My Anxiety and God’s Peace
The Bible can be helpful, even when people use it in unhelpful ways.
Let me quickly tell you about my Monday
(yesterday from when this is published):
I had two tasks: an oil change for my wife’s minivan and (I thought) a podcast interview. My wife had an errand to get medical paperwork for our daughter’s school registration. Things went sideways quickly. Removing the tire for the oil change (yes, oil changes are easier on her car if you remove the front tire) was difficult due to a partially stripped lug. Once that was resolved, the oil change itself went smoothly, and I picked up the parts to fix it. Meanwhile, my wife couldn’t get the paperwork signed without a physical, so she had to take our daughter to urgent care.
Back home, we heard a weird noise behind the fridge and discovered a leak in the water hose. I shut off the water, cleaned up a bit, and then prepped for my podcast interview. However, when the interview was supposed to start, I realized it was actually scheduled for the next day. (Back to work on the fridge.) After buying silicone flex tape and new wheel studs, the tape didn’t work, so I had to replace the hose altogether (never try home appliance shortcuts). My wife then took Micah to soccer, only for a storm to cancel practice.
Amid these issues and financial stress, my anxiety was peaking. This reminded me of what seems like the most unhelpful biblical advice: “Do not worry” (as if it were that easy). It often feels unhelpful because people quote it without understanding the context. It’s not about magically stopping our worries and having everything get better. Our problems don’t disappear when we let go of worry; my fridge still needed fixing, my wife’s car still had issues, and finances remained tight.
However, here is the whole context for that verse (or at least two verses):
“Do not worry 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.” - Philippians 4:6-7 (NRSV)
Paul’s message is not a command to never feel anxious but an encouragement to not let anxiety dominate us. It reminds us that we are not alone in our worries. We are urged to engage in dialogue with God, bringing our fears, doubts, and hopes to Him. Expressing gratitude, even amidst anxiety, shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have. God’s peace is not about understanding everything or having all the answers. It’s a profound sense of calm that transcends circumstances and offers emotional and mental protection.
My journey through deconstruction (and reconstruction) has shown that this passage can comfort those with anxiety. It invites us to bring our anxieties to God, not to make them magically disappear but to find peace and support in the process. This approach recognizes that anxiety is part of the human experience and that seeking help through prayer, community, and professional support is a holistic approach to well-being. The peace during this time was my wife offering to pick up dinner on her way home from Micah’s practice, which got rained out. I paused, still super stressed, and was reminded that God is there. To be clear, I am still quite anxious, but there is a peace amidst the chaos that I know will guide me through this time. AMEN!!!
How about you?
Where can you find peace within the chaos (amidst the stress and anxiety of life)?
What do you hold onto in those times?