From Anxiety to Intimacy

It's day five, and we’re picking up from where we left off in From Anxiety to Intimacy. This time, we’re introduced to the idea that anxiety can be countered with joy.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Philippians 4:4

One of the greatest tools for combating anxiety is the joy of self-forgetting. As we learn about pivotal historical figures, we see how we can sustain power in the midst of pain with unbounded joy.

Instead of immediately reading the news or scrolling through your phone tomorrow morning, try finding the little things around you that bring you joy.

Philippians 4:4 says to rejoice always. That can be hard to do when your anxiety is rising, but all throughout history, we have examples of people rising above their sorrows.

William Wilberforce used what he called "the joy of self-forgetting" to combat anxiety. He spent his life leading the Abolition movement, and yet was physically in immense amounts of pain. However, his joy was irresistible. He fought the sadness of his difficulty by seeking ways to enjoy all that God had made.

Martin Luther suffered from depression. He found ways not to make the clouds lift but to move through the clouds. He bowled, listened to music, and married a woman who made him laugh.

Charles Spurgeon was melancholy and had bouts of depression. He would look all over nature and would find great joy. He encouraged others to do the same so they wouldn't fall into a victim mentality.

Jonathan Edwards said that he had to find what was good in the world to sustain himself for God's glory.

It's the same with us. One of the greatest weapons against worry is harnessing the joy of the world ourselves.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about how there is a time for everything—laughing, crying, dancing, mourning...and enjoying what is around us.