The Rocking Chair

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Good morning Friend,

I trust you had an exciting weekend. Today, by God’s Grace, we will be considering God’s Divine Perspective on what I have titled, “The Rocking Chair”. A rocking chair is a perfect illustration of what worry and anxiety does to its host. Let’s do this!

We begin with the definition of anxiety and the impact it has on our relationship with God as well as our ability to get results God’s way. Anxiety in simple terms is the feeling caused by our inability to control circumstances and predict outcomes. Therefore, whenever people get into situations that is beyond their control or have no idea how a particular situation will turn out, they get anxious. Anxiety is a very dangerous condition, especially spiritually as it has adverse effects on many levels.

Physically, your body begins to perspire in a way that is not corresponding to the atmospheric temperature. You will see someone sweating right under the AC because he/she is anxious about a particular outcome he/she has no control over. That may seem a bit dramatic, but there are some even dangerous effects anxiety has on some organs in our body, especially the heart. High Blood Pressure is a highly terminal sickness which can be directly linked to anxieties. When anxiety becomes a habit over a period of time, high blood pressure becomes the harvest of such a habit.

Emotionally and Mentally, anxiety has very devastating effects. The mind is incapable of functioning at its optimal level once anxiety is present. The likelihood of slip ups, mistakes and incoherence is higher when someone is really anxious about something. Therefore, anxiety creates a vicious cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies. For example, you don’t want to hit anyone/vehicle with your car and you’re so worried sick about it, eventually you will be more focused on the fear of hitting another vehicle than the soberness and calmness required for keeping safe that you will inadvertently hit someone. That which you fear, will ultimately come upon you… Job is a classic example. Anxiety is the enemy’s virus in a person’s life that causes his (the enemy’s) desires to come to pass without his active involvement.

I am dutifully explaining the many ugly things about anxieties so we can see it as a threat to our wellbeing and not as some habitual tendency caused by your love for someone or desire for something. Anxiety is very dangerous and must be seen as such.

Spiritually, which is perhaps the area we should be most concerned about, anxiety is an attempt to play God, therefore anxiety is the ceremonial duties of a person in the process of crowning himself as God. Let’s look at the definition of anxiety again; Anxiety in simple terms is the feeling caused by our inability to control circumstances and predict outcomes. If you take a closer look at the definition, you will realise that our inability to control circumstances and predict outcomes, which are two primary things that make God, God, is what makes people anxious. So, every time, we get anxious about anything, we have attempted to take control of a situation we indeed have no control over, or predict an outcome we wish we could.

We must be careful about anxiety as it is an attempt to usurp God’s sovereign authority. The moment we can control all situations and predict outcomes, we have become God. See the ploy of the enemy? He clothes anxiety in garments of “care”, “concern”, etc. but indeed what it is, as unveiled by the Holy Spirit is in fact “idolatry in training”. Beware of this very subtle agent of the enemy in your life. I know it can be very tempting to get anxious about things beyond us, how else are we meant to show concern if we do not get “anxious”? But friend, there is a more excellent way. Remember that anxiety doesn’t get the job done anyways, it attempts to control but loses more of it, the more it tries. It seeks to predict outcomes but comes up short every single time, but there is a more excellent way…

Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV) Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God that passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ.

Anxiety is an attempt to lose your mind. This is why anxiety causes disruptions and disorders in the body, because it makes people lose their minds. The Bible says, there is a way to keep your heart and mind, such that it does not stray away into distress. Praise the name of the Lord!

The Bible is not making a suggestion here but gives a command. It says not to be anxious about “ANYTHING”, anything is anything. There is no legitimate reason under heaven to be anxious. However, God does not just give such a difficult command without providing the solution… He says, there is a more excellent way of prayer and supplication. If there is a God who controls all situations and circumstances and who knows all things and can do all things, who has the future in His own memory, then He is the One I should be talking to and not myself. Worry and Anxiety are indicators of one’s lack of recognition and acknowledgment of God’s supremacy over all things. Because I know “Google” has answers to a myriad of questions, I will not bother racking my head trying to figure out an answer “google” will give me in seconds. To not “google” a question is to disregard its ability.

So friends, you don’t stress God when you ask Him to provide answers to the questions of your heart, neither does He need your assistance in carrying your burdens. Only the proud will remain anxious after hearing the Word of truth and only the humble will pray to a God greater than them for answers. It takes humility to acknowledge superiority and we must learn to give God His Glory by casting our cares on Him.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (KJV) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.

Stop meddling with worry and anxiety, it is just like a rocking chair; movement without progress, activity without advancement. How you cast your cares, worries and concern is by prayer and supplication wrapped up with thanksgiving. Let Him do the caring, you don’t have what it takes to care for yourself and all that life throws at you, He can handle it so simply let Him.

I hope this blessed your heart.

Do well to share with friends.

Have a remarkable week ahead. God bless your heart.