Do you trust God? | Part 2

Do Not Be Anxious

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? ²⁸ And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

-Matthew 6:25-34 (ESV)

…

Ironically, I feel a little anxious right now (even as I write this).

Oh, Anxiety....

Anxiety cripples and crumbles the lives of so many. This sort of untraceable and unfaceable worry or “doom” finds most of us at some point or another...But, this is understandably so. As people and as a society, we can never really be 100% sure of infinite safety or impenetrable security 24-7. "Threats" are all around us. Threats to our physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental safety pose countless risks for us. In such an unsure and threatening world, it's a challenge to not worry.

“Impending doom” all around us (picture taken September 18, 2025).

We care so much about the well-being of ourselves and our loved ones. We care about being successful and overcoming failures. We care about making ends meet and "having enough." We care about our jobs and livelihoods.

We care about it all...We wouldn't worry if we didn't.

But, sometimes worry robs us, and mere care transforms into attempts extreme attempts at control and power. But, when we face challenges and circumstances we cannot control or manipulate for our own sake, we spazz...our mind tells us to panic and that there is no safety in places, spaces, or moments where we don't have a final say so.

We panic we can't pay our bills or when provision seems scarce. We panic when the people we deeply love or care about are angry or upset with us. We panic we witness violence, injustice, or abuse right in front of us.

We panic when life is not going our way...

Those that struggle with anxiety usually don't feel safe; they fear "doom." To the anxious-minded person, the inevitable is sure to happen soon and the inevitable is volatile. Whether it be in relationship struggles, financial issues, internal warfare, or the loads of life, anxiety has a of rearing its head. And, sometimes, anxiety brings along accomplices like depression, grief, sorrow, bitterness, stagnation, numbness, etc. Because anxiety likes to conquer and conquest. Anxiety is no good in the lives of the assured or reassured. Anxiety disappears and vanishes the moment someone feels safe.

Depression reigned heavy in my life for quite some time; around that time, anxiety visited me sparingly, but when it did, I would always wonder, "why?" "Why am I anxious?" "I don't know why I'm anxious." I questioned my anxiety often. I didn't get the "randomness" of it, but as I matured, I realized that our bodies, minds, souls, and The Spirit is always speaking. Our bodies tell us what we need. Our minds tell us the depths of all that we carry and hold. Our souls mourn when we don't listen to the wisdom of The Spirit.

Manifestations of all the complexities of ourselves come into fruition via our emotions and thoughts. We soul search because we are constantly trying to find our way back to the fullness of ourselves and our true identities. Circumstances made me anxious. Ignoring myself made me anxious. People pleasing made me anxious. And, self-neglect hurt me to my core.

What I didn't know before that I know now is this: anxiety exposes insecure and unsafe parts of yourself/ life. A handful of us (if we're honest), are still screening life and our livelihoods through lens of hurt, pain, trauma, and abandonment. What we fear most is what we allow to control us via the means of anxiety.

We are not bold in our voices, choices, or existence because at some point in our lives we were taught to fear failure, upsets, challenges, conflict, etc. Things like socializing or meeting someone new signifies danger to someone who was deeply betrayed or hurt by others (or someone they thought they could trust). We fear uncertainty because it does not promise security. And, most of us just want something or someone we can undoubtedly trust.

Jesus is trustworthy.

God is in control.

Picture taken on July 3, 2025 while I was driving. I just thought the sky looked beautiful: it reminded me of God.

I could go on to write five to ten more paragraphs about the legitimacy of Jesus and the sovereignty of God, but that would do nothing for the person who doesn't believe or trust in either of them. I could give you my several reasons why I believe in God and in Jesus, specifically, but that doesn't help you if your mind is already made up about God: who He is or who He isn't.

So, let's start with this: what is out of your control you need to release. What you hold on to the tightest looses itself in order to choke you. You are not in control of all things: some things, maybe, but all thing, never.

Why worry about what you can't control?

I think God loves to relieve people of their burdens, especially those who believe and trust in Him.

Psalms 34:18 says, "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

1 Peter 5:6-7 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

God cares for the people of God. Those of faith are provided for. God does not overlook Him family. When you place your faith and trust and Jesus, you are adopted into the family and kingdom of God. Jesus (in Matthew 6) told crowds of people that they should not worry about food, clothes, or what they will drink; he went on to say, "your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." Whether basic or extreme necessities, God knows what you need and He deems you to be more valuable than birds of the sky or flowers of the field. If can simultaneously uphold, sustain, and beautify all of nature, then why can He do the same in our lives?

Or maybe a better question would be, why won't we let Him? Why don't we let God sustain us? Why don't we let God hold us and turn our "ugly" into "admiring."

We don trust God. Communally and individually, we don't always believe that God will take care of us, that He will be good to us, and that He won't harm us.

We put our trust in other things like money, people, power, or self-reliance. We don't trust God to be God in our lives: all knowing, all powerful, all just, all kind, and all true.

For some of us, God is waiting our us to stop rejecting Him. I believe that God desires so fervently for us to believe Him when He whispers, "I got you" as we fall. Stop shunning off the one where your help comes from. He wants to know you, search you, and help you through all things but you won't let Him.

You remain afraid and you won't surrender yourself to God. Your anxiety burns you inside out because you're not chasing after eternal safety and security (which can only be found in God through Jesus Christ).

The wisest person on earth is still just a fool if their foundation is not God. " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10.

Times are scary. People let us down. We let ourselves down. What else is there to trust in? Who do you trust in when you're weary? Who do you trust in when you're hurt? Who promises to always be there to pick you back up every time you fall?

Who helps you when you can't help yourself?

Will you trust in God?