I know what it’s like to be anxious. Even when I was a young child, I had a tendency to worry. Fortunately, my anxiety proved to be a blessing since it caused me to seek comfort by turning to the Lord. Whenever I give talks about the subject of anxiety, I like to open the Bible and highlight some of Jesus’ comments about the subject. His words are clear and to the point and far more effective than any advice I could give. If you’re a worrier, here are 10 things Jesus wants you to know about anxiety. Some are statements and some are questions, but they are all designed to help you feel His peace.
1. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.” (Matthew 6:34)
2. “Why are you afraid, have you no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
3. “And which of you, by being anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26)
4. “Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on.” (Matthew 6:25)
5. “Take heart, it is I; have no fear.” (Mark 6:50)
6. “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 28:10)
7. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)
8. “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)
9. “Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
Hey, wait a minute…that’s only 9…where’s the 10th quote? Good point, but we need to change direction for a minute. In the next quote, Jesus once again tells us not be afraid (in this case, of those who persecute us or threaten us with harm), but He also tells us that we SHOULD be afraid of something. Although we worry about many things, this one is usually not on our list, but it should be. The fear of the evil one (and the threat of eternal damnation) should motivate us to stay close to the Lord and follow His commands. If we do that, we’ll be fine!
10. “Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)
There you have it, 10 direct quotes from Jesus about anxiety. Do you feel better? Me too. Keep these handy and refer to them often. When you’re temped to worry, read them over again and see how you feel. As Christians, we shouldn’t have to worry…we have Jesus. He is the ultimate cure for the anxiety in our lives. Please share this list with your fellow “worriers” so that others can experience the Lord’s peace!
Gary: You are right. However, when I share these truths with my friends sometimes I am told I’m offering platitudes or being overly simplistic. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with comments such as those?
I agree with you, Matt. It’s almost as if people think we’re ignoring reality when we attempt to trust in God’s providence. If you don’t worry, people think you’re out of touch! I would explain that worrying in and of itself doesn’t do any good…it is completely useless. On the other hand, legitimate concern may prompt us to do something and one of the best things we can do when faced with a problem (besides doing necessary activities) is to pray! When challenged, look at it is a teaching moment and a chance to profess your faith! Does that make sense?
In fact, Fear Not is the most used one liner, so to speak, in the Bible, over 300 variations!
Hi there. Boy did I ever need to read this, specilly today! I was wondering if you’d be okay with me translating your article into Spanish for my blog, La Iglesia En Casa. Of course you’d get full credit and links back to your site. If not, that’s okay. I’d completely understand.
May the Lord’s peace be with you.
Hi Rolando – I’d be honored to have you translate my article into Spanish! Please let me know when it’s finished, as I’d like to see what it looks like.
God Bless,
Gary
How about this – John 16:33 – “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”.
That’s a GREAT one!
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I like the old translation of #8: “Fear is useless, what is needed is trust.”
Personally, Deacon Michael, I do too! The quotes I used all came from the RSV-CE. It’s my favorite translation overall, but I agree with you about that one verse.
When I did a Bible study on the Gospel of Matthew, the line you quoted was actually explained in a different way. The instructor actually said even the devil cannot kill the soul but just the body. It is only God who has power over the body AND the soul.
Before I did the study, I thought also that we should fear the devil for his power to kill the body and the soul – from this same passage in the gospel of Matthew.
Could you comment on this, please?
Thank you!
Interesting point, Zen. You are correct in saying that only God can cast a soul into hell. This happens based upon our free choice to turn away from Him and die in the state of mortal sin. I consulted 2 reputable Catholic commentaries on this verse. The Navarre Bible states that we should fear God and His power to cast us into hell if we die in the state of mortal sin. The Ignatius Study Bible agrees with this, but adds that we should also fear Satan for his ability to tempt us into committing mortal sin, this jeopardizing our salvation. The main point that Christ is trying to make here is that we shouldn’t fear physical attacks and persecution, as they can’t affect our salvation. I hope this clears it up a bit.
God Bless,
Gary
Just opened this today. Thanks for the explanation – appreciate your looking into it.
BTW, I signed-up to your ‘Total Consecration To Jesus Through Mary’. Looking forward to it during my vacation in September!
God Bless.
My pleasure, Zen! Glad to hear you’ll be doing the total consecration…get prepared for a life changing experience!!!
Thank you for this and may God bless you.
Matt 10:28: the “Him” is properly recognized in accurate translations as referring to the Father, not the paltry power of fallen lucifer.
Matt 6:34: better context to finish the verse: “sufficient for the day is the evil of it”.
Mark 6:50’s perpetually and lamentably obfuscating mistranslation is a pet peeve of mine. Christ literally and simply says “ego sum — I AM”. Linguistically speaking, the disciples’ minds would have of course added the implied word “He” to Christ’s “I AM”, but Christ let his words to them simply rest with “I AM”, knowing this would be like a lightning bolt to their Jewish ears as well as be written down for time immemorial, providing the translation gives a fig. He did not say “It is I” any more than the Father said that in the OT!
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I was going to print this list and copy to give to some prisoners in my prison ministry but can only print out #6 to the end. Is there another way I can do this. Peace and Blessings on your ministry. Deacon Dave
Hi Deacon Dave – I’ll send you an email and attach a Word copy of the list. That should be easier for you to print. Thank your for bring the “Good News” to those in prison! God Bless, Gary
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know that I can be concerned without worrying, anxiety or fear to dominate my belief in the Lord keep them their wise to follow and safety in them too! Amen!!!