“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Luke 12:25)
“O Lord, Thou hast created us for Thyself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” These famous words penned centuries ago by Aurelius Augustine reveal an important truth about human nature—that man without God is restless. God created man to commune with Him, to derive life, unity, and completion in Him. But sin shattered this serene existence and opened the floodgate to chaos, anxiety, and fear.
The Bible speaks extensively of the pervasive restless and anxious disposition of the natural man. Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 2:23 that all the days of man are “Pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest.” Isaiah says, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and mud” (Isa. 57:20). “ ‘There is no peace,’ says the LORD, ‘for the wicked’ ” (Isa. 48:22).
No wonder bookstores are filled with literature instructing us how to relieve stress and anxiety. Fear and restlessness cannot be masked for long, and they cannot be shrugged off or ignored. People look in many quarters for relief, for rest and peace, but nothing will ease their troubled souls. All the companionship, sport, drinking, drugs, money, fame, and intellectual attainments in the world will not bring peace to the tortured conscience of a unregenerate person. If anything, such things will only increase the anxiety and elevate the fear.
Only in Christ can you find peace. He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” (Ex. 33:14). “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” (Matt. 11:29). When a person is converted, communion with God is restored. Yet, as the Christian journeys toward heaven, he must be reminded time and again not to worry but to trust God. Do not let the slavemaster of fear crack his whip upon your back; rather find peace and rest in God, who has promised to be with you always. Worry cannot add an hour to your life, and fear cannot ease your pain, but Christ can carry your burdens and meet all your needs. “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God … casting all your cares upon Him for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6–7).
Is there something you are anxious about? Confess your fears to the Lord and commit the situation to Him by praying to Him daily about it. Meditate on Scripture verses for encouragement (the For further study verses will help). Ask a fellow Christian to pray for you, that you will not be anxious about this particular situation.
