOICE YOU HAVE TO MAKE AND MAINTAIN;
CHOOSE to keep from spiraling into depression, or if you are there, choose to break the spiral by THINKING on “A Good word” about God, His Promises and your heart will be nourished, comforted, strengthened, uplifted, and GLADDENED! “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY…” – Col 3:16
CHOOSE TO TAKE CAPTIVE anxious thoughts through THINKING ON “A GOOD WORD,” – God’s character and God’s Promises and your heart will be GLAD!
HELPING THE ANXIOUS, DESPONDENT HEART;
*** If you are not the one who is anxious BUT come across a person who is “anxious” and bowed down, you can ENCOURAGE, COMFORT, Speak KINDNESS with a timely word. You can be part of God’s healing process. What better word is there than His Word, that DOES “COMFORT” {Psalm 119:50}. It DOES “ENCOURAGE.” -{Romans 15:4}. It DOES give HOPE {Romans 15:4}. It DOES reveal JESUS CHRIST {Luke 24:27}. It DOES impart WISDOM-{James:15}. It DOES show us how to be SAVED.-{2 Tim 3:15}.It DOES give ASSURANCE of ETERNAL LIFE. -{1 John 5:13}. It does teach us HOW TO LOVE.-{1 Cor 13:4-7}.
Be being kind to those who are anxious. They need an ENCOURAGING word. Be ready to serve them in love, we all need such people in our lives. It may be your example that spurs on others to do likewise. It may be you who is in need sometime. God bless and encourage you.
Keep encouraging yourself and others with a “Good word.” HOW?
A. PERSONALLY Chew on the Word, Meditate upon it -{Read Psalm 1:2; Col 3:16 “…let the WORD of Christ dwell in you RICHLY.”} Apply it to your circumstances. -{Read Matt 7:24; James 1:22}.
B.- PRESENT it to others, lovingly, graciously, kindly, compassionately, watch your tone... Share the LORD, and WHO He is and What He says – {Read Phil 2:16}.
Perhaps God will use you to turn someone from anxiety and depression through the “Good Word” you share with them and or to keep them living with gladness of heart! Be kind to the anxious and despairing, be kind with your words, tone of speech and build them up with a “Good word” that they may live to the right hand side of the “But” in the verse!
I once had a person who was very ill, and struggled with sleep who wrote and told me when they could not sleep through the night , they would look up the references I used in my devotionals. That is one way to get a “GOOD WORD” in you. Read the verses listed above and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you and through you as He “…equips” you with His Word “for every good work.”-{Read 2 Tim 3:17; Heb 13:21}.
God bless and may HE WHO gives perseverance and encouragement through His WORD… encourage you with Hope and a means to offer a “glad word,” to others! -{Read Rom 15:4-5}.