Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

by Max Lucado

As you sense anxiety welling up inside you, cast it in the direction of Christ. Do so specifically and immediately.

“Prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters” (Eph. 6:18 THE MESSAGE).

The good life begins, not when circumstances change, but when our attitude toward them does.

“Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).

Worry refuses to share the heart with gratitude.

Worry refuses to share the heart with gratitude. One heartfelt thank-you will suck the oxygen out of worry’s world.

“To me the only important thing about living is Christ, and dying would be profit for me” (Phil. 1:21 NCV).

Death, failure, betrayal, sickness, disappointment—they cannot take our joy, because they cannot take our Jesus.

what you have in Christ is greater than anything you don’t have in life.

You may be facing the perfect storm, but Jesus offers the perfect peace.

“The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27 NIV).

Is fear coming at you from all sides? Then let God speak to you. Let God give you what he gave the sailors: perfect peace.

“Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard” (Dan. 10:12 NIV).

You can have peace in the midst of the storm because you are not alone, you belong to God,

“All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was one day old” (Ps. 139:16 NCV).

“In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world” (John 16:33 NCV).

“Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (v. 15).

Learn a lesson from the king. Lead with worship. Go first to your Father in prayer and praise. Confess to him your fears. Gather with his people. Set your face toward God. Fast. Cry out for help. Admit your weakness. Then, once God moves, you move too. Expect to see the God of ages fight for you. He is near, as near as your next breath.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isa. 43:2 NIV).

“Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Prov. 4:23 NCV).

“Anxiety weighs down the human heart” (Prov. 12:25 NRSV).

“Capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 NCV).

“No, get away from here, Satan.”

not heavied by worry, but buoyed by faith.

“O my soul, bless GOD, don’t forget a single blessing”

And it was in those heartbreaking moments I learned to trust this God who provided unimaginable strength during unimaginable pain.”2

Guard your thoughts and trust your Father.

Christ is our home. He is our place of refuge and security.

Don’t load yourself down with lists. Don’t enhance your anxiety with the fear of not fulfilling them. Your goal is not to know every detail of the future. Your goal is to hold the hand of the One who does and never, ever let go.

“Consider the lilies” (v. 28). By the same token, they don’t do anything. Even though their life span is short, God dresses them up for red-carpet appearances. Even Solomon, the richest king in history, “was not arrayed like one of these” (v. 29).

Saturate your heart with the goodness of God.

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2).

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32 ESV). Free from fear. Free from dread. And, yes, free from anxiety.

‘Be careful. Be calm and don’t worry’” (Isa. 7:4 NCV).

Do not meditate on the mess. You gain nothing by setting your eyes on the problem. You gain everything by setting your eyes on the Lord.

If you are sinking, it is because you are looking in the wrong direction.

Face God before you face your problem.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7).

“Guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7).

Don’t let anxious, negative thoughts take over your mind. You cannot control the circumstances, but you can always control what you think of them.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. —PROVERBS 3:5–6

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” —MATTHEW 11:28–30

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nei...

Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. —PSALM 55:22 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. —1 PETER 5:6–7 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. —PSALM 23:4 How can these promises cha...

CELEBRATE God’s goodness. “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4).

If you believe in Jesus and are considered a child of God, this life is miniscule in comparison to eternity.

If God was willing to give his own Son to die on our behalf, do you really believe he has forgotten you?

If Jesus was willing to endure for you every affliction known to humanity, do you really believe your trials (excruciating as they may be) are because he does not love you?