Anxious for Nothing
Week Three - The Other Side
Philippians 4:5-9 and Ecclesiastes 4:9-11
Bottom line: Some kinds of help aren’t helpful - don’t dismiss, cheerlead, or enable avoidance. Just show up and keep showing up.
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. —Philippians 4:5-9
Anxiety thrives in silence and avoidance.
Navigating anxiety:
- Name It to God
- Face It with God
What does it look like to be on the other side of anxiety? Meaning when you’re not the one who is anxious but you love someone who is.
Three Don’ts:
- Don’t dismiss
- Don’t cheerlead
- Don’t enable avoidance
Don’t
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Just stop it.”
Don’t
“You’ve got this.”
“Everything is going to be FINE.”
Don’t
“You don’t have to go.”
“We’ll figure out something else instead.”
“Let’s not think about it.”
“So what do we DO???”
For the fixers - Just don’t.
Instead…
- Instead of dismissing, be
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other. —Colossians 3:12-13
Carry each other’s burdens. —Galatians 6:2
- Instead of cheerleading,
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. —1 Thessalonians 5:11
To encourage is to “put courage into” - instead of cheerleading someone to dig deeper, lend them your courage
- Instead of enabling avoidance, go
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up. 11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. —Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
**People who are struggling don’t often know how to answer the question of how you can help, so don’t add to their burden. Just show up.
“I’m here, and I’m going to be here.”