Veeses to help with anxiety

 Dealing with anxiety can be challenging, but many find comfort and guidance in the Bible. Here are some verses that may help:

• Philippians 4:6-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."1
• 1 Peter 5:7: "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."1
• Matthew 6:34: "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."1
• Psalm 55:22: "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."1
• Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."1

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. --Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41:10 is a verse that offers comfort and assurance of God’s support. Here are some similar verses that convey the same message of God’s presence and help in times of need:

• Joshua 1:9: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."1
• Isaiah 43:5: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west."1
• Psalm 27:1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"1
• Isaiah 43:1-2: "But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.’"1
• Romans 8:31: "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"1

The Apostle Paul openly shared about his struggles, including anxiety and pain, in his epistles. Here are some Bible references that discuss these aspects of Paul’s life:

• 2 Corinthians 11:28: "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."1 This verse highlights Paul’s daily mental burden for the wellbeing of the early Christian communities.
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10: Often referred to as Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” this passage speaks to a source of great pain and distress for Paul, which he pleaded with the Lord to remove. However, he came to understand that God’s grace is sufficient, and His power is made perfect in weakness.2
• Philippians 4:6-7: While not explicitly mentioning his own anxiety, Paul advises believers to be “anxious for nothing,” a principle he likely applied to his own life as he dealt with various hardships and persecutions.3
• Galatians 4:13-14: Paul mentions an illness that was a trial to the Galatians, which implies he was dealing with some form of physical suffering while preaching the gospel.1

These passages reflect Paul’s human experiences with anxiety and physical pain, and his reliance on God’s strength and grace to persevere through them.

The Apostle Paul’s struggle with sin and the challenge of doing what is right is most notably discussed in Romans 7:14-25. In this passage, Paul describes the internal conflict between his desire to obey God’s law and his human nature that leads him to sin. Here’s a summary of the key points from this passage:

• Romans 7:15: Paul expresses his frustration with doing what he does not want to do and not doing what he wants to do, highlighting the struggle between his will and his actions.
• Romans 7:18-19: He acknowledges that nothing good dwells in his flesh and that he has the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
• Romans 7:22-23: Paul delights in God’s law in his inner being, but he sees another law at work in his body, waging war against the law of his mind and making him a prisoner to the law of sin.
• Romans 7:24-25: He cries out as a wretched man, questioning who will deliver him from his body of death, and answers that it is through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This passage is a profound reflection on the human condition and the Christian experience, illustrating the tension between the spiritual and the carnal, and the ongoing battle against sin even for someone as devoted as Paul. It also emphasizes the grace and deliverance found in Jesus Christ, which is the ultimate solution to this struggle

The Apostle Paul’s teachings about the conflict between living in the flesh and living by the Spirit are primarily found in his letter to the Galatians and Romans. Here are some key references:

• Galatians 5:16-17: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”
• Romans 8:5-8: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
• Romans 7:21-25: This passage discusses the inner conflict Paul experiences, even as a believer, between the law of his mind and the law of sin within his members.

These passages reflect the ongoing struggle between the sinful nature (“the flesh”) and the new nature in Christ (“the Spirit”). Paul emphasizes that living by the Spirit is the path to true life and peace, overcoming the desires of the flesh

Doug Wolter. “Less striving, more resting.

Less achieving, more receiving.

Less performance, more wholeness.

Less holding on, more letting go.

Less rushing, more stillness.

Jesus invites us into an entirely different orientation of how we see life—a light and easy yoke.”

The Christian life isn’t about becoming stronger but becoming increasingly reliant on the One who is truly strong for us. The church, then, is a gathering of weak people strengthened by the grace of Jesus to build up one another in love.

Sadness clarifies joy

Weakness intensifies strength

Suffering reveals hope

If we have eyes to see our story 

Through the lens of Christ

What a beautiful promise…

I still belong to you; (identity)

    you hold my right hand. (safety)

You guide me with your counsel, (security)

    leading me to a glorious destiny (destiny)

-Psalm 73:23-24 (NLT)

“Indeed let me learn, year-by-year, O Lord, how this long pain might be transformed into the groanings of a faith actively yearning toward a glorious and certain resurrection.”

(Every Moment Holy)