Living in the Now: Freedom from Anxiety Found in a Way of Jesus

This was the year that nearly broke us. This was also the year that we discovered a treasure of freedom in the ways of Jesus – a new practice that has often taken us from spiraling anxiety and despair to hope and peace in the blink of an eye. It has been so powerful, yet so simple. We have returned to it over and over again i, nearly always experiencing the same, almost “magical”, effect.

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34, NIV

My wife and I knew this Scripture well and even memorized it many years ago. However, like so many teachings of Jesus, we only knew it at a surface level. We applied it to things like concerns about our investments in the stock market or reminding ourselves that we do not need to worry about doing our taxes, yet.

At other times, we unconsciously translated it to something akin to, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” or “It will all work out eventually.” To be sure, those could be examples of how one might apply this verse. But, what if it’s not “small stuff” that we are worried about? What about dealing with situations that may never “work out”?

What do we do when our concerns relate to freedom in our job, our ministry? What if our worries are literally “life and death”? And what do we do when all of these storms hit us from different directions at the same time?

That is what happened to us in 2022. The year started with devastating news from our family. Then, I lost my job when the non-profit counseling service that I worked for went shut its doors. Finally, my father’s health declined and he was put into hospice care, only to be overtaken by my mother’s decline and death not long after. All of this happened over 11 months.

There was one month when I spontaneously wept at some point every day. Both my wife and I battled depression, shame, guilt, confusion, and hopelessness about the future. It was a “dark night of the soul.” We clung to each other desperately, sought counsel from a few trusted believers, and cried out to the Lord for deliverance.

As it sometimes happens in our “darkest hours,” God did not reverse any of our circumstances. However, over time, He did give us insight into how to deal with emotional storms in a way that greatly reduced our anxiety and brought freedom. Much of it came from a deeper understanding of those words of Jesus:

So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:34, NIV

We began to get insight into several profound concepts:

Every day has enough trouble of its own.

In John 16:33, Jesus tells his disciples, “In this world, you will have trouble, But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus is a realist. He does not tell us to live in denial, just be happy, and experience freedom. Nor does He assure us that everything will just work out. There is real pain, brokenness, and injustice. When He came to the tomb of Lazarus and saw the grieving family, He wept with them. The lesson of His incarnation was that He entered our pain as Emmanuel, “God with us.” As Christians, we are called to “weep with those who weep.”

So do not worry about tomorrow.

We can only handle so much. Every day has some trouble. So, if we take the trouble of today, and add it to the trouble of tomorrow and the days after that, we can break under this ever-growing load.

In addition, our ability to “connect the dots” and predict the possible outcomes often leads us to worry, not just about what is going to happen (none of us know), but the thousands of things that might happen. If most of those “predictions” were positive, we might be OK. But much of our thinking is skewed strongly in the negative direction.

A few years ago, we set up my IRA to be managed by a financial advisor. Much of it was put in the stock market. He warned us to not obsess about the state of our stocks every day. That could be a sure recipe for runaway anxiety. Our brains might easily notice any stock trending down and then quickly break into panic mode.

This is especially true when things are going wrong. The trouble we see is real. It is difficult. But then, if we add to our present troubles, all of the many horrible outcomes that might come in the days and years ahead, we can quickly spiral into total despair. It will feel like we can’t handle the weight of it all. And the sober truth is that we can’t.

What we can do, is deal with the trouble of today. Jesus promises that there is enough to handle right there. This isn’t escapism or denial. This is a call to face the real problems of today, today. When tomorrow comes, we can deal with the challenges of tomorrow, then.

This is not to say that we should not plan ahead. The tendency to procrastinate, or not plan, is failing to be fully responsible in the present. The key is to plan, but plan with the view that there is much that we cannot control. So, most of our attention is better spent on today. When we focus on one day at a time, we can give more energy and attention to doing what we can do – in the present.

Back in my science teacher days, I used to “brag” to my students that I was strong enough to lift a hypothetical 500 lb. barbell from the floor to the counter. Most of my students doubted me due to my marathon physique.

Others believed me because they had learned that I usually had a trick up my narrow sleeves. Once my students started demanding that I prove it, I would pretend to strain as I lifted one 25 lb. plate at a time. “Yes”, they would groan, “Mr. Walters could lift 500 lbs” – just not all at once.

To find freedom, give God your concerns about tomorrow.

This strategy is not directly given in this verse, but there are many other scriptures like Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

In giving our concerns to Him, we are not giving up. Nor are we choosing to become passive. What we are doing is giving up control of the illusion that we can fix others and steer the future by our own efforts. We are giving Him the future. We are asking Him to move where we cannot.

Be faithful with what God gives you to do each day.

One of the most amazing patterns of Jesus was to do or say, “only what his father showed him.” We hear Him state this over and over in the Gospels. Then we see him live it out.

When he got the news that His close friend Lazarus needed healing, He followed the leading of His Father and curiously “stayed where He was two more days.” (Luke 11:4). By the time He arrived, Lazarus was already dead.

The story didn’t end there. What appeared to be Jesus missing His chance, was an opportunity for Him to demonstrate that even death is not the end of the story. Of course, none of us is tuned into the voice of the Father as well as Jesus. We can begin the practice of attentive listening, though.

Along with other prayer and devotional practices, my wife and I have been regularly making this request, “Lord show us what you have for us today. Help us to be faithful to do what you show us.”

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites all who have heavy burdens to come to Him and take up His yoke, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Ironically, a yoke is a symbol of hard, physical labor. However, He tells us that if we do it His way – one day at a time – this burden will feel comparably light. There is great freedom found in giving God all our present issues. Then there is even more freedom in giving Him the burdens of future days and years.

Finally, we can take up our call to live fully and faithfully in the moment. To be fully responsible and to be fully present with others each day. That is just enough weight to bear. That is what God will give us the grace to handle. This we can do!

No extra credit!

Our culture tells us that we should never be satisfied. We can always work harder. Even the church may imply that we just need to do “a little bit more” to find freedom and God will be forced to bless us a “little bit more”.

However, the Bible teaches that the top marks in God’s grading scale are given not to the overachievers, but to those “good and faithful servants.” There is no extra credit. He wants us to be faithful with what He gives us. We are not more faithful by doing more. It will often lead to unhealthy patterns, increased anxiety, and produce less fruit. Or it may take us down the path of bitterness and burnout.

Remember, when you put on the simple and easy yoke that Jesus gives you each day you will find it is custom designed to fit your shoulders – just right.

Now, how do we do find freedom?

By way of summary, here are some of the practices that my wife and I have been learning:

• Continually take your pain, sadness, fears, and confusion to God in prayer. Like the psalmists, cry out, “Oh God, this hurts!”
• Ask God to do His work in people and situations that concern you. Feel free to confess, “Please take this over. I don’t know what to do.”
• Remind yourselves that God is not done and the story is still being written.
• Begin each day by asking Him to show you what He is calling you to do TODAY. You may be overwhelmed about all the days down the road, but if you focus on being faithful for just this day, it will feel doable.
• Read and meditate on a section of Scripture. Let His Word wash over you and transform your mind. “His ways are higher than our ways.” (Isaiah 55:9) The Word will often mysteriously shift your perspective and attitude!
• Ask for the grace to walk faithfully today.
• As you go through your day, try to be sensitive to little “nudges of the Spirit”. He may show you specific attitudes or actions that will seem more “Jesus-like” and less “self-like”. Watch what happens with you and others when you follow these “leads”.

I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. – Psalm 34:4-5

For help navigating a difficult season of life and finding freedom, contact me or any of the other counselors at Spokane Christian Counseling. We also have sister offices elsewhere. We can partner with you in your quest to grow and thrive.