Reframed, Part 7: Reframing Anxiety

Grant Fishbook, Lead Teaching Pastor

Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
      with grief my eyes are wasted,
      my soul and body are spent.
But I trust in you, Lord;
      I say, “You are my God.” Psalm 31:9, 14

When anxiety was great within me… Psalm 94:19a

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 1 Samuel 1:10

“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 clothes?” Matthew 6:25

Practically speaking, this is what reaching looks like:

We ground ourselves in God’s and .

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7

“Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain, and a path for the thunderstorm, to water a land where no one lives, an uninhabited desert, to satisfy a desolate wasteland and make it sprout with grass? Does the rain have a father? Who fathers the drops of dew? From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, and when the surface of the deep is frozen? Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades? Can you loosen Orion’s Belt? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?” Job 38:25-33

“Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook, or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it keep begging you for mercy? Will it speak to you with gentle words? Will it make an agreement with you for you to take it as your slave for life? Can you make a pet of it like a bird or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?” Job 41:1-5

We ground ourselves in God’s .

“The Lord will fight for you while you only need to keep silent and remain calm.” Exodus 14:14 (Amplified Bible)

We ground ourselves in God’s .

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

We ground ourselves in , not panic.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7

Small Group Questions

1. What is your favorite flavor of fall?
2. What creates anxiety in your life? How does it show up physically?
3. How do you calm yourself when anxiety presses in on you?
4. How do God’s power and track record speak to your anxiety?
5. Have you learned any good spiritual practices when it comes to worry, stress, fear and anxiety? Share them with your group.
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?