Anxiety
Anxiety in Scripture is the restless worry that gathers to itself tomorrow's troubles. Jesus addresses it in the Sermon on the Mount; Paul prescribes the replacement (prayer + thanksgiving) in Philippians 4; the Psalms record the sleepless night as a fact of the life of faith. Scripture treats anxiety seriously and offers a transfer of weight, not a dismissal of it.
Key verses (11)
- Psalms 4:8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. ”
- Psalms 55:22Cast thy burden upon the LORD
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be ...”
- Psalms 94:19In the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts delight
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”
- Proverbs 12:25Heaviness in the heart — a good word
“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”
- Isaiah 26:3Perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
- Matthew 6:25Take no thought for your life
“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; ...”
- Matthew 6:34Take no thought for the morrow
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself...”
- John 14:27Peace I leave with you
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not ...”
- Philippians 4:6Be careful for nothing — prayer + thanksgiving
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your req...”
- Philippians 4:7The peace of God shall keep your hearts
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Chri...”
- 1 Peter 5:7Casting all your care upon him
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Relevant characters (3)
Martha
"Careful and troubled about many things" (Luke 10:41)
Peter
Storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14)
Asaph
Psalm 77 — sleepless remembering of God's deeds
Further reading
- Max Lucado — Anxious for Nothing, Thomas Nelson (2017)
- Ed Welch — Running Scared, New Growth Press (2007)
- Paul David Tripp — A Shelter in the Time of Storm, Crossway (2009)
Pastoral commentary
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