5. Anxiety and trust
As humans we are created to love and trust the living God and to enjoy the security that comes from being loved by him. In Eden the two trees were there just for this purpose: the Tree of Life to allow us to eternally depend on the goodness of God; and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, to allow us to daily trust in the goodness of God. As his image bearers we are made to live in a matrix of relationships of love and trust (given and received), which form the context for human flourishing.
Sin breaks that matrix apart. When the serpent approaches Eve in Eden and lures her into disobeying God’s command, he does so by undermining her trust in the Lord God and by replacing it with the desire that she should become morally self-determining. As she and her husband commit humanity to sin, their relationship with each other and their relationship with God are broken. With brokenness comes fear, shame, blame, insecurity, pride, failure, competition, envy and anxiety.
As you approach graduation you may face times of uncertainty and worry. There’s so much going on: final exams; writing a thesis; applying for a job; planning a career; coping with family expectations; worrying about how to stay in contact with friends; deciding where to live…the list goes on. Where do we find our security in turbulent times?
The Good News of Jesus is that by his amazing grace we can be reconciled to God. Once again we can come to place our trust in the one by whom, through whom and for whom we were created. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever trusts in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) In the Greek, ‘pistis’ translates as both believe and trust. The Gospel starts with trust, it ends with trust, and trust is the daily heartbeat of the Christian life. Trust is like a muscle, and the more we learn to actively exercise it, the stronger it becomes!
This is not to make light of our fears and worries. As Billy Graham said, 'At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is “Lord of heaven and earth.” At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness.' But we need to know and rely on the constant message of Scripture: “The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:13-14)
We need to know that Jesus of Nazareth sat in a garden one night pouring his heart out to his Father in heaven, in anguish at the prospect of his arrest, trial, abuse and execution. But, Peter tells us: “…he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’ For ‘you were like sheep going astray,’ but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:23-25) Jesus was prepared to entrust his life entirely into the hands of his father in heaven just so that we would have the chance to know the true and faithful Father for ourselves.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and thanksgiving submit your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)