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You’re Anxious Because You’re Not Doing This

You're Anxious Because You're Not Doing This -christyfitzwater.com

The talk around the hospital was about angles. Physical therapy said my mother-in-law was doing great. They were hoping for 120 degrees of motion in her knee yesterday, and she got to 100. After PT, I had to massage the Charlie horse out of her calf, because her leg had gone through quite a stretch.

The Holy Spirit is of the physical therapist breed, don’t you know. Pushing for movement beyond what feels comfortable.

I was listening to a sermon by Timothy Keller, and he was talking about the use of our minds in order to have faith. He said if we’re anxious or afraid, it’s because we’re not thinking hard enough. We’re not thinking fully about who God is.

The other day I was mowing the back yard, and I started to worry about my boy’s upcoming college expenses. (Is there ever a day when money issues don’t cause some kind of stress?)

But the Spirit reminded me of Timothy Keller’s wisdom, You’re anxious because you’re not pushing your thoughts far enough.

So I took a turn with the mower and a turn in my thought process. I moved through memory verses and thought about God’s character and his promises. I remembered his track record in the Bible and thought about the history of experiences I’ve had in the past with him. I exercised my mind in giving thanks to the Lord.

120 degrees.

100 degrees.

Stretching my thinking past the anxiety.

Howard Hendricks, in his book Teaching to Change Lives, says this:

I’m acquainted with many students who are afraid they’re going to strain their brain…to wear that baby out through overuse. But I have news for them. I once asked a pathologist friend in Philadelphia, “Have you seen many brains?”

“Hundreds of them,” he said.

“Have you ever seen one worn out?”

“I’ve never seen one even slightly used,” he answered.

So go ahead and run the risk.

Jesus says:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  (Matthew 22:37 NIV)

If we’re living in anxiety, we’re failing to love the Lord with all the mind. We’re only using our brain to work the ideas that worry us. But there’s more to think about than just the circumstances causing our immediate anxiety. 

So if we’re worrying about something today, time for some mental PT.