A cat’s point of view…
We named one of our cats “Kidden”, shortly after picking him up from the humane society. At the time, he was a little orange fluff ball with oversized paws. After seven years, he isn’t the size of a kitten anymore. He’s probably double his recommended BMI. In fact, I doubt he has ever seen the bottom of his food dish because Faye checks it every morning. Yet before his dish gets filled to the brim, Kidden stands in our path, meowing incessantly, as though he is about to die. He is deathly afraid that his food dish won’t get topped off before we leave.
If we allow this to go on, he gets so worked up that when he does eat, he overeats, doesn’t chew, and vomits it all back up in a warm pile somewhere in our house. He also meows just before that, signaling his masters to reach for the wet wipes and paper towels. Ah, the causes and effects of anxiety… from a cat’s point of view.
Do not be anxious about anything…
What do the scriptures teach us about anxiety? Paul tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplications with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). Do not be anxious about anything? Just to clarify, the word anxious here can be translated full of care, or full of thought. Really, Paul? What about our responsibilities… at work… …in our ministries… with our family… in our finances… maintaining our stuff… concerning our health? Be careful… for nothing?
Jesus uses the same word in the parable of the seeds when speaking of the seed sown among the thorns. He says the thorns are the cares (i.e. anxieties) of this world. These cares choke out the seed (the Word of God), making it unfruitful. Take a minute and consider the last week… What caused us to be anxious, full of care, full of thought? How fruitful was that time for us… or for those around us?
We all face anxiety, no matter who we are. Even the sluggard doesn’t go out because he is worried there might be a lion in the streets (Proverbs 26:13). Nobody is exempt from the temptation to worry. And no one gets a free pass to give in to it just because their circumstances are difficult.
Give thanks in all circumstances…
As emphatic as the bible is about what not to do, it is equally emphatic about what to do. Paul tells us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). God’s will is that we give thanks… in all circumstances. Really, Paul? Weren’t you the one who was whipped, beaten, stoned to death, shipwrecked, sleepless, without food, and exposed to the cold? Yet Paul tells us… in all circumstances… to give thanks. Take a minute and consider the last week. In what circumstances did we fail to give God thanks? Why? Did He fail to take care of us? Has He ever?
The peace of God…
I sometimes wonder what a morning would be like if Kidden wasn’t worried about getting more food. Would he be purring in my lap? Or would he be watching the birds out the window? Or would he enjoy his food instead of swallowing it whole? I know his masters would sure appreciate that…
I likewise wonder what God thinks when we are given to anxiety and worry. Would he shake his head at us and say, “Oh you of little faith… Don’t you realize that I’ll take care of you?” Would he ponder the various joys we are missing out on? Would he appreciate not having to clean up our mess afterward?
Paul goes on to say what happens when we put a stop to anxiety, and bring our requests in prayer to God, with thanksgiving… He tells us, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). Are we experiencing this peace of God? Are we allowing it to guard our hearts and our minds… in all of our circumstances?
The next time anxiety attacks, how will we respond? Will we give ourselves over to worry… and its effects? Or will we cast all our cares upon God… and experience His peace?
For more on this subject, see Matthew 6:25-34.