“God’s Anxiety Med”
Philippians 4:4-13
10-11-2026
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. Do you remember that song from 1988 titled, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”? People seemed to really like it and I suspect that’s because they saw it as good advice for our high-anxiety world. If you’re one of them then I apologize in advance, but that song was just plain dumb. The lyrics tell you not to worry and to just be happy, but it never tells you how! You’d be pretty upset if your doctor diagnosed you with some disease but then didn’t tell you how to treat and cure it. Likewise, if you have worry or anxiety in your life, in order to get rid of it you need to know the cure. I honestly don’t know if there is more anxiety in our modern world than there was 100 or 1,000 years ago. However, we seem to have invented all kinds of labels for anxiety disorders. In other words, anxiety existed long ago, but we didn’t have a variety of categories or names for it. And we’ve only made matters worse by stirring up anxiety about having anxiety.
So, we’d all agree that anxiety is not a good thing and should be gotten rid of. But how? The internet has a ton of suggestions: yoga, meditation, scream therapy, and of course, medication. Sadly, some folks attempt to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs or other addictive behaviors in order to relieve their anxiety. Unfortunately, these don’t solve the root of the problem. All they do is temporarily mask the symptoms. What we need is what St. Paul offers in our Epistle lesson. Unlike that silly song I mentioned earlier, he not only tells us “Do not be anxious about anything” but he goes on to tell us how to obtain this mentally and spiritually healthy condition. Simply put, he gives us the prescription for God’s anxiety med.
“Okay, Paul. I’m all ears. Let’s hear it.” Well, first we need to define the word. Quite often people use the word “anxious” to mean “eager”, like when you’re anxious for something good to happen. But that’s anticipation not anxiousness. Actually, the Greek word that Paul uses there means to be pulled in two directions; to be divided. That’s what anxiety does to your mind and your soul. It’s not good. And it leads to all kinds of problems—problems not only in your own body but also in your relationships.
It’s too bad that the first 3 verses aren’t included in our reading because that’s precisely what Paul begins chapter 4 with. There were two ladies in the Philippi congregation who were at odds with each other. We don’t know what the issue was, but the disagreement led to a division. This caused anxiety not only between the women but within the congregation. So, Paul encouraged them to be of one mind. That didn’t mean they had to agree on the issue, but they should still be united in Christian love for one another. Apparently, they weren’t. Knowing our human nature, you can be sure that they were angry and disrespectful toward each other. They thought the worst of their opponent. Like us, they talked about each other rather to each other. And they surely tried their hardest to rally other members of the congregation to their side. It was causing division and therefore anxiety. In the kindest way possible, Paul tells them to knock it off.
But he doesn’t leave it there. Instead, he broadens his admonition so that it can be applied to all Christians in dealing with their anxiety regardless of its source. So, Paul proceeds to tell us how. He begins by saying, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” “Wait a minute, Pastor. How can rejoicing relieve anxiety?” Well, anxiety is a killjoy. Christians are to be the most joyful people on earth. But anxiety pulls us in the opposite direction. It disrupts the joy that ought to be ours. Think about it. We possess the greatest news in the world! Jesus died for our sins and rose again. We have been Baptized into His death and resurrection and now we have eternal life through faith in Him. How could anything squelch or dampen that joy within us? Well, let anxiety settle in and your joy will diminish. You may come to worship and sing joyful songs to God with your mouth but there’s a frown on your face and, even worse, in your heart.
Do you know what else can rob you of your rejoicing? Worry. Unchecked worry leads to anxiety. I’m not referring to being legitimately concerned about serious issues in your life. Concern is fine, worry is not. There’s an old saying that goes, “Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do but it doesn’t get you anywhere.” But let’s face it. We all tend toward worrying. And worry will inevitably lead to anxiety. I’m not immune from this stuff. The other night I woke up and some problems came to mind. That chased away the restful sleep I desired. Then the anxiety set in with a barrage of questions. What if my circumstances go in this direction? Big trouble. What about this heartache in my life? No answers in sight. What if my health takes a turn for the worse? Gloomy days may be ahead. You may not believe this but occasionally I even get a touch of anxiety about my sermons. Maybe I’m just getting old, but sometimes the right thoughts and words aren’t coming to mind and Sunday morning is fast approaching. I don’t want to disappoint you and I certainly don’t want to dishonor God. What can I do? And on and on it goes.
Does any of this sound familiar? It may be the weather, or the economy, the price of crops, the wars around the world, or the upcoming elections. You may be tempted to worry about your children or grandchildren or your spouse. You may worry about a broken relationship. You may worry about our church and whether we’ll survive another 10 years. These things may not disrupt your sleep but it messes with your mind while you’re awake. And it can affect your health. When you’re anxious, adrenaline kicks in. Your heart rate and blood pressure goes up. It makes you nervous and irritable. It distracts your thoughts and interrupts the daily peace and joy you should be experiencing in Christ. This is not how we’re supposed to live.
So, what’s missing? God’s anxiety med. After Paul tells us to not be anxious, he tells us how. He says, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Ah yes, prayer. How often don’t we forget to pray about the things that are disrupting our peace and joy? Quite frankly, we tend to worry and be anxious about things that we have no control over. Who better to hand them over to than God? Why do we insist on carrying our anxious burdens when we could lay them before the Lord, knowing that He alone is in control and has the power to change things? Your heavenly Father loves you and wants to hear your prayers about everything and anything. He invites us to pray and to pray without ceasing.
Just this last week I had a discussion with one of our members about this and she made an excellent observation. Yes, we lay our anxious burdens at God’s feet in prayer. The only problem is that we often go back and pick them up again. How true! Do you know what Paul would say about that? “Stop it. You’re hurting yourself and diminishing your joy. Trust in God. Pray to Him and leave those concerns there.” I know. Some of you are thinking, “That’s easier said than done.” Fair enough. We are certainly weak, sinful human beings. But remember, the medicine for the cure of worry and anxiety is prayer. Deep, sincere prayer. God doesn’t care about fancy wording. He just invites you to pray. When you feel worry and anxiety creeping in, stop and pray. Ask God to replace your anxious thoughts with His peace. If it’s a dilemma your facing, ask Him to show you the way. While you’re at it, ask Him to forgive you for not trusting Him from the get-go. Ask Him to forgive you for trying to control things that you have no control over. Ask Him to forgive you for letting anxiety cause you to be angry or irritable with others or to withdraw from the fellowship of your brothers and sisters in Christ. You don’t ever have to worry or be anxious about God’s forgiveness or your salvation because it’s yours through Jesus.
And let me add: this takes practice. So, Paul gives us a spiritual exercise regimen for reshaping our minds away from anxiety and back to joyful living. Have you ever noticed how our tendency is to focus on the negatives. You can have 99 things go right in your day but you’ll dwell on the one thing that went wrong or bad. It sours your outlook and so you don’t feel like rejoicing or thanking God for the 99 good things. Paul says to replace those dark thoughts with Godly and joyful things. He says: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Paul practiced what he preached so he invites us to follow his example. And here’s the “payday” for all of this: He says “the peace of God will be with you.” That’s what we’re longing for. And it’s yours as you live by faith in Him. There’s no better way to end than with those words of St. Paul that you hear each week at the conclusion of the sermon: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria