Advent Anxiety
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34)
Christians are supposed to love the season of Advent, with its special decorations, carols, and celebrations. While I do love the season, it also fills me with anxiety as I think about all that needs to be done during a short space of time. On the basis that I’m probably not the only one, I thought it might be a good idea to turn to the Bible for some help with this seasonal condition.
Jesus addresses anxiety in Matthew 6 verse 34, quoted at the top. Notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “Do not worry about today.” In fact, Jesus’s argument for not worrying about tomorrow is that we’ve got enough on our plate with today’s troubles! With refreshing realism, Jesus says, “Each day has enough trouble of its own,” and a trouble is a trouble—it will inevitably produce some stress and anxiety. The issue is what we then do with that anxiety.
The Bible’s answer is that we should bring it to God. Philippians 4 verse 6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything,” [which could also be translated, “do not keep on being anxious about anything”] “but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” The next verse is a wonderful Bible promise: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The troubles of today can be stepping stones to peace if we bring our anxiety to God in prayer. Proverbs 15 verse 29 says, “The LORD … hears the prayer of the righteous.” When we cast our anxiety on God, he empowers us to face today’s troubles with peace.
Christianity never calls for a laid-back, shades-on, slacker-style, “Whatever, dude,” shoulder-shrugging approach to life. That’s not Christian living. It wouldn’t be right for us to act as if there were nothing to worry about today. Instead we should name our troubles to God and seek the peace that he loves to give to his adopted children.
What about the troubles of tomorrow? God made our tomorrows safe and secure when he sent his Son to solve the problem of our sin, a problem that couldn’t be dealt with by human worrying. Only Jesus’s death on the cross for our sake could solve that problem, and his work of atonement is finished. We can face whatever lies ahead with peace because in the rear view mirror we see the cross and the empty tomb.
Yours in Christ,
Bernard