July 25, 2025 • 11 mins
Worry and Anxiety is at epidemic levels in our society, with few seeking help. God has some answers in His Word that I think can help.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, and welcome to Words of Truth, where we find
answers to everything in life through the Word of God,
the Bible. I'm Mark Barrett, your host, and today we'll
be talking about a subject that is near and dear
to well a lot of people's hearts, worry and anxiety.
(00:24):
It's not a stretch of the imagination for me to
see that we live in a world filled with people
who live their lives under the cloud of worry and anxiety.
And I'm not belittling the fact. And I'm also recognizing
that worry and anxiety can be debilitating to people. But
(00:46):
I ask myself, why do people live with so much
anxiety these days? In my research, I've read that anxiety
disorders are very common, affecting millions of people worldwide. Significant
portion of these people affected never receive treatment. I live
(01:06):
in Canada and in my country, one in five people
experience a mental illness in any given year. That's a lot,
with thirteen point three percent experiencing general anxiety disorder. In
the US, generalized anxiety disorder affects six point eight million adults.
(01:28):
He had only forty three point two percent are receiving treatment.
These anxiety disorders range from well panic disorders to social
anxiety stress OCD, PTSD, eating disorders, and so on. There
are so many and I'm not a trained counselor doctor
(01:50):
or psychologist, but today I'd like to share some truths
from the Bible that might be of some help to
those who are struggling with war, hurry, and anxiety. Realizing
that some of these disorders may need to be treated
by a specialist, and yes, also realizing and acknowledging that
(02:12):
one of God's names is counselor. So God has something
to say about every issue we encounter, including worry and anxiety.
In fact, whether it's about health, finances, relationships, or the future,
anxiety is something that we all battle with that I
(02:34):
think God that his word has some answers for dealing
with it. Let's start with listening to the words of Philippians,
Chapter four, verses six and seven, probably familiar verses to you,
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
(02:59):
known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds. And
Christ Jesus, Now that's a powerful promise, wouldn't you agree?
But how do we actually live it out? Well, let
me break it down for you in three biblical truths.
First of all, realize that anxiety is a signal, not
(03:24):
a sin. I've heard people talk about worrying anxiety as
a sin, but I want you to think about it
as more of a warning light on your car's dashboard
is telling you that something deeper is going on inside
of you. Jesus himself said in Matthew chapter six, verse
(03:45):
twenty five, Therefore I tell you do not be anxious
about your life. Now, why would he say that unless
it was something that we all struggle with? You See,
Jesus understands the burden we carry. Hebrews four, verse fifteen
says we did not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. He knows what it's
(04:06):
like to be troubled. You remember in the garden of Gethsemane,
he said, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Yes,
he understands anxiety, and he welcomes us to bring it
to him. And then also we're encouraged in our Philippians
passage to turn that worry and anxiety into worship through prayer.
(04:31):
Now you might say that worry is essentially misplaced meditation.
It's actually us thinking deeply, but we're thinking deeply about
the wrong things. And so prayer redirects our focus from
our problems to God's power and promises. The scriptures tell
(04:51):
us that. Well, the scripture sells how to do that
when it says in everything by prayer and suppl with thanksgiving. Now,
what is prayer well, is conversation with God. A lot
of people are afraid of prayer, but it's just talking
with God. The word supplication means to ask specifically, and
(05:16):
thanksgiving is also crucial. It's choosing to remember God's faithfulness
in the past while you trust him with the future.
And when we do that, God says the peace of God,
not just peace from our circumstances, but peace that surpasses understanding,
(05:36):
will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And
then thirdly, we need to renew our mind in truth.
Philippians four eight says whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure. Think about these things. Now,
just stop for a minute and ask yourself what you're
(05:57):
meditating on. Daily. Is it the news of the world.
Some people that they're just non stop listening to the news,
and that'll make anybody anxious. Is this social media? Well,
that's depressing. Are you meditating on worst case scenarios? Then
how's that working out for you? If those are the
(06:21):
things that you're meditating on, and I think they are,
then no wonder. So many people are worried and anxious.
But Paul reminds us in Romans chapter twelve and verse two,
be transformed by the renewal of your mind. And that
means we need to fill our mind with God's truth,
(06:41):
which doesn't change with circumstances. And so when the waves
of worry come, scripture will anchor your soul. Now, maybe
you're listening today and your anxiety feels crushing. Maybe you've
tried everything. You've tried distractions and self help and even medication,
(07:06):
but nothing seems to help. Well, here's an invitation from
Jesus himself. He said in Matthew chapter eleven, verse twenty eight.
Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. And I want you
to notice that Jesus doesn't give us a formula, but
(07:26):
he gives us something far better himself. Oh, you might
still have these trials and burdens, but be assured that
you won't go through them alone. You might even feel anxious,
but be assured that you can cast all your cares
on Him, because He cares for you. You see, the peace
(07:49):
of God isn't an absence from trouble, but it's defined
as the presence of Christ. It's a picture of a
child in his dark room trying to fall asleep, but
all he can think about is the boogeyman under his bed,
and so he calls out to mom and dad, and
(08:10):
when they come into the room, the room is still dark,
but the presence of the parent calms his anxiety and
he's able to sleep. And so bring your anxiety to Jesus.
Let him in the room and let him bring you peace.
Let me leave you with three practical things you can
(08:31):
do this week when anxiety strikes. You might want to
get a pencil a piece of paper and write some
of these down. First of all, pray specifically and thankfully
tell God what's worrying you, and name it specifically. Say Lord,
I'm anxious or Lord, I'm worried because, and then name
(08:55):
it specifically, and then thank him for how he's been
faithful in the past or in the promise that he
will be faithful in the future. Got that. Number One,
Pray specifically and thankfully. Number two, meditate on scripture. Now,
I know that sounds like a simple thing, and it is,
(09:17):
but so few people practice it. But choose a verse.
Maybe it's Philippians chapter four, verses six and seven, the
one we've been talking about, or Isaiah chapter twenty six,
verse three. If you can't find a verse, well, just
go to the internet and type in verses about anxiety
or worry and it'll give you a lot to choose from.
(09:40):
And then write it down and carry it with you
through the day. Speak it out loud when fear and
anxiety arise. Meditate on God's promise rather than on what's
worrying you. And that's that's the whole process of renewing
your mind. Okay, got it so far. Pray specifically and thankfully.
(10:04):
Number two, meditate on scripture. And number three, I want
to encourage you to talk to someone. Maybe it's your spouse,
maybe it's your pastor a close friend or a counselor
somebody you can trust. Somebody who will listen. Just realize
that you're not alone, and that there are people who
(10:26):
are willing to listen to you, encourage you, and pray
with you. Let other people walk through this with you.
You see, that's what the body of Christ is all about.
Some people say, well, I don't need other Christians. Yes
you do. We all need somebody else. We all need
other believers who love the Lord and can point us
in the right direction, or at least can sympathetically listen
(10:49):
and pray with us. So let's anchor our hearts in
what is eternal. Let's trade our worry for worship, or
panic for prayer, our fear for faith. Well, thanks for
joining me today on Words of Truth. If this episode
encouraged you, will you consider sharing it with a friend
(11:11):
or subscribing for more biblical encouragement each week until next time.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may
His peace guard your heart and mind. In Christ Jesus
Hello, and welcome to Words of Truth, where we find
answers to everything in life through the Word of God,
the Bible. I'm Mark Barrett, your host, and today we'll
be talking about a subject that is near and dear
to well a lot of people's hearts, worry and anxiety.
(00:24):
It's not a stretch of the imagination for me to
see that we live in a world filled with people
who live their lives under the cloud of worry and anxiety.
And I'm not belittling the fact. And I'm also recognizing
that worry and anxiety can be debilitating to people. But
(00:46):
I ask myself, why do people live with so much
anxiety these days? In my research, I've read that anxiety
disorders are very common, affecting millions of people worldwide. Significant
portion of these people affected never receive treatment. I live
(01:06):
in Canada and in my country, one in five people
experience a mental illness in any given year. That's a lot,
with thirteen point three percent experiencing general anxiety disorder. In
the US, generalized anxiety disorder affects six point eight million adults.
(01:28):
He had only forty three point two percent are receiving treatment.
These anxiety disorders range from well panic disorders to social
anxiety stress OCD, PTSD, eating disorders, and so on. There
are so many and I'm not a trained counselor doctor
(01:50):
or psychologist, but today I'd like to share some truths
from the Bible that might be of some help to
those who are struggling with war, hurry, and anxiety. Realizing
that some of these disorders may need to be treated
by a specialist, and yes, also realizing and acknowledging that
(02:12):
one of God's names is counselor. So God has something
to say about every issue we encounter, including worry and anxiety.
In fact, whether it's about health, finances, relationships, or the future,
anxiety is something that we all battle with that I
(02:34):
think God that his word has some answers for dealing
with it. Let's start with listening to the words of Philippians,
Chapter four, verses six and seven, probably familiar verses to you,
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by
prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
(02:59):
known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds. And
Christ Jesus, Now that's a powerful promise, wouldn't you agree?
But how do we actually live it out? Well, let
me break it down for you in three biblical truths.
First of all, realize that anxiety is a signal, not
(03:24):
a sin. I've heard people talk about worrying anxiety as
a sin, but I want you to think about it
as more of a warning light on your car's dashboard
is telling you that something deeper is going on inside
of you. Jesus himself said in Matthew chapter six, verse
(03:45):
twenty five, Therefore I tell you do not be anxious
about your life. Now, why would he say that unless
it was something that we all struggle with? You See,
Jesus understands the burden we carry. Hebrews four, verse fifteen
says we did not have a high priest who is
unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. He knows what it's
(04:06):
like to be troubled. You remember in the garden of Gethsemane,
he said, my soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Yes,
he understands anxiety, and he welcomes us to bring it
to him. And then also we're encouraged in our Philippians
passage to turn that worry and anxiety into worship through prayer.
(04:31):
Now you might say that worry is essentially misplaced meditation.
It's actually us thinking deeply, but we're thinking deeply about
the wrong things. And so prayer redirects our focus from
our problems to God's power and promises. The scriptures tell
(04:51):
us that. Well, the scripture sells how to do that
when it says in everything by prayer and suppl with thanksgiving. Now,
what is prayer well, is conversation with God. A lot
of people are afraid of prayer, but it's just talking
with God. The word supplication means to ask specifically, and
(05:16):
thanksgiving is also crucial. It's choosing to remember God's faithfulness
in the past while you trust him with the future.
And when we do that, God says the peace of God,
not just peace from our circumstances, but peace that surpasses understanding,
(05:36):
will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. And
then thirdly, we need to renew our mind in truth.
Philippians four eight says whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure. Think about these things. Now,
just stop for a minute and ask yourself what you're
(05:57):
meditating on. Daily. Is it the news of the world.
Some people that they're just non stop listening to the news,
and that'll make anybody anxious. Is this social media? Well,
that's depressing. Are you meditating on worst case scenarios? Then
how's that working out for you? If those are the
(06:21):
things that you're meditating on, and I think they are,
then no wonder. So many people are worried and anxious.
But Paul reminds us in Romans chapter twelve and verse two,
be transformed by the renewal of your mind. And that
means we need to fill our mind with God's truth,
(06:41):
which doesn't change with circumstances. And so when the waves
of worry come, scripture will anchor your soul. Now, maybe
you're listening today and your anxiety feels crushing. Maybe you've
tried everything. You've tried distractions and self help and even medication,
(07:06):
but nothing seems to help. Well, here's an invitation from
Jesus himself. He said in Matthew chapter eleven, verse twenty eight.
Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. And I want you
to notice that Jesus doesn't give us a formula, but
(07:26):
he gives us something far better himself. Oh, you might
still have these trials and burdens, but be assured that
you won't go through them alone. You might even feel anxious,
but be assured that you can cast all your cares
on Him, because He cares for you. You see, the peace
(07:49):
of God isn't an absence from trouble, but it's defined
as the presence of Christ. It's a picture of a
child in his dark room trying to fall asleep, but
all he can think about is the boogeyman under his bed,
and so he calls out to mom and dad, and
(08:10):
when they come into the room, the room is still dark,
but the presence of the parent calms his anxiety and
he's able to sleep. And so bring your anxiety to Jesus.
Let him in the room and let him bring you peace.
Let me leave you with three practical things you can
(08:31):
do this week when anxiety strikes. You might want to
get a pencil a piece of paper and write some
of these down. First of all, pray specifically and thankfully
tell God what's worrying you, and name it specifically. Say Lord,
I'm anxious or Lord, I'm worried because, and then name
(08:55):
it specifically, and then thank him for how he's been
faithful in the past or in the promise that he
will be faithful in the future. Got that. Number One,
Pray specifically and thankfully. Number two, meditate on scripture. Now,
I know that sounds like a simple thing, and it is,
(09:17):
but so few people practice it. But choose a verse.
Maybe it's Philippians chapter four, verses six and seven, the
one we've been talking about, or Isaiah chapter twenty six,
verse three. If you can't find a verse, well, just
go to the internet and type in verses about anxiety
or worry and it'll give you a lot to choose from.
(09:40):
And then write it down and carry it with you
through the day. Speak it out loud when fear and
anxiety arise. Meditate on God's promise rather than on what's
worrying you. And that's that's the whole process of renewing
your mind. Okay, got it so far. Pray specifically and thankfully.
(10:04):
Number two, meditate on scripture. And number three, I want
to encourage you to talk to someone. Maybe it's your spouse,
maybe it's your pastor a close friend or a counselor
somebody you can trust. Somebody who will listen. Just realize
that you're not alone, and that there are people who
(10:26):
are willing to listen to you, encourage you, and pray
with you. Let other people walk through this with you.
You see, that's what the body of Christ is all about.
Some people say, well, I don't need other Christians. Yes
you do. We all need somebody else. We all need
other believers who love the Lord and can point us
in the right direction, or at least can sympathetically listen
(10:49):
and pray with us. So let's anchor our hearts in
what is eternal. Let's trade our worry for worship, or
panic for prayer, our fear for faith. Well, thanks for
joining me today on Words of Truth. If this episode
encouraged you, will you consider sharing it with a friend
(11:11):
or subscribing for more biblical encouragement each week until next time.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may
His peace guard your heart and mind. In Christ Jesus
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