Life has definitely been a little more crazy than usual for me! On top of running a business while still working at my day job, my own business had to be put on the back burner last week. My car had to be put in the shop due to a bad oil leak, which cost about $600 in repairs. Then, a loved one very close to me was hospitalized for almost a week, so my stress level was just through the roof. (I don’t want to say who it is because they’re a very private person.)

As I sat in the hospital every night with said person, my anxiety was bothering me, and I had a million thoughts just running through my head. But I couldn’t let my loved one know that. They turned to me and said, “Do you think I’ll be alright?” I almost said, “I hope so.” But then I remembered something my old choir friends always say, “Let go and let God.” So, that’s what I said instead. I told them, “You’re in God’s hands. You made it this far, so of course you’re gonna be alright.”

It’s important to remember that no matter what you’re going through, God has a plan for your life, and His will shall be done. Always remember that any day you wake up alive, that is a reason to be joyful. The past week’s events inspired today’s blog post, “Bible Verses for Dealing With Anxiety.”

The Bible I read is the “New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE).” I’m not Catholic, but I was introduced to this edition while attending my Catholic college. I really like how it has footnotes, study charts, a dictionary, and some other awesome features.

So here are my favorite Bible verses and passages that deal with anxiety and how I interpret them.

Matthew 6:25

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”

6:25-6:34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”

To me, this passage is saying that God does not want us to worry, and that there is absolutely no need for worrying. 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” reminds me that my anxiety about the future is absolutely unnecessary. Tomorrow is not promised to us, and whatever happens tomorrow will happen because it is meant to happen. Whatever God wills, it will be done. The only thing we can do is pray that God will continue to bless us with His grace.

 

1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.”
The surrounding passage reads, “God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour (Proverbs 5:5-8).”

This passage says to me that those who think most matters are in their hands are being proud and haughty, which God frowns upon. We must be humble and remember that we are not in control of our lives. If you think that you are in full control of your life, you’re detrimentally implying that you know more than God.  5:8 means that we must be awake in watching out for Satan. Because if we’re not careful, being anxious and impatient can lead to turning away from God. And turning away from God leads to a loss of beliefs and morals, which is definitely a way I do not want to live.

 

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”

In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples. He tells them He is leaving them peace, and is ultimately leaving the world with peace. He also mentions that it is not the world that gives us peace, but Him. This passage speaks to us that there is no need to be afraid of anything. Christ is our shield.

Proverbs 12:25

“Worry weighs down the heart, but a kind word gives it joy.”

The footnotes mention there are two cross-references, Proverbs 15:13 and Proverbs 17:22.

 

Proverbs 15:13

“A glad heart lights up the face, but an anguished heart breaks the spirit.”

I feel that in this passage, ‘spirit’ is referring to the Spirit of Christ that lives in us. The first part is saying that when we are glad and have a positive outlook on life, we will look and feel brighter and better. In my opinion, the second part says that our worrying and stressing disappoints Him, because again, it’s unnecessary.

Proverbs 17:22

“A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.”

I interpret this line in two ways. In a physical way, the line means that worry and stress is not good for anyone, which has been proven to be damaging to the body and mind.  Being joyful or rather optimistic, leads to a strong, healthy heart and longer life. In a metaphorical sense, this line tells me that my anxiousness and sadness from impatience eats away at the life (spirit) that God breathed into me.

 

Of course, I must mention that there is no “right way” to interpret the Bible. That is something I learned in my theology course. Faith is personal, therefore everyone is entitled to interpret differently.

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