- INTRODUCTION
In our context, anxiety has been described as “a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome” It is a feeling of fear, dread and uneasiness. It might sometimes cause one to sweat, feel restless or tense and have a rapid heartbeat.
Generally speaking, the Act of Anxiety has been considered as:
– Brooding over what may not happen.
– A burden borrowed from tomorrow and others, who should carry it.
– Anticipating troubles which seldom came to those who trust God.
– Torment over something that will likely be a blessing if it comes.
– Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom.
It was on the basis of this that our Lord Jesus Christ warned us to be careful of Anxiety in Matthew 6:25-34. He gave us reasons we should not be anxious as He identified the sources of Anxiety as:
(a) Meat – What we are going to eat
(b) Cloth – What we are going to put on
(c) Materials
(d) Our life and future and those close to us.
In spite of the admonition of the Bible, we found out that Anxiety has become like a river that everyone is afraid to cross over. It is as if, when we try to cross over we will fall into the river. God has not left us without the ways or means of building bridges across the River of Anxiety. We must be determined to pass this bridge of Anxiety. In this Discussion we shall consider the following bridges we must made strong in our lives to cross the River of Anxiety. We shall discuss them by taking practical examples from the Bible to drive our points home.
These are:
1. Determination to face and manage your worries.
2. Talk to or contact a helper or somebody that you trust.
3. Taking care of yourself and your health.
4. Pray and trust in God.
5. Breathe well, simple exercises and sleep well.
B. MAKING PROPER CONTACTS
So many people in the world, when they are faced with great challenges of anxiety sometimes have their situation compounded or worsen because of the contacts they made. There are so many people in this world that would ever add to your problems of anxiety when you go to them. Thus in crossing the bridge of anxiety you must always make proper contacts.
For example:
(i) If you are sick; where /who do you contact? Doctor (Hospital) or a pepper seller.
(ii) If you want to travel where do you go to take transport? Motor Park/Stadium.
(iii) If you want to buy foodstuffs where do you go to?
Thus making a proper contacts is one of the greatest weapons of crossing our bridges of anxiety.
Example of a Widow II Kings 4:1-7.
The story of this Widow is quite interesting:
(a) She was a wife to a man of God, who borrowed money during his life time and could not pay back till he died.
(b) After the death of her husband the creditor came to demand for his money or the release of her sons in exchange for debt.
(c) The two sons were the only inheritance she had, the thought of losing them caused high level of anxiety for her.
(d) Put yourself in her shoes and mention the likely contacts which were opened unto her.
(e) Vs 1-2 But she decided to go to a prophet and good counselor.
(f) What were the outcome of this good decision Vs 3-7.
(i) She was given a good counsel and divine guidance.
(ii) Train on how to do small business.
(iii) She was able to pay the debt.
(iv) She had extra money to take care of her children.
(v) She crossed the bridge of her anxiety without danger.
(g) Please share your practical experience of kinds of contacts you have had and show whether they are / were proper contacts or not.
The good Lord will make ways for you and order your steps to make correct contacts in Jesus name.
(b) Meeting the Saviour
Our burdens in life are sometimes greater than what we can bear. This is because, there is an extent to which human strength can carry him/her. Even if, we have strength to carry our burdens/anxiety, but as we grow old our systems begin to lose their versatility. There is the need for us to meet the Saviour at one point or the other in our lives.
The Widow of Nain – Luke 7:11-16
The widow got married to a good man based on her judgment. The family had very promising future. Immediately, she got pregnant after the wedding and this resulted to the birth of a wonderful boy. Shortly after, her joy was cut short as her husband died suddenly. People consoled her that although your husband was dead but you have a promising “husband” in your son, please take heart.
(a) Sooner, her only surviving son also died. She was troubled and anxiety took over her life. She must have said, “Where am I going to start now?”
(b) The boy must be buried. The widow lost all her hope of how to cross such a bridge in her life: but.
(c) Vs 12-15. As the procession out of the city was on and about to get out of the city, the Saviour was walking from afar faster than usual just to meet the dead body of the young man before the procession got out of the town’s gate. You know Peter as usual may have complained that Jesus was walking too fast. But the Saviour knew what he was doing.
(d) As the corpse was to be taken out of the city, Jesus was right there and he brought back the dead body to life. Alleluya.
(e) Meeting the Saviour can be viewed from two perspectives.
(i) Meeting him for your salvation – through repentance John 3:16, Acts 4:12
(ii) Meeting him to take care of our needs I Pet 5:7.
(C) TAKE OFF YOUR WIDOW’S GARMENT AND DETERMINE TO FACE YOUR CHALLENGES
It is often common for widows to dwell too much on seeking sympathy from people because of their widowhood situation. That is putting on the emotional cloth of widowhood. We encourage widows to pull off such cloth and determine to face the reality of their lives as they cannot do anything about what happened in the past.
(a) Genesis 38:11-16
Judah told Tamar to remain a widow in her father’s house. And she did like that for some time. But a time came that she has to take off her widow’s garments before she could be seen by Judah Vs 14-16. And she later became a mother
(b) Ruth threw away her widow’s garment and began to fend for herself and her mother-in-law. That was how she met Boaz and had him as her husband. Ruth 3:1-3, 4:9-10.
(c) Bartimaeus, a blind beggar must throw away his beggar’s garment – (Signifying human help)
To be able to receive his sight. He dared the consequences. Mark 10:46-52
(d) Mention some of the things which look like widow’s garment today in our lives.
(1) ……………………………………
(2) ……………………………………..
(3) ……………………………………
(4) ………………………………………
(e) Tell us your experience – how you have been able to overcome any or all of these in your life?
(D). CONCLUSION
Four things you must do in the process of taking – off the widow’s garment or dealing with the problem of Anxiety.
(1) Do the natural and leave the supernatural to God. Do everything within your power and leave the rest to God.
(2) Do the ordinary things and leave the extraordinary things you cannot do to God.
(3) Do the possible and leave the impossible to God who can do all things.
(4) Do not overstress yourself (Physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually).
(c) Remember the little things we put under A above. May God continue to help you. Amen