God’s

Answer to Fear
Worry
Anxiety

GREG LAURIE
 God’s Answer to Fear, Worry, and Anxiety
By GREG LAURIE

Copyright © 2019 Greg Laurie. All rights reserved.

Published by Harvest Ministries
www.harvest.org
ISBN-13 9781617540141

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New King
James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New
Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New
International Version (North American Edition). Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from THE MESSAGE.

Copyright © by Eugene. H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000,
2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American
Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by
permission. www.Lockman.org

All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book
may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without written permission from this publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to:
Harvest Ministries, PO Box 4000, Riverside California, 92514–4000.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 / 21 20 19
 Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii

Fear | 3
When Fear Is in the Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Fears and Phobias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Fearful Disciples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Fearful Trials Will Come . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Faith, Not Fear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Fear Is Unnecessary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

God’s Promises Keep Fear in Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Jesus Is with Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

What Are You Afraid Of?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

God Hears Our Cries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Jesus Cares . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Fear and Uncertainty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

God’s Protecting Presence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

iii
 Worry | 31
“No Worries, Mate!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Worry Can Get Us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Stop Worrying!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Worry Is Not a Virtue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Resting with the Lions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

The Solution for Worry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Worry Doesn’t Make Your Life Longer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

The Worry-Free Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Is There a Link Between Worry and Money? . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Wrestling vs. Resting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

If You Are Going to Struggle, Let It Be in Prayer . . . . . . . 53

Do You Really Want to Change? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Relinquishing the Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Change Comes Through Surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Anxiety | 61
Anxiety and Depression despite Success. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Pursuing Pleasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Anxiety and Guilt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Some Thoughts on Depression. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

 Avicii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Elvis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

True Happiness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

God Wants You to Be Happy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

God’s Answer For Fear, Worry, Anxiety | 83

First Things First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

The Role of Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Worship Instead of Worry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Songs in the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Worship Brings Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

God Is with You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Some Practical Questions to Consider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

v
 Introduction

Three o’clock in the morning and your mind is racing

with all kinds of terrible thoughts taunting you, like
proverbial monsters in the night. Maybe they woke
you from a dead sleep, and they plague your mind
like the ghosts of a nightmare you can’t shake. Or
perhaps you’ve been awake all night, your anxious
thoughts keeping you from rest with their constant
prodding, poking, and mocking.
What is it about those darkest hours of the night
that make all of your fears, worries, and anxieties so
much more intense? They’re like Gremlins. If you
feed them past midnight, they just get uglier and
more destructive.

vii
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Many of us as children were afraid of the dark.

Darkness is a representation of the unknown. As we
grow older, we learn to not be afraid
God has an answer of the dark, but there’s something
to your fear, worry, about those midnight hours of sleep-
and anxiety lessness that hearkens back to those
childhood fears. We may not actually
be scared of the physical darkness, but the unknown
still grips us with anxiety.

What if this happens?

What if that happens?
What if the worst happens?

When a child is afraid of the dark, the best possible

comfort to them, beyond turning on the lights, is the
presence of a strong, confident adult that they know
and trust and love—usually a mother or father.
The same is true for you and me in those wee
hours of the morning when anxious notions come
sweeping into our mind, uninvited and unwelcome.
The presence of our heavenly Father has the power
to set things right and bring us the peace we long
for.
I want to tell you more about how God can dispel
the shadows of fear, break the chains of worry, and
slay the giant Anxiety. There is freedom in Christ!

viii
 Introduction

God has an answer to your fear, worry, and anxiety

if you will only cling to Him like a child in the
darkness.

ix
God’s
Answer to Fear
Worry
Anxiety
 Fear
Worry
Anxiety
e all know the terrible sensation of fear. Oddly
W enough, many of us pay money to experience the
emotion. We go to a scary movie and wait for the big,
suspense-filled scene. The music builds, we know
that something horrible is going to happen, and just
as the big moment arrives . . . we put our hands over
our ears and cover our eyes!
Others like to experience the thrill firsthand on
some extreme ride at an amusement park. Back in the
‘60s, I used to ride a roller coaster that has since been
torn down. It was really terrifying, especially since
it had an ominous reputation. We all knew that cars
had actually flown off the track before, so it was all

3
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

the more thrilling to think, “I may not survive this!”

The artificial feeling of danger was exciting.
Sometimes, though, we are afraid because our
lives truly are in danger. Many of us have frightening
memories of coming close to death, and all of us can
remember a time when we thought our lives were
almost over.
I once heard a story of a hitchhiker. A man in a
pickup truck stopped for him. He hopped in the back
and saw there was an empty coffin. It
We all know the started to rain. The man was getting
terrible sensation drenched, so he decided to use the
of fear. coffin to escape from the storm. He
opened it, climbed in, and pulled the
lid shut. Inside, he was warm, and the hum of the
truck engine put him to sleep.
The truck driver saw two more hitchhikers and
stopped to pick them up as well. They jumped in
the back and were leaning on the coffin as the truck
rolled along. Suddenly the first hitchhiker woke up,
opened the lid and said, “Well, it must’ve stopped
raining!” The other two men jumped out of the truck
without waiting to ask questions. Now that’s fear!
Those moments of physical fear that grip us in
times of danger and help to keep us safe are not
really what I’m concerned about in this book. Self-
preservation and natural reflexes to flee from true

4
 Fear

and present dangers can be a good thing. God gave

us adrenaline for a reason!
What I’m more concerned with is the fear that
gnaws at us over time. It’s the fear of the unknown,
the fear of losing something we have, the fear of
missing out on what’s best, the fear of losing control,
the fear of the future.

When Fear Is in the Air

There’s a lot of scary stuff out there. So many stresses
and pressures that we have to contend with. There
are legitimate threats and dangers in our world today.
Fear is in the air all around us.
There is uncertainty in our country and around
the world. Political strain, threats from terrorism,
uncertainty about the future and about those who
are in positions of leadership—and all of the garbage
that the news media puts in front of our eyes each
day.
Not only are there global fears; there are personal
fears as well. We are afraid of losing our health. We
are afraid of losing a member of our family. We are
afraid of not having enough money. There is so much
fear about so many things.

5
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Fears and Phobias

Some people have even taken fear to the next level,
suffering from actual phobias that have a crippling
effect on their lives. I read that the National Institute
of Mental Health reports a significant increase in the
number of Americans whose fears have moved into
full-blown anxiety, disorders, and phobias.
To some degree, we all understand certain fears,
like a fear of heights, or small spaces, or flying, or
public speaking, or even dentists. But now there are
all of these other phobias, and some are quite weird.
I was reading through a list recently, and I couldn’t
believe some of these things were actual phobias.
There is one called cathisophobia which is the
fear of sitting down. Wow, really? Then there is ablu-
tophobia, the fear of bathing. Automatonophobia is
the fear of wax figures, humanoid robots, ventril-
oquist’s dummies. Alektorophobia: the fear of
chickens. (Scary!) Peladophobia is the fear of bald-
ness and bald people. If you have that fear, you
don’t want to meet me in person! And of course,
phobophobia is the fear of phobias—because, why
not?
Some of these are quite laughable, but in all seri-
ousness, fear is no laughing matter. It is an emotion
we are all quite familiar with. You know what it is
like to be gripped by it. That shiver down the spine,

6
 Fear

the hairs standing on the back of your neck, your

stomach sinking, and then your mouth goes dry. We
have all experienced that in life at different times.
Jesus says, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your
Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”
(Luke 12:32). In this short statement
of Jesus, we see that we are sheep and If you are a child
Jesus is our Shepherd. Jesus is saying, “I of God, you don’t
am the Shepherd. I am going to watch have to fear.
out for you. I am going to protect you.
Though you are defenseless, though you are weak,
I am going to watch out for you. So don’t be afraid,
little flock.”
What comforting words Jesus speaks to us. If you
are a child of God, you don’t have to fear. Jesus is
going to watch over you. But how do we put that
head knowledge into our hearts and really apply it
to our lives?

Fearful Disciples
John 14 tells us of a time when the disciples were
afraid. Jesus had dropped a bombshell on them.
He said something that turned their world, as they
knew it, upside down. He revealed that He would

7
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

be betrayed, that He was going away, and that they

could not come with Him.
But then He went on to share some words to
bring calm in place of fear: “Don’t let your hearts
be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”
(John 14:1 NLT). He didn’t say, “Mull over your prob-
lems.” Rather, He said, “Don’t be troubled.”
Life is filled with trouble. It seems as though
once you have one problem resolved, three more
take its place. As Job 5:7 says, “People are born for
trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire” (NLT).
From the moment we come
While there are reasons into this life, there are all kinds
to be troubled, there is a of troubles.
greater reason not to be: While there are reasons to
We know Jesus. be troubled, there is a greater
reason not to be: We know
Jesus. He said to His disciples, “Trust in God, and
trust also in me” (John 14:1 NLT). In other words, “I
haven’t brought you this far to abandon you now. I
know what I’m doing. Believe.”
There are times in our lives when things happen
that we just don’t understand. When I don’t under-
stand something about God, I try to always fall back
on what I do understand: I do understand that God
loves me. I do understand that He is looking out
for me with my best interests in mind. And I do

8
 Fear

understand that no matter what happens, He will get

me through.
The Bible contains a particularly interesting story
about another time when Jesus’ disciples were afraid:

When evening had come, [Jesus] said to [His

disciples], “Let us cross over to the other side.”
Now when they had left the multitude, they
took Him along in the boat as He was. And
other little boats were also with Him. And a
great windstorm arose, and the waves beat
into the boat, so that it was already filling. But
He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And
they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do
You not care that we are perishing?”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and
said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind
ceased and there was a great calm. But He said
to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it
that you have no faith?”
And they feared exceedingly, and said to
one another, “Who can this be, that even the
wind and the sea obey Him!”
Mark 4:35–41

This particular day had been a long, exhausting

one for Jesus. Though He was God, He allowed Himself

9
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

to feel the frailties and the weaknesses of humanity.

He did not sin, but He experienced the limitations of
the human body. He had poured Himself out to His
disciples and others, teaching them a series of very
important parables, and He was dog-tired. So after He
finished speaking, they loaded their weary Master into
the boat. They took no supplies; they made no prepa-
ration. They just cast off from the shore and went.
But Jesus knew that school for His boys that day
was not yet out of session. He wasn’t finished teaching
His disciples. A storm was brewing, and it was soon
going to be time to put the day’s lessons into action.
All through the day, Jesus had been preparing His
disciples for the storm. Now the time had come for a
practical test. The storm was just a part of the day’s
curriculum. Had they been listening? The test would
reveal the answer.
God gives many of us tests by surprise, and quite
often they hit like a storm. He seldom tells us when
a test is coming. He doesn’t say, “Now brace your-
self! I’m going to test you on this information. You’d
better be paying attention!” God’s tests usually come
without warning. He wants our reactions to be pure, so
that we can truly see the strength of our convictions.
We don’t know when something fearful will
suddenly drop into our lives. We don’t know when
tragedy will hit. We don’t necessarily know when a

10
 Fear

crisis is coming or when we are going to face hard-

ships. But God does! He knows when we are ready for
them. If it were up to us, we would most likely always
say, “I’m not ready yet, Lord.”
The Bible tells us, “Count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, knowing that the testing of your
faith produces patience. But let patience have its
perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4).
God not only tests, but He also re-tests us on
the same material! Sometimes I think, “I’ve got that
now! I know how to trust God in that area. I know
how to look to God when the chips are down. I know
how to deal with this situation. Please, no more tests
on that subject.”
But James gives good advice. Sometimes, it helps
to see these trials as evidence of God’s work in our
lives. Remembering that He is still molding us and
working to make us complete can help sustain us.

Fearful Trials Will Come

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave an incredible
series of teachings on how to live as His disciples. At
the end of that teaching He said,

11
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of

Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a
wise man who built his house on the rock: and
the rain descended, the floods came, and the
winds blew and beat on that house; and it did
not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
But everyone who hears these sayings
of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a
foolish man who built his house on the sand:
and the rain descended, the floods came, and
the winds blew and beat on that house; and it
fell. And great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:24–27

Notice Jesus said that the rain did come. He didn’t

mention any exclusions or exceptions. There was no
qualifier, such as “If the rain comes . . . .” Storms will
come into every life. Every
Believers can find comfort one of us will face times of
in the promises of God. testing, times of trial, and
times of hardship. We will all
encounter episodes of fear, worry, and anxiety. It is a
part of life. No one is exempt. Remember, James said
the same thing: when you fall into trials, not if (see
James 1:2).
Quite simply, everyone is going to face hard-
ships—the Christian and the non-Christian. But

12
 Fear

believers can find comfort in the promises of God.

The nonbeliever has nothing to fall back on.
If you are building your life on the crumbling
sand of family and friends alone, it will come as a
shock when they abandon you
just when you need them most. Everything, except the
If you’re building your life on hope you have in Christ,
possessions, you’ll find that they will leave you empty.
have no meaning when you’re
standing at death’s door. The model of your car, the
size of your bank account and your home become
meaningless when you learn that you have a terminal
illness.
Even religion, when it is mere ritual, can disap-
point you. Everything, except the hope you have in
Christ, will leave you empty.
The real question about life’s storms is whether
they will build you up or tear you down, strengthen
you or destroy you, make you better or make you
bitter.

Faith, Not Fear

The apostle Paul gave us a promise worth remem-
bering: “We know that all things work together for

13
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

good to those who love God, to those who are the

called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
This is a great verse for people who are going
through hard times. Believers in Christ have hope
and comfort, even if the enemy, Satan, attacks. Why?
Because God is directing the proceedings. Even
Satan’s attempts must go through the screening
process of God’s love (see Job 1–2). If God allows
you to be tested or to be tempted by the devil, rest
assured that He has also put His protection around
your life. As Warren Wiersbe said, “When God puts
His own people into the furnace, He keeps His eye
on the clock and His hand on the thermostat.” So
hold on to your faith.
The apostle Paul encouraged us in our hard times
when he wrote, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful
for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward
it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Let’s be
truthful: no one enjoys crisis. No one revels in diffi-
culty. No one takes pleasure in going through hard-
ship. But hardships do come and they are followed by
real spiritual growth and fruit in our lives. Those are
blessings that are worth holding on for.
Picture a young man in great physical condi-
tion. His biceps are bulging. His abs are like a wash-
board. We may think, “I want to look like that! That’s

14
 Fear

great! I’m going to get in shape!” Motivated by this

newfound goal, we rush off to the nearest gym to
start sculpting our new dream physique. We work
out for a while, then our muscles begin to throb and
ache. The next day, it hurts to get out of bed. It even
hurts to brush our teeth! We’ve called on muscles
that have lain dormant for years, and every one of
them is protesting! No matter how you approach
that goal of becoming like that young man, it’s going
to hurt. That’s just how the goal is achieved.
Sometimes when we say we want to grow in our
faith as Christians, we will go through times of spir-
itual testing or stretching. And that often hurts too.
Remember, “No pain, no gain!” Our transformation
may be tough at times, but it is through these periods
that we will grow and become stronger.

Fear Is Unnecessary
After Jesus and His disciples set off on the waters,
a furious squall came up. Huge waves engulfed the
boat and terrified the seasoned sailors. These were
experienced fishermen; they had lived through the
worst of conditions. So if they were afraid, we have
to conclude that this was an unusually fierce storm.

15
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

They cried out in despair for their lives. They thought

they were going to die. But their fear was actually not
necessary.
When the disciples began this journey, Jesus
made a significant statement. Now, in the midst of
the storm, they had already forgotten it, as we often
forget God’s Word in fearful times. If you look back,
you will see that Jesus said, “Let us cross over to the
other side” (Mark 4:35).
He was saying that they were going across the Sea
of Galilee. He didn’t say that they were going to get
halfway across, confront a storm
No matter how long we that would sink them, and all die
have known the Lord or together! He told them that they
how many Bible verses would arrive. He didn’t promise
we have memorized, we that it would be a pleasant
are still susceptible to journey or smooth sailing. He
fear and worry. didn’t say they would not be met
by winds and waves. But He did
say that they would get across. There was comfort
for the disciples in Jesus’ simple words. In the storm,
they simply forgot.
No matter how long we have known the Lord or
how many Bible verses we have memorized, we are
still susceptible to fear and worry when a crisis hits
our lives. Often, we are paralyzed by fear, and we,
too, forget what God has said.

16
 Fear

God’s Promises Keep Fear in Check

Many Bible verses contain comforting promises.
What comfort there is in the apostle Paul’s words:
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete
it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He
started it, and He’s going to finish it. We must not
give up on what we know to be true. Even when times
are hard, even when we don’t understand, we have
God’s promises to lean on.
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; and I know
My sheep, and am known by My own . . . . they shall
never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out
of My hand” (John 10:14, 28). We have nothing to
fear as long as we stay close to Him, His Word, and
His people. The devil’s threats are empty. Believers
are safe in God’s hands. Nothing
can hinder the working out of His Even when times are
plans. hard, even when we
If you choose to run from God don’t understand, we
or rebel against Him, the outcome have God’s promises
could be different. You’re taking to lean on.
unnecessary chances by doing so.
Stay close to Him and you’ll be all right. It’s better
to be in the center of the storm with Jesus than
anywhere else without Him.

17
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Jesus Is with Us
The disciples did not need to be afraid: Jesus was
right there in the boat with them. He had just spent
the day performing miracles and preaching truths
in their presence, but they still lost heart. They
despaired for their lives. They still did not under-
stand the full extent of His power.
Just as Jesus was with the disciples, He is with us,
too. The writer of Hebrews reminds us of the Lord’s
promise: “I will never leave you
Jesus is not only the nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).
light at the end of In the original Greek translation, it
the tunnel. He is with reads more like this: “I will never,
you in the tunnel. no never, no never leave you nor
forsake you.” He also told His disci-
ples before He ascended to Heaven, “I am with you
always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
If you are a Christian, God is with you too, wherever
you go.
Jesus is not only the light at the end of the tunnel.
He is with you in the tunnel. You may be discouraged
now, but the Lord will see you through. You may have
questions, but Jesus will take you to “the other side.”
Hold on to this truth. As King David, who knew quite
a bit about personal suffering, wrote, “Yea, though I
walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil; for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

18
 Fear

What Are You Afraid Of?

You may be thinking, “Wait a second! How can you
say that God won’t allow boats to sink in the storms
of life? I know people who have died, and they were
Christians! What about them? Why didn’t God
protect them?”
I don’t know why God spares some and takes
others, but death is not really the issue. We must all
die sometime, and when we die those who know God
will enter into His presence.
For the believer, death is not the worst possible
outcome of a situation. Although we may not be
looking forward to death, Jesus told us not to fear it.
That’s why the apostle Paul quoted Isaiah in saying,
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is
your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT). As Christians,
we don’t necessarily look forward to dying, but at the
same time, we don’t have to be
afraid, for we will “cross over to Do you fear the future?
the other side,” safe in the arms of God knows what lies
Jesus. The apostle Paul also told ahead of you.
us, “For we know that if our earthly
house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building
from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1).
The disciples faced two possible outcomes during
that storm. One would be for them to die and go

19
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

immediately to Heaven. The alternative was that

Jesus would deliver them and see them through.
Whatever happened, they would be all right.
Do you fear the future? God knows what lies
ahead of you. What if tragedy befalls you? God will
see you through. What if you die? If Christ is your
Savior and Lord, you will see Heaven and spend eter-
nity in His glorious presence where there is fullness
of joy and pleasures forevermore (see Psalm 16:11).
Again, the question should not be, “What if I
die?” We must think in terms of “When I die . . .” We
need to face the fact that we are going to die (unless
Christ comes again first). We should not focus on
what it will mean to cease to exist on this earth, but
rather concentrate on the fact that when we die, we
will go to Heaven and we will see God face to face. We
are reminded in Scripture to “prepare to meet your
God . . .” (Amos 4:12). Are you prepared? Remember,
only those who are prepared to die are really ready
to live.
Syndicated newspaper columnist Ann Landers
received thousands of letters each month. When she
was asked what problem was most dominant in the
letters she received, Ann replied, “It’s fear. People are
afraid. They’re afraid of losing their wealth. They’re
afraid of losing their health. They’re afraid of losing
loved ones. They’re afraid of life itself!” We have no

20
 Fear

guarantee that our health will always be good. We

have no guarantee that we won’t lose our wealth. We
have no guarantee that our loved ones will share all
of this life with us.
God’s servant Job lost everything in one day! He
lost wealth, health, and loved ones. The Bible says,
“In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with
wrongdoing” (Job 1:22 NIV). But instead he said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I
will depart . . . . may the name of the Lord be praised”
(Job 1:21 NIV). Because of Job’s faithfulness during
this trial, God replaced all that Satan was allowed to
take from him. God restored his fortunes, in fact, God
gave him twice as much as he had before.
This is not to suggest that loved ones can be
replaced. But we can have comfort in knowing that
we will see them again if they know Christ. That’s a
good reason to share the gospel with your family and
friends. Death can be only a temporary separation
through our love in Jesus Christ.

God Hears Our Cries

What was Jesus doing during that storm on the sea?
The storm was beating on the boat, waves towered

21
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

overhead, and the boat was filling up with water

while Jesus slept (see Mark 4:37–38).
He slept? How could He sleep through all that? He
was in the same boat that the waves were crashing
down on.
Apparently, the storm did not bother Jesus. But
notice what did get His attention. It wasn’t the wind.
It wasn’t the waves. It was the needs of His people.
Just as a loving parent hears his child, so God always
hears the cries of His children.
Notice how the disciples interpreted Jesus’
actions. They said, “Teacher, do You not care that
we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). They may have been
thinking, What is the problem with You? You’re lying
there sleeping while we’re drowning!
They didn’t say, “Jesus, do a miracle.” They were
afraid, and it bothered them that He was just lying
there asleep, seemingly indifferent to their prob-
lems. Their attitude seemed to be,
God is never asleep “Lord, don’t You care about what
when you call on Him. we’re going through right now?”
They were wrong to be gripped
by fear. They were wrong to speak to Jesus that way.
They had lost sight of who He was. But they were
right to call out to Jesus. As the apostle Paul said,
“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be
saved” (Romans 10:13).

22
 Fear

As a man, Jesus slept; but as God, He was in total

control. God never sleeps! We don’t have to wake
God up. We don’t have to yell and scream to get
His attention. We only have to call upon His name.
Psalm 121:4 teaches, “Behold, He who keeps Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.” God is never asleep
when you call on Him. He’s always ready to hear the
cry of His children.

Jesus Cares
Sometimes, during the storms, we wonder if the
sun will ever shine again. We feel that God does
not care about our trials, that He doesn’t see what’s
happening to us, that He doesn’t realize the pain of
our hardships, that He isn’t interested in our lives.
That’s how Martha felt about Jesus when He
didn’t arrive in Bethany in time to heal her brother,
Lazarus, before he died. Jesus
knew Lazarus was sick, but He Far too often, we call on
intentionally took His time the Lord as a last resort.
getting to him. As Lazarus got
weaker, hours turned into days. Finally it was too
late. Lazarus died. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus
had been dead four days. Hope was gone. There

23
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

would be no healing. Jesus had let them down, or so

they thought. But He had heard their cries, and He
cared about them.
In her grief, Martha said, “Lord, if You had been
here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21).
Martha and Mary had probably told everyone that
they knew Jesus personally and that He would come
when they called Him for help. They were depending
on Jesus. After all, He was their friend. He had stayed
at their house in Bethany on a number of occasions.
He had dined with them. They were certain that Jesus,
a true friend, would be there when they needed Him.
But Jesus had not planned a healing; He had planned
a resurrection! Jesus wanted to do more than they
expected of Him.
Sometimes, we limit God with our prayers. We
pray for one thing or another, and when God doesn’t
give it to us, we despair. But did you ever stop to
think that God may want to go above and beyond
all that we ask or think (see Ephesians 3:20)? That
could be why He hasn’t answered your prayer as you
expected.
Sometimes, God comes quickly, and some-
times, we must wait. God’s delays are not neces-
sarily denials. God does not necessarily work on our
schedule. Sometimes, He is waiting for us to exhaust
our resources and completely trust Him. Far too often,

24
 Fear

we call on the Lord as a last resort, when instead we

should have known that He is our only hope.
While the disciples were afraid of the storm, Jesus
remained calm. He simply got up in the boat, walked
over to the side, and said, “Peace, be still.” The words
He used are actually better translated, “Be muzzled!”
This must have seemed like an odd command. But
to the disciples’ surprise, the elements calmed down,
the winds ceased, and the water turned to glass. They
said, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the
sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:41).
Jesus got right to the heart of the problem and
silenced the storm with a word. When He was finished,
the disciples faced something even more terrifying
than the storm. They received the rebuke of Jesus.
He turned to them and said, “Why are you so fearful?
How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). Those
strong words shook the disciples. How much better
it would have been to have weathered the storm and
heard Him say, “Well done!”

Fear and Uncertainty

How futile to worry about things that might never
happen. What a waste to shift our focus from things

25
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

that we know are certain and concern ourselves with

things that might never come to pass! For instance,
we worry about losing our health or wealth and
forget to prepare ourselves for the judgment of God.
We may or may not experience loss on earth, but we
will surely stand before God one day.
Some people realize that after it’s too late. There
once lived a salty old sea captain who didn’t believe
in God’s existence. One day, he was washed over-
board by a wave. He thought
How futile to worry about he was drowning. As the waves
things that might never rushed over him, he cried out to
happen. God for help. Sailors who heard
his cry rescued him, but could
not resist taunting him about calling on the God he
didn’t believe existed. “Well, if there is no God, there
should be, in times like this!” he replied. He awoke to
the truth almost too late!
We should turn to God, and not only when the
chips are down. Some people only cling to God in a
crisis. They grasp for Him in the midst of a hardship
or they turn to Him in the face of sickness or death.
I want you to know that just as Jesus saved the disci-
ples who cried, “Save us, Lord! We’re perishing,” God
hears our cries. He is ready to receive us and forgive
us regardless of what problems or circumstances
bring us to our senses. He forgives the worry-filled

26
 Fear

thoughts we have. But He still wants us to trust Him,

even with our lives.
I once received a letter from a man who came
to one of our evangelistic outreaches. He told of a
life filled with heartbreak. At the age of 29, he left
his wife and two children for a homosexual lifestyle.
His wife later remarried, but this man continued his
chosen lifestyle until his partner died of AIDS.
No longer able to handle the loss of his companion
and the fact that he now had AIDS too, the man tried
to commit suicide. The doctors saw no reason why
he should have survived his suicide attempt. But
his children, who were Christians, were praying for
him. And God had a different plan for their prodigal
father.
When the man was released from the hospital, he
began to long for a relationship with the living God.
He attended that outreach event, heard the gospel,
and made a commitment to Jesus Christ. He started
reading the Bible and attending church. He was filled
with joy, knowing that he would meet the Lord when
he died. He wanted to spend his last days sharing
God’s love with others.
Thank God, we all can have hope, even when our
situation appears utterly hopeless.

27
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

God’s Protecting Presence

In Psalm 91, we find this promise for believers:
“Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten
thousand are dying around you, these evils will not
touch you” (Psalm 91:7 NLT).
Isn’t that great to know? It isn’t over until it’s
over. Until that time, we can go out with boldness,
knowing that God is in control of our lives. There is
nothing to fear.
I read the story of a courageous Christian who
was standing before a king who wanted him to deny
Christ. The king threatened, “If you don’t do it, I will
banish you.”
The Christian replied, “You can’t banish me from
Christ. He says He will never leave me nor forsake
me.”
The king said, “I will confiscate your property and
take it all from you.”
The Christian said, “My treasures are laid up on
high; you cannot get them.”
“I will kill you,” the king told him.
“I have been dead forty years,” the Christian
answered. “I have been dead with Christ, dead to the
world. My life is hidden with Christ in God, and you
cannot touch it.”
The king said, “What can you do with such a
fanatic?”

28
 Fear

May God make us people who know, rely on, and

trust in His presence and protection like this believer
did!
1 John 4:18 tells us that perfect love casts out
fear, and 1 John 4:16 tells us that God is love. We do
not need to fear when God is with us.

29
 Fear
Worry
Anxiety
ear has a twin brother that he likes to hang out
F with. Fear’s twin is Worry. Oftentimes Worry and
Fear work in tandem. You can easily get caught up by
these brothers and get dragged down spiritually.
In a recent Gallup poll, when people were asked
about their previous day, 45% of Americans reported
that they felt worried a lot, and 55% said they were
stressed. These numbers are the highest they’ve ever
been on record.1
There are two old sayings about worry that I
really like. The first says: “Worry is the advance

1 https://news.gallup.com/poll/249098/americans-stress-worry-anger-intensified-2018.aspx

31
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

interest you pay on troubles that seldom come.” The

second saying is “Worry is a lot like a rocking chair.
It gives you something to do, but it never gets you
anywhere.”
The problem with worrying is that it never really
helps a situation along. In fact, worrying often
makes matters worse! Nine times out of ten, worry
does more damage to the worrier than the problem
does—even if “the worst” does happen! The worry
often tears us up inside more than the events we
dread.
Excessive worry, experts say, can actually shorten
the human lifespan. Modern medical research has
shown that worry actually
The problem with worrying breaks down our resistance
is that it never really helps to disease and wreaks havoc
a situation along. on the immune system. It can
impact the nervous system,
the digestive organs, and the heart. People can shave
years off their lives because they are besieged by
worry.
I heard of one man who was a real worrywart. He
had the reputation of being a compulsive worrier.
One day, some of his friends saw him and noticed that
he didn’t seem to be worried at all. They remarked,
“You’re always worried about everything, but today
you seem so calm and serene! What happened?”

32
 Worry

“Well,” he replied, “I hired someone to worry

for me. I tell him all my problems, and he worries
about them. I don’t even have to think about them
anymore.” When his friends asked how he arranged
for such a service, he answered, “I pay ten thousand
dollars a month.”
“How can you pay so much!” they said. “Where
are you going to get ten thousand dollars a month?”
“That’s for him to worry about,” came the calm
reply.

“No Worries, Mate!”

When I was in Australia a number of years ago, I
noticed they had an expression there that I really
like. You will be talking to an Aussie and ask them
a question, or ask them for directions. They are very
friendly and they will usually respond: “No worries,
mate!” And then they will answer your question or
tell you how to get where you want to go.
I like that: “No worries, mate!” That is good theo-
logical advice. We have a lot of worries, don’t we? A
lot of things that weigh us down. A lot of things that
concern us. We worry about what we are going to eat.
We worry about what we are going to wear. We worry

33
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

about where we are going to live. We worry about our

employment. We worry about our family.
We worry when things are going well because we
are concerned about when they are going to go bad.
Then when they are bad, we worry about if they will
ever be good again. We worry about everything.
Would you classify yourself as a worrier? I think
of that great theologian Charlie Brown, who made
this statement about worry: “I have developed a new
philosophy. I only dread one day at a time.” Are you a
Charlie Brown when it comes to worry?
Now let me quote a real theologian, Dr. Martyn
Lloyd-Jones, who said this: “If I allow my concern
about the future to cripple me in the present, I am
guilty of worry.” The result of worrying about the
future is that you cripple yourself in the present.
Studies have been done among Americans,
asking them what they worry about the most. They
are predictable things.
The result of worrying about Middle-age Americans worry
the future is that you cripple most about their finances.
yourself in the present. They also worry about being
audited by the IRS. (Maybe
there is a connection there.) A growing concern
today is a fear of being hacked—that someone would
get your personal information, or that your smart-
phone or computer would be stolen.

34
 Worry

There was an article that was out a while back

about a bunch of celebrities who were upset because
their phones had been hacked and now naked photos
of these people are on the Internet. I have a thought
about that: don’t take pictures of yourself while
you are naked—ever! That pretty much solves the
problem, doesn’t it?
Among the studies that have been done asking
people what they worry about the most, usually at
the top of the list is appearance. That is amazing.
“I don’t care if I lose my house or I die in a nuclear
blast. How do I look in this outfit?” Also at the top of
the list is usually the fear of public speaking. In fact,
the fear of speaking in public is usually higher than
the fear of dying! Can you imagine that? “You can
die right now or give a short speech. What’s it going
to be?”

Worry Can Get Us

There is an old fable that is told about the dangers of
worry. As the story goes, Death was walking toward
a city one morning. A man stopped Death and said,
“Where are you going?” Death said, “I am going into
that city to take a hundred people.”

35
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

“That is horrible,” the man says. Death responds,

“That is what I do.” The man ran ahead of Death to
warn everyone he could. Evening fell and that man
met Death again. The man said, “I thought you were
only going to take a hundred people. Why did a
thousand people die?”
Death responded, “I kept my word. I took only a
hundred people. Worry took the rest.”
That is how life can be. Worry can get us.
Did you know that 75–90 percent of all visits
to primary care physicians are stress-related
complaints or disorders? Know this: most of what
we worry about never actu-
Know this: most of what ally happens. Dr. Walter Calvert
we worry about never conducted a survey on worry
actually happens. that indicated only eight percent
of the things people worried
about were legitimate matters of concern and the
other 92 percent were either imaginary or never
happened.

Stop Worrying!
Christ Himself addresses the topic of worry in the
Sermon on the Mount:

36
 Worry

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about

your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink; nor about your body, what you will put
on. Is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing? Look at the birds of the
air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not of more value than they?
Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to
his stature?
So why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:
they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you
that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes
the grass of the field, which today is, and
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall
we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What
shall we wear?” For after all these things the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things.
Matthew 6:25–32

Then comes the most important verse: “But seek

first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and

37
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

all these things shall be added to you” (6:33). Every

Christian should commit that verse in particular to
memory.
Jesus is not saying that the believer should not
be concerned about the necessities of life. He is not
saying that we should not think about them or plan
for the future. The Bible encourages us to work hard,
to save our money, and so forth. What He is saying is
that we should not worry about these things. Verse 25
plainly says: “Do not worry about your life.” The
word worry in the old English means to choke. Worry
chokes you out.
One day I was playing with some of my grandkids.
They started choking me. They thought that was very
entertaining. Then they took it
The word worry in the up a few notches and they were
old English means to jumping on my back and grabbing
choke. Worry chokes me from behind. I said, “OK kids,
you out. let’s back off a little bit. You are
hurting Papa.” They came back a
few days later and asked, “Can we choke you again,
Papa?” A great form of entertainment—choking your
grandfather.
That is what worry does to us. It chokes us. It cuts
us off. In the Greek, this command of Christ to not
be anxious includes the idea of stopping what has
already been done. Effectively, Jesus is saying, “Stop

38
 Worry

worrying about your life. Stop it. You have been doing
it up to this point and you need to stop doing it.”

Worry Is Not a Virtue

Interestingly, we tend to elevate worry as a virtue.
“Because I care, I worry.”
Wait a second. Is worry a virtue? I don’t think
it is at all. In fact, I think worry can be a sin. I am
not saying all worry is a sin, but I am saying it can
be a sin. And I would readily admit it is a sin I have
committed. I have worried about things unneces-
sarily. I have fretted and been filled with anxiety just
like you have.
Why is worry potentially a sin? Because it is a
lack of trust in God. What I am really saying when I
worry is, “God isn’t in control.
God is not taking care of me in What I am really saying
this situation. I am not trusting when I worry is, “God isn’t
in the providence of God.” If in control.”
you are a real Christian and
you believe the Bible, you will know this: God is in
control of all circumstances that surround your life
and there are no accidents in the life of the Christian.
That is an important thing to know.

39
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Yet we will worry about a lot of things. Corrie

ten Boom identifies the problem with worry: “Worry
does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows. It empties
today of its strength.”

Resting with the Lions

The story of Daniel is a good illustration of a guy
who could have worried but didn’t. His enemies
hatched a plot to have him killed because they
wanted him out of the way.
The king who spent the They were jealous of his power
night worrying and Daniel and influence with the king.
spent the night sleeping The king unwittingly signed
like a baby. into law a decree that no man
could pray to any god but the
king. Because Daniel was a man of prayer, he ended
up in a den of lions—so he was going to die, no ques-
tion about it.
By the way, I read an article in the paper about a
man in a Ukrainian zoo. I guess he thought he was
some kind of a modern Daniel. He decided to climb
into the den of the lioness in the Kiev Zoo and he
screamed out, “God will save me if He exists.” Well,
God exists, but He didn’t save this crazy guy and the

40
 Worry

lion killed him immediately. There is a difference

between trusting the Lord and testing the Lord.
Daniel was not testing the Lord. He was put into
a lion’s den because of his faithfulness to God. What
is fascinating about this story is that the king himself
could not reverse the law he ignorantly set into place,
yet it was the king who spent the night worrying and
Daniel spent the night sleeping like a baby. The guy
in the lion’s den had a good night’s sleep. The guy in
the palace did not.
That is how it is when you are walking right with
God. You can just kick back and rest in Him. The Bible
even says, “He gives His beloved sleep” (Psalm 127:2).
I bet Daniel used one of those lions as a pillow. (I am
sure a lion would be really comfortable to lie on, if it
isn’t hungry.)

The Solution for Worry

The Bible tells us we should cast all of our care on
Him, for He cares for us (see 1 Peter 5:7). It would be
like if you just got off of a plane and you are carrying
a bunch of extra weight. You have a lot of carry-on
stuff. You have your backpack, you are schlepping
along your roller bag, and you have another suitcase

41
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

as well. A friend says, “Hey man, let me take that

load.” Your response is “Gladly! Thank you, buddy!”
Jesus wants to take that load off of you. Take your
worries and cast them on Christ.
I like what Martin Luther said: “Pray, and let
God worry.” Obviously, God is not going to worry.
Prayer is the real secret. In Philippians, it says that
you should not worry about anything
Turn your worries but pray about everything, and the
into prayers. peace of God that passes all human
understanding will keep your heart
and mind in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:6–7).
Turn your worries into prayers. The next time you
are gripped by fear and worry—What if this happens?
What if that happens?—turn it into a prayer. Send the
worry straight to Heaven. “Lord, I don’t know about
this, but I trust You and You are in control and I
commit this to You right now.” We need to be looking
to the Lord and allowing Him to give us His peace.
Jesus says, “Look at the birds. Do they worry?”
Have you ever seen a stressed-out bird? Birds wake
up every morning and they are just singing away.
They are simply happy. No bird has ever been prom-
ised eternal life. No bird has ever been given the
hope of Heaven. Yet they sing their hearts out every
day. Jesus is not saying the birds sit by idly and wait
for the food to come to them. They take action.

42
 Worry

They go and get food for themselves. But they don’t

worry.
Then Jesus says, “Why do you worry about
clothing? Consider the flowers of the field. They
neither toil nor spin, and yet even Solomon the king
in his royal robes was not dressed like one of these
beautiful flowers” (see Matthew 6:28–29). So now He
is talking about the way that you look—your appear-
ance. We have a culture that is so obsessed with the
way that they look. We are always wanting to look
better—change our bodies. We want to look like those
people on the magazine covers. The problem is, the
people on the magazine covers don’t even look like
the people on the magazine covers! Have you ever
heard of Photoshop? Those people you see on the
covers don’t exist in real life.
It is a good thing to want to look your best on
the outside, but don’t neglect the inside. You can
have a chiseled body and a dying soul. The Bible
even addresses that in 1 Peter 3. It says, “What
matters is not your outer appearance—the styling
of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your
clothes—but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner
beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights
in” (verses 3–4 MSG). This is so relevant for today.
There is a place for staying in shape. I don’t want you
to misunderstand me and say, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll

43
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

just let myself go. I want to be obese for God.” No,

that is going too far the other way.

Worry Doesn’t Make Your Life Longer

Here is what Jesus is saying: “Which of you by worrying
can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6:27).
Here would be a better translation for us: “Which
of you by worrying could add one day to your life?”
God determines the date of your birth and the date
of your death. You have everything to say about that
little dash in the middle and what you do with it. You
cannot lengthen your life. Only God determines how
long a man or a woman will live.
I watched a show on TV years ago about a guy
who had made it past 100 years old. I waited until the
end of this program to hear the guy’s secret for living
past 100. Want to know what he said? “Eat a hot dog
every day.” I’m telling the absolute truth. They took
him into the supermarket and showed the hot dogs
he bought, and they weren’t Hebrew National. They
were the cheap kind with rat tails in them—the ones
that taste really good.
There is a balance we should keep in mind. As
1 Timothy 4:8 says, “Physical training is good, but

44
 Worry

training for godliness is much better, promising

benefits in this life and in the life to come” (NLT).
No, worry doesn’t make your life longer. It just
makes it more miserable.

The Worry-Free Life

Jesus gives us the secret to living a worry-free life.
Instead of worry, put God and His will first in your
life. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you.” What does that mean?
The Greek translation of the word first Put God in the
means first in a line of more than one number-one
option. There are many options I can seek position.
to live for in life. I can live for my phys-
ical appearance. I can live for a successful career. I
can live for having pleasures. I can live for a lot of
things. But Jesus says that among all those options,
put God in the number-one position. Seek first the
kingdom of God. If you want a life free of worry, put
God’s kingdom before everything else.
You say, “Well, what does that mean?” Let’s
take your career for example. The business that you
happen to be in. Ask yourself this question: “Is this

45
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

career choice—this line of work that I am doing—

really for God’s glory?” In other words, “Am I seeking
God first in what I am doing?”
You say, “Greg, you are a pastor. That is your job.
It is easy for you to seek God first. My job is different
than yours and I work in the real
Your goal should be: to world with real people.” I under-
honor God in everything stand what you are saying, but
that you do. here is what your goal should be:
to honor God in everything that
you do. I don’t care what you do. If you can’t honor
God in what you do, get a new job.
Here is what you have to ask yourself: “As I am
doing this thing, what is my goal?” If your goal is just
to make money, no matter what it takes, you have got
the wrong goal. Your goal should be to honor God,
give honest work, and have personal integrity and a
good testimony in the workplace.
I know Christians who are successful in business
but have a bad reputation because they cut corners or
don’t do the job right. That’s not good. When the day
is done, you want to have a good name and a good
reputation. Proverbs 22:1 says, “Choose a good repu-
tation over great riches; being held in high esteem is
better than silver or gold” (NLT).
There are people in life who do cut corners. There
are people in life who cheat on the test and pass the

46
 Worry

exam when you studied hard. There are people in life

who lie on their resumes and get the position you
were hoping to get. There are people in life who flatter
the boss and move up the ladder a little more quickly
than you do. There are people in
life who do it the wrong way, and When you seek God
get ahead in life. You say, “You see, first, life will find its
the integrity thing doesn’t work.” proper perspective.
Just hold on a minute, Buckaroo. If
you live a godly life and you live an honest life and
have integrity and work hard, God is going to bless
you for it. There will be times when others seem to
be doing better than you, but just wait awhile and
see how it plays out. The Bible says a person will reap
what they sow.
It’s a little bit like the tortoise and the hare. You
are the tortoise, just doing your thing—walking with
the Lord—doing it the right way. An honest day’s
work for an honest day’s pay. Then, in time, you get
that promotion or the other position. And just like
that, you are elevated. I am not saying this will always
happen. My point is simply this: God will honor it.
You seek Him first and He will take care of you.
When you seek God first, life will find its proper
perspective. “All these things shall be added to you.”
What things? The things Jesus talked about. What
I’m going to eat. What I’m going to wear. We could

47
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

expand that: Where I am going to live. Where I am

going to work. What I am going to drive. What I am
going to do. God is saying, “I will take care of those
things if you will seek Me first.”
The Lord came to Solomon, who was to replace
his father as the King of Israel. Solomon’s dad had
died. The Lord came to this young man and said, “I
will give you whatever you want. Ask it and I will give
it.” Can you imagine? What would you do if God came
to you tonight and said, “I will give you whatever you
want. You want riches? I will give you riches. You
want fame? I will give you fame. What is it you want?”
Solomon says, “I want wisdom to rule your
people.” The Lord says, “That is good. I’ll tell you
what, buddy. I am going to give you the wisdom you
asked for. And because you didn’t ask for long life
and riches, I am going to give you those things as
well.” Solomon demonstrated what it means to seek
first the kingdom. He didn’t seek that stuff. He sought
God. And God said, “I am going to bless you for that.”

Is There a Link Between Worry and Money?

In Matthew 6:25, Jesus said: “Therefore I say to you,
do not worry.” Notice it starts with the word therefore.

48
 Worry

Whenever you read the word therefore in the Bible,

find out what it is there for. Jesus is drawing upon
what has been previously said. What did Jesus say
prior to this? We go back to Matthew 6:19–21: “Do
not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and
steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus is not
saying it is wrong for you to have stuff. Effectively,
He is saying it is wrong when stuff has you.
In fact, it is interesting that this phrase lay up is
used. It means to lay something horizontally, as in
storing it permanently. He is not talking about the man
who is saving, but the man who
is stockpiling. He is not talking Many believers struggle
to the woman who merely has financially today because
possessions, but to the woman they have not learned
who has them to flaunt. Some the simple principle of
people love to flaunt their stuff. seeking first the kingdom
They tell you what they paid for in their giving.
everything when you didn’t even
ask. “Do you know what I paid for this? Do you know
how much that cost? I own this. I own that.” Why? To
impress people. Jesus says not to do that. Don’t lay up
treasures in that way. Seek first the kingdom.

49
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Many believers struggle financially today because

they have not learned the simple principle of seeking
first the kingdom in their giving. The Bible tells us
as Christians that we are to bring our tithes and
our offerings to the Lord. By the way, those are two
separate things. Every Christian should tithe. You
say, “What is a tithe?” A tithe is ten percent. You
bring your income to the Lord and give it to Him
on a regular basis. An offering is above and beyond
that. We say, “I can’t afford to do that!” As far as I
am concerned, I can’t afford not to. I have found
that when I am faithful in my giving to the Lord, He
blesses me because I am seeking first His kingdom.
That is exactly the context of this statement.
In fact, in Proverbs 3 we read of God saying, “Honor
the Lord from your wealth and from the first of all
your produce.” That is seeking first the kingdom. “So
your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will
overflow with new wine” (verses 9–10 NASB). God is
saying, “You take care of this—you put Me first in all
things—and I will take care of you.”
Paul tells us that if you sow sparingly, you will
reap sparingly. If you sow generously, you will reap
generously (see 2 Corinthians 9:6). Put God first.
Jesus says, “Give, and it will be given to you. A
good measure, pressed down, shaken together and
running over, will be poured into your lap. For with

50
 Worry

the measure you use, it will be measured to you”

(Luke 6:38 NIV).
There is only one time in the Bible when God
says, “Test Me on this. Put Me to the test on this.”
It is in the last book of the
Old Testament, the Book of Because we have received,
Malachi. God says, “Bring the we should give.
whole tithe into the store-
house, that there may be food in my house. Test
me in this . . . and see if I will not throw open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing
that there will not be room enough to store it”
(verse 3:10 NIV).
You say, “Greg, I think you are saying we should
give to get.” Not at all. If you think that, you are misun-
derstanding. Here is what I am saying: because we
have received, we should give. The Bible says, “Freely
you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). This
is not giving to obligate God. This is giving because
God has done so much for us.
When I do this, I lay up for myself a treasure in
Heaven. It’s been said,

“Do your giving

While you’re living.
Then you’re knowing
Where it’s going.”

51
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

You can’t take it with you, but you can send it on

ahead.

Wrestling vs. Resting

Worry is kind of like wrestling, isn’t it? It’s a wearying
struggle in your mind and heart. It reminds me of the
story of Jacob wrestling with God.
Jacob was the kind of guy who didn’t like to sit
still. But in Genesis 32, he finds himself alone with
God. And a wrestling match ensues. It is kind of
humorous—Jacob wrestling with the Lord as though
he could beat Him. Sort of like a small child wrestling
with Hulk Hogan. You know, when you wrestle with
little kids, and maybe they hit you and you act like
you really got hurt and you fall back—whoa!—and
they are thinking they are really tough. That’s what it
was like. The Lord was humoring Jacob. As He wres-
tled with him, He would put up some resistance and
then let Jacob prevail a little bit, and then press him
some more, and then let him prevail a little bit more.
What was this all about? God was waiting for Jacob
to run out of strength. He was waiting for him to give
up. And finally Jacob is exhausted. He has no energy
left. And he goes from cunning to clinging—from

52
 Worry

resisting to resting. And he is hanging onto the Lord.

The Lord says, “Let Me go. I’ve got to go.” And Jacob
says, “I am not going to let You go until You bless
me.” Now, that was a valid request on Jacob’s part—
asking for this blessing—for in surrender to God’s
plan he would find what he always wanted.
Here is some interesting commentary on this
event from Hosea 12:3–4: “Even in the womb, Jacob
struggled with his brother; when he became a man,
he even fought with God. Yes, he wrestled with the
angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing
from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face,
and God spoke to him” (NLT). Interesting verbiage:
“He wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and
pleaded for a blessing.” This is the proper kind of
wrestling with God, when you are desperately calling
out to Him and not giving up because you believe
what you ask for is His very will.

If You Are Going to Struggle,

Let It Be in Prayer
There is a place for wrestling with God in prayer, in
the proper way. Paul mentioned that Epaphras, one
of his coworkers in ministry, “is always wrestling in

53
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

prayer for you,” speaking to the Colossian church

(Colossians 4:12 NIV). And again in Romans, Paul
alludes to this kind of persistence and struggle
in prayer when he says, “Dear
There is a place for brothers and sisters, I urge you in
wrestling with God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
prayer. to join in my struggle by praying
to God for me. Do this because of
your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit”
(Romans 15:30 NLT). You see, sometimes prayer can
be a struggle. We have wrestling matches where we
say, “Lord, I am not going to let You go until You
bless me.”
And we see these wrestling matches in other
places in Scripture as well. We see Abraham, for
example, praying with persistent intensity for Sodom
in Genesis 18, interceding for them. We find Moses
spending 40 days and nights fasting and pleading
for Israel when God was ready to judge them in
Deuteronomy 9. We find Elijah pressed to the ground
with his face between his knees, praying seven
times for God to send rain in 1 Kings 18. We see this
kind of prayer from David, crying out to the Lord in
Psalm 39:12, “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to
my cry; do not be silent at my tears.”
“Lord, I am not going to let go until You bless me.
I am going to keep praying.” There are certain things

54
 Worry

you just don’t give up on. You don’t give up praying

for that unsaved person. I don’t care if it seems they
have gotten further from God. You keep praying.
Keep praying that God will get their attention.
Unless the Lord has directed you otherwise, you
keep praying for healing. Keep praying for
the will of God to be revealed in your life. Keep praying;
Keep praying for open doors in ministry. don’t give up.
Keep praying that God would send a spir-
itual awakening to your community, to your state,
and to your nation. Keep praying; don’t give up.

Do You Really Want to Change?

After Jacob’s wrestling match, the Lord asked him
a provocative question in Genesis 32:27: “What is
your name?” Now, why did the Lord ask this of Jacob?
Because He didn’t know his name? Of course not.
God asked it because for Jacob it was an admission—
an admission he did not necessarily want to make,
because the meaning of his name, Jacob, is essentially
“heel catcher, supplanter, grabber.” In essence, the
Lord was saying, “Are you going to continue living
up to your name, deceiving others, or will you admit
what you are and let me change you?” The Lord could

55
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

ask the same thing of us in our worrisome lives. “Do

you really want to change?”
Some people don’t want to change. They don’t
want to get out of the behavior that they are in. They
prefer the ways of sin. Oswald Chambers said, “Sin
enough and you will soon be unconscious of sin.”
So the Lord effectively says, “Jacob, I have a ques-
tion for you. Do you want to still be the conniver? Do
you want to still be the supplanter? Or do you want
to change? Would you like a new name?”
God asks, because He will not force His way
into our lives. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you
who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me”
(Matthew 11:28–29). What does it mean when He
says, “Take My yoke upon you?” Well, a yoke is a
steering device for oxen. So if Jesus had given that
statement today, He probably would have said some-
thing along the lines of, “Give the steering wheel of
your life over to Me.”

Relinquishing the Controls

Giving God the steering wheel is easier for some
than it is for others. I don’t like anyone to drive me

56
 Worry

anywhere. I like to drive the car. And anyone who has

ever driven with me can tell you this because I am
the worst backseat driver you
have ever met—not just with The Lord says, “Give Me
my wife. I was talking with one the steering wheel of your
of my fellow pastors and he life. Let Me have control.”
mentioned that when I was the
passenger in his car, I kept telling him what to do
and I wasn’t even aware of it. I said, “There is a good
spot. Get in there. Pull in now. Pull in now. Get ahead
of that guy.” I can’t help myself.
The Lord says, “Give Me the steering wheel of
your life. Let Me have control.”
Jacob has been scheming, trying to make it all
happen in his own strength, and he has met with
nothing but failure after failure after failure. The
Lord is saying, “I promised it. I will deliver it. But I
like to do My work in My way. Are you up for that? Do
you want to change your ways, Jacob?”
Jacob agrees. And a new name is given to him.
And that new name is Israel. What does Israel mean?
Scholars differ as to what it should be translated to
say. Some translate it as, “One whom God commands”
or “Let God rule.” Another translation is, “One who
fights victoriously with God.” Another translation: “A
prince with God.” Even another: “God’s fighter.” But
in essence I think we can say it means that there is a

57
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

complete surrender that took place in Jacob’s life, to

God and His will. Jacob is no longer the heel catcher
and supplanter. Now he is a prince with God, God’s
fighter.
Now God Himself would be his advocate and
Jacob’s loss has become Jacob’s victory. Through loss
comes gain. How can that be? Because
There has to come up to this point he had been fighting
a moment where for his will, his plan, his purpose.
you surrender. Losing. Losing. Losing. Reaping what
he sows. Time after time. Finally, he is
worn out. He has run out of schemes. No more ideas.
It is a mess. God says, “Now will you just say ‘Uncle’—
or better yet ‘Father’—and let Me win?”

Change Comes Through Surrender

And immediately when he submits to the will of God,
it all starts coming together so beautifully. “Here is
My plan. Here is the way you do it, Jacob. Here is the
way to see it take place.”
Maybe you have been fighting with God. I don’t
want to do it that way. I don’t want the Lord to have
access to that one area of my life. I don’t want to let
go of this sin. This is something I really like to do. I

58
 Worry

don’t want to let the Lord give His direction on how

I use my finances. I don’t want to slow down. I don’t
want the Lord to tell me I can’t. I don’t
want to stop worrying. I don’t want the God’s plan for you
Lord to tell me to do this thing or go is better than your
to that place. I want to stay in charge. plan for yourself.
Oh, no. There has to come a moment
where you surrender. But through your loss gain
will come.
And this is exactly what Jesus meant when He
said, “If you lose your life for My sake you will find
it.” We are afraid to lose our life because, to us, it
means losing control. But when you give God control
of your life, my, how things will change for you.
Are you fighting with God right now? I suggest
you surrender. And you will find what you have been
looking for all along. Because God’s plan for you
is better than your plan for yourself. As Corrie ten
Boom once said, “Don’t wrestle. Just nestle.”

59
 Fear
Worry
Anxiety
roverbs 12:25 tells us, “Anxiety in the heart of
P man causes depression . . .” The prevalence of
anxiety across the country and around the world
has reached crisis level, and the problem continues
to grow—especially among young people. A recent
Pew Research poll2 indicates that teens see anxiety
and depression as the number-one problem among
their peers. It ranks above bullying, above drugs
and alcohol, above poverty, teen pregnancy, and
gangs.

2 https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-
as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/psdt_02-20-19_teens-00-00/

61
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

The pressures our young people face are fierce—more

intense than the generations that preceded them.
Academic demands, social pressure, and stresses at
home all combine to place today’s youth in a vice of
worry.
But the problem is not just limited to young
people. I read a statistic that anxiety disorders
affect 40 million American adults each year. That’s
18.1 percent of the population.3
According to a report from the Centers for
Disease Control, suicide rates have increased over
the nearly two decades leading up to 2016 in 49
out of 50 states in America, with 25 of those states
seeing an increase of more than 30 percent.4
Those who are only willing to see the problem
from a physical, mental, or emotional angle are left
baffled by both the cause as well as the solution
to this epidemic. And while those are important
factors to consider, the spiritual component cannot
be neglected. As in all other areas of life, when we
try to take God out of the equation, we do so at our
peril.

3 https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics
4 https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0607-suicide-prevention.html

62
 Anxiety

Anxiety and Depression despite Success

It wasn’t long ago that we were startled by the
news of Anthony Bourdain, who took his own life
by hanging. It happened right on the heels of a
wave of other suicides from famous notables. These
included musician/singers Chris Cornell and Chester
Bennington, and fashion designer Kate Spade. All of
them hanged themselves.
Anthony Bourdain, talented chef and unique
storyteller, would travel the world, sample interna-
tional food, and talk to the locals to create fascinating
episodes of Parts Unknown a popular and successful
TV program. It was a lifestyle that many would look
at with envy.
Anthony would ask simple questions about how
people cooked, what they ate, and what made them
happy. Apparently, he himself did not find the elusive
happiness that he pursued worldwide.
Despite his world travels, Anthony was left empty.
Like so many other celebrities, businessmen, athletes,
and superstars who achieve the success they work
toward, perhaps Anthony found that there’s nothing
at the top of the mountain once you’ve scaled it.
Have you ever wondered why the rich and famous
often have depression, substance abuse issues, or
other serious problems? Perhaps it’s because they get
to do what others only dream of, and they have seen

63
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

the emptiness that comes with it all. They accom-

plish a certain level of success and just go on to the
next project. The high doesn’t last, so they move on
to the next thing, and the next, hoping for some sort
of satisfaction.
Anthony Bourdain was quoted to have said, “Your
body is not a temple. It’s an amusement park. Enjoy
the ride.” Following the pleasures of this life can be
enjoyable for a season. But the thrill doesn’t last,
and so we turn to something else, and then some-
thing else—perhaps something illicit, something
dangerous, something addictive.

Pursuing Pleasure
Has there ever been a more pleasure-mad culture
than ours today? It seems that we can’t be entertained
enough. We have continuous media coming our way
with constant imagery and sound, all designed to
bring us pleasure.
In fact, some people would say, “For me, life
means living for pleasure. You know, it’s all about
having a good time. It’s all about the weekend. It’s
all about the next party. It’s all about the next thrill
in life.”

64
 Anxiety

That philosophy is nothing new. The apostle

Paul’s contemporary, the emperor Nero, believed
that the purpose of life was to live as an unbridled
beast in pleasure, passion, and parties. And that is
exactly how he lived.
There also was a Greek philosophical group at
that time who called themselves the Epicureans.
Basically, these were people who lived for pleasure.
And we still have people like this today. In fact, the
Bible tells us that one of the signs of the last days
is that people will be “lovers of pleasure rather than
lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4). What a waste to live
this way, because the Bible says that “she who lives
in pleasure is dead while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6).
I think that Christians are sometimes reluctant
to admit that sin isn’t always miserable. In fact, the
writer of Hebrews said that
Moses “refused to be called For a moment of pleasure,
the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, you can have a lifetime of
choosing rather to suffer regret.
affliction with the people
of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin”
(11:24–25). Sin can definitely be pleasurable, for a
time.
But sin comes with a price—a hefty price. I’m
sure it would be very pleasurable to jump out of an
airplane and fly through the air without a parachute.

65
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

I think it would be the ultimate rush. I think it would

be better than any roller coaster or any amusement.
But then you are going to hit the ground. So there is
fun for a time, but inevitably there is a payday.
There will be pleasure in sin for a season—tempo-
rarily. But then the repercussions kick in. The Bible
warns that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
For a moment of pleasure, you can have a lifetime of
regret.
Joy Davidman, the wife of C. S. Lewis, made this
insightful statement about the pursuit of pleasure:
“Living for his own pleasure is the least pleasurable
thing a man can do; if his neighbors don’t kill him in
disgust, he will die slowly of boredom and loveless-
ness.” And that is true. It has been said that the only
cure for hedonism is to try and practice it.
The pursuit of pleasure is nothing new. As
Solomon reminds us a number of times in the Book
of Ecclesiastes, when you boil
When we see God for who it down, there is nothing new
He is, we will see the world under the sun. Though our
for what it is. technology has changed and
we have had certain advance-
ments since Solomon wrote those words, the basic
cravings of humanity have not changed, nor have the
basic things we look to. The philosophy of eat, drink,
and be merry has been with us for a long time.

66
 Anxiety

When Solomon decided he would pursue every-

thing this world had to offer, he was not considering
God in all of it. He was living horizontally—he had
adapted a worldview that omitted God. Eventually
he came to realize there was nothing to profit from
under the sun. It was only when Solomon looked
above the sun and looked to God that he found the
answers he was seeking. When we see God for who
He is, we will see the world for what it is.

Anxiety and Guilt

Another reason so many people experience anxiety
and depression stems from guilt.
Many people today feel guilty for one simple
reason: they are guilty. The Bible says we are all guilty
before a holy God. And all
the psychological counseling The only real and effective
in the world cannot relieve a way to remove guilt is to get
person of that guilt. You can to the root of the problem,
pretend it’s not there or find which plainly is sin.
someone else to blame for
your problems, but the only real and effective way
to remove guilt is to get to the root of the problem,
which plainly is sin.

67
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

There are a lot of people today who have a guilty

conscience. That is what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, discovered.
One day he decided to play a joke on 12 of his friends.
He sent them all a message that said, “Flee at once.
All is discovered.” And within 24 hours, all 12 of his
friends had left the country. It was just a joke. Nothing
was discovered. But these people felt so guilty about
something that they got out as quickly as they could.
Guilt can be good—it can be God’s warning system
to alert us to a problem. When I am beginning to do
something wrong, guilt kicks in. It says, “Stop! Red
alert! Don’t go any further. This is a bad thing.” Guilt
is there to remind us we are crossing the line, and we
should not go any further.
Do you have a guilty conscience? Maybe God is
telling you something. Maybe you should pay atten-
tion to your conscience.

Some Thoughts on Depression

There is such thing as clinical depression, and it
can have many factors. I’m not a medical doctor
and I don’t want to be one of these trite or flippant
know-it-alls who just throws out simple answers to a

68
 Anxiety

complicated issue: “Have more faith,” or “Trust God

more” or “It’s all in your head, so just think happy
thoughts.” That type of thinking doesn’t help anyone.
So, if you are suffering from clinical depression,
and you’re reading this book looking for a cure, I
don’t know that you are going to find it. There may
be physical, mental, or chemical issues in your body
that I simply can’t speak to. But the spiritual princi-
ples remain true for everyone, even for you.
So let me speak to those who are experiencing
depression in the sense that they are “down in the
dumps.” You might be in the doldrums even though
you are in good health, you had a meal today, and you
have clothes on your back and a roof over your head.
Maybe you are down because you know someone else
has it a little better—or maybe a whole lot better—
than you do. If so, then I have a 10-step solution for
your depression.

Step Number 1: Do something for someone

else who has greater needs than you.

Step Number 2: Repeat step Number 1 nine

more times.

Not only has God told us it is happier to give than

to receive, but scientific research shows the same. It

69
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

is well documented that volunteering elevates mood

in most people. This phenomenon has been dubbed
“the helper’s high.” It has been assessed biologically
in brain-imaging studies. It has also been looked at
in research on endorphins.
I have never experienced the “runner’s high,” but
I do know about the “giver’s high.” If someone asks
you what you are doing on the weekend, you can say,
“Getting high!” Whoa, what? “Yes, at church, giving
to the Lord and serving others!” Proverbs 11:25
says that those who refresh others are themselves
refreshed.
When we take our eyes off ourselves, it puts
things into perspective. As a pastor, I visit people
in hospitals. I can have the sniffles and be thinking,
poor me, and then go and visit someone who is in
critical condition. I leave just thanking God that I can
walk out of the hospital.
The Bible tells us to “do nothing out of selfish
ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NIV). In
other words, never let selfishness or conceit become
your motive in life.
Selfishness is at the root of almost all sins. Most
of the quarrels and conflicts we have in life occur
because self is either being threatened, challenged,
or ignored. It is all about us. As James 4:1 asks,

70
 Anxiety

“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?

Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within
you?” (NLT). How true is that? We all want our own
way. And that is prewired in us from the earliest days.
The Bible says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall
short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT).
There is no getting around it: We are all naturally
selfish.
Selfishness ruins so many things in life. Why did
Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit? Because Satan
told them, “You will be like God, knowing good and
evil” (Genesis 3:5 NIV). They were selfish.
Think of all of the immorality in our culture today.
Why do people have sex before marriage? They are
selfish. They don’t want to wait to commit them-
selves to each other. They want the fringe benefits of
marriage without the commitment that goes along
with it. And why do people commit adultery after
they have been married? Selfishness. They don’t care
about their mate; they want to have a little fun.
Do you know someone that has a need right
now? Someone you can reach out to? Someone who
is hurting? If you wait to feel love for people, you
will never do anything. If you wait until you feel like
putting that relationship back together, it will never
get put back together. Will you do it by faith? Will
you do it in obedience? If you will, then you can live a

71
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

joyful life. But if you run around living for self-fulfill-

ment, then you will be miserable. If you will remember
your purpose on earth is to glorify God and to love
others, then you will find the personal fulfillment you
always wanted. And you will find happiness as well.

Avicii
Did you happen to read about the young Swedish
DJ superstar Avicii? This young man, (whose actual
name is Tim Bergling) was at the top of his game,
making millions of dollars. He had what most young
people dream of today: fame and money.
He appeared in jam-packed arenas. He was in
constant demand, but that fame took its toll on
Avicii’s life, and at the age of 28 he committed suicide.
And the question is asked, “Why? Why would you do
this? Why would you end your life at such a young
age?” His family gave the answer when they said, “He
really struggled with thoughts about meaning, life,
and happiness. He could not go on any longer. He
wanted to find peace.”
I wish I could’ve sat down with this young man
and said, “Friend, I’ve got the answers, and you’re not
going to find them out there in this world’s culture.

72
 Anxiety

It’s only found in a relationship with God through

Jesus Christ.”
Avicii is just one of many people that have found
this out the hard way.

Elvis
I saw a documentary the other day on the life of Elvis
Presley. Elvis was an amazing person. He was raised
in abject poverty. He loved to sing in the church.
He loved to sing gospel music. He had an incredible
voice and, of course, he became globally famous and
had what many people dream of.
But he didn’t have happiness. He once said that
his life, to him, was miserable: “I feel that I’m sick
and tired of my life. I need a long rest.” He ended
up dying of a prescription drug overdose. And in this
documentary that his widow was a part of, she said
that she thinks Elvis actually committed suicide.
After Elvis, we saw many others suffer the same
fate. Rock icons from the ‘60s Janis Joplin, Jim
Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix all died of drug over-
doses at the age of 27.
Fast-forward to more recent times. Michael
Jackson, Prince, and others join the list. Tom Petty,

73
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

who ironically was one of the narrators in the docu-

mentary film about Elvis, died not long after because
of a prescription drug overdose.
All these people, they had it all, and yet they
turned to drugs and some of them ended their lives
intentionally. When are people going to learn that
the answers are not in the things the world has to
offer?
This desire for happiness—it’s in us. It’s deeply
within us. We’re hardwired to be happy. So where do
we find this happiness? If you look for it in this world,
you will end up disappointed because circumstances
continually change. If things are going reasonably
well, we’re happy—for a time. If things are not going
so well, then we’re unhappy. Someone put it this way:
There are two sources of unhappiness in life. One is
not getting what you want, and the other is getting
it. You see, if you don’t get it, you’ll say, “Well, if I
just had this then I would be happy.” But when you
get everything, when you have all of your dreams
fulfilled, when you reach all those goals and maybe
even surpass them, and you find how empty it is then
you realize happiness is not in these things at all.
Justin Bieber posted this on Instagram: “Hey
world, that glamorous lifestyle portrayed by famous
people on Instagram, don’t be fooled thinking their
life is better than yours. I can promise you it’s not.”

74
 Anxiety

And I would argue in many cases, those people that

you may follow on social media, those people you
admire and look up to, may have a far more miser-
able life than you have.
Is happiness found in having lots of money?
Money can buy some things, but not the most
important things. Money can buy you a bed, but it
can’t buy you a good night’s sleep. Money can buy
you books but not brains. It can buy you a house but
not a home. It can buy you medicine but not health.
It can buy you amusement but not happiness.

True Happiness
So how do you find happiness? Surveys by Gallup,
the National Opinion Research Center, and the Pew
Organization conclude that spiritually committed
people are twice as likely to report being “very happy”
than the least religiously committed people.
So, happy people are spiritual people. But let me
take it further: truly happy people are godly people.
The Bible says, “Happy are the people whose God is
the Lord!” (Psalm 144:15).
According to the Bible, if we seek to know God
and discover His plan for our life, we will as a

75
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

result, find the happiness that has eluded us for so

long—not from seeking it but from seeking Him! As
Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you.”
C. S. Lewis said, “God designed the human
machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel
our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our
spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other.
That is why it is just no good asking God to make
us happy in our own way without bothering about
[faith]. God cannot give us a happiness and peace
apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is
no such thing.”
According to the Scriptures, happiness is never
something that should be sought directly. It is always
something that results from seeking something else.
If we seek holiness, we’ll find happiness.
And what is holiness? The word holiness has
gotten a bad rap. If you hear that a person is “holier
than thou,” it is not a good thing. But true holiness is
not a fake, condescending, or mystical thing. Holiness
can be understood better if we spell it another way:
whollyness.
It was said of Caleb, “He wholly followed the Lord
God” (Joshua 14:14). When you wholly follow God,
you will be a holy person—and a happy one too!

76
 Anxiety

We find what we are looking for in life by seeking

God, not seeking “it.” Henry Ward Beecher once said,
“The strength of a man consists in finding out the
way in which God is going, and going in that way
too.”
So, if you want to be happy, be holy. In other
words, live a life that’s wholly committed to Him.

God Wants You to Be Happy

Yes, happiness is found in God. And here’s something
you need to know: God wants you to be happy.
Isn’t that good news? You might have a hard time
believing that based on a perception of God that
you’ve grown up with or your past experiences. But
it’s true. He actually does want us to be happy. I know
this because He tells us so in Scripture. He tells us
over and over again that this happiness is something
that He wants us to experience in a relationship with
us.
In the Bible, the word blessed is another trans-
lation for the word happy. They’re interchangeable
words. So when we read the word blessed, as we do
in the Beatitudes, you can just take that word out
and put in the word happy. Really, the theme of

77
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

the Beatitudes, which is the point of entry into the

Sermon on the Mount, is happiness—how you can be
happy.
You’re going to find a biblical worldview by
studying Scripture, and in particular by zeroing in on
the Sermon on the Mount. Do you want to know how
Jesus thinks? Do you want to know how His heart
beats? Do you want to know what He feels about
living and about life in general? Study the Sermon
on the Mount. It is the manifesto of the King of kings
and the Lord of lords.
Let’s quickly look at Matthew 5, where we find
the Beatitudes. These are the opening words of the
Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5:2 says that Jesus
“opened His mouth and taught them.” Taught who?
His disciples. These words are for followers of Jesus
Christ. He said,

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness,
For they shall be filled.

78
 Anxiety

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righ-
teousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and perse-

cute you, and say all kinds of evil against you
falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly
glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so
they persecuted the prophets who were before
you.
Matthew 5:3–12

Blessed, or again, happy are these people. How

different the Beatitudes are from modern culture! If
the Beatitudes were rewritten for culture today, they
would go along these lines:

Blessed are the beautiful,

for they shall be admired.
Blessed are the wealthy,
for they will have it all.

79
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Blessed are the popular,

for they will be loved.
Blessed are the famous,
for they shall be followed.

But that’s not what Jesus says. In fact, He says

quite the opposite. There is so much rich content in
the Sermon on the Mount that I could write volumes
on it. But let me summarize Jesus’ main points in the
Beatitudes so that we can understand the basics of
how to find happiness.

1. Happy are the nobodies. “Blessed are the

poor in spirit.” To be poor in spirit is not
speaking of how much money you have or
don’t have in your bank account. It means to
recognize your real spiritual state before God.
You are spiritually destitute, bankrupt. You are
a sinner. You are lost, hopeless, and helpless—
effectively a nobody.

2. Happy people are unhappy people. “Blessed

are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted,” or blessed are the unhappy for
they will be happy. When I see my condition
before God and I am sorry for it, it causes me
to grieve and be sorrowful for my condition.

80
 Anxiety

3. Happy are the humble. “Blessed are the

meek.” When I see myself as I really am and
then mourn over my condition, I will have a
change in attitude. Instead of arrogance there
is a new humility that comes from seeing
things as they are. I recognize that if it weren’t
for the grace of God I would be nowhere.

4. Happy are the spiritually hungry. “Blessed

are those who hunger and thirst for righ-
teousness, for they shall be filled.” A happy
person desires a righteous life. With the new
humility there is a thirst for godliness, and as
you take in more of the things of God, you find
satisfaction.

5. Happy people are merciful people. “Blessed

are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
If I see myself as a sinner, and I weep over my
sin, it produces in me a humility and a hunger
and a thirst to know Christ and become more
like Him. That is going to make me a person
who is merciful to others.

6. A happy person is a holy person. “Blessed

are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
To be pure of heart is to have a focus centered

81
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

on your relationship with God and to pursue

purity in all that you do.

7. A happy person will be a peacemaker.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” It is not about
world peace. It is about personal peace with
God. Before we were Christians, we were at
war with God. The Bible says that we experi-
ence peace after we are justified through Jesus
Christ. Then we do everything we can to bring
others into a relationship with the Lord so
they can be at peace with Him too.

8. A happy person will be persecuted. “Blessed

are those who are persecuted for righteous-
ness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
If you live a godly life, you will be persecuted.
But God will be with you in your persecution
and will give you the peace, joy, and strength
you need to endure it.

So again, we find that as we seek holiness, we will

find happiness as a byproduct.

82
God’s Answer
for Fear
Worry
Anxiety
ften, people who are hostile to God say that
O Christians use religion as a crutch. I say it isn’t a
crutch; it is an entire hospital!
Everyone leans on something—even the hostile
cynic. That something we lean on could be a friend, a
husband or wife, a career, or a bank balance. You may
be relying on yourself or even on religion, but these
are flimsy props that won’t hold up for long, if at all.
When we lean on Jesus, we’re leaning on the only
One who can sustain us. We all need help. We’re all
essentially weak. We all need someone to comfort us
and reassure us, and most importantly, forgive us of
our sins.

83
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

First Things First

If you are in a crisis right now, if you are facing fear,
worry, anxiety, or depression at this moment, but you
are not a follower of Christ, this is the time to admit
that you need Jesus.
When the storms hit your life and send you
reeling, when your friends let you down, when your
money is spent, and you are left all alone, it is time to
call on God. He is anxiously awaiting your cry.
As a young boy growing up in Southern California,
I liked to surf. One day, a big set of towering over-
head waves came rolling in while I was paddling
out. When that happens, you’re supposed to head
toward the waves and go underneath them, which
goes against every natural inclination you have. Your
instinct is to turn away from the waves and toward
the shore. On this afternoon, I dove under one wave
after another and got further and further from shore.
A rip tide then started to pull me out even further,
and I suddenly knew I was in trouble. I was exhausted
from trying to penetrate those mountains of water,
and I could barely see my friends back on the beach.
All I had to do to be out of this situation was to yell,
“Help!” But I was too proud. I thought, “I’d rather die
than have to be rescued by a lifeguard.” I almost did!
How foolish we are not to call for help when we
need it. Hand your burdens and problems over to the

84
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

Lord. He will carry them for you. Jesus said, “Come to

Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
God invites you to bring your problems and heart-
aches and troubles, all your fears and worries, to Him.
As the apostle Peter said, “[Cast] all your care upon
Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). Jesus has
already paid the price for you at the cross of Calvary,
and He wants to help you through this situation too.
He will answer the minute you call upon Him.
A lumberjack once stood by a river as felled trees
floated downstream. He watched carefully as each
tree rushed past. He would often hook a limb and
pull it to shore only to toss the tree back into the
current. Surprisingly, he only seemed interested in
the most worn pieces and allowed the fresh trunks
and branches to float away.
When he was asked the reason for his choices, he
replied, “You only see the outside bark. But I know that
those trees you think are healthy come from the side
of the mountain that is protected from the winds and
the rains. These other logs here, they come from high
on the mountain where they have withstood incred-
ible storms. That is where we get the tough lumber.
And I save it for my choicest work.” You too have been
chosen by God for His purposes. Let your contentment
come from the One who has given His life for you.

85
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

After Jesus had calmed the sea, His disciples

exclaimed, “Who can this be, that even the wind
and the sea obey Him!” (Mark 4:41). This question is
answered only in the truth that He was both God and
man. He was more than a great teacher or a leader.
He was God who walked among us as a human, and
He was with them through the storm.
When Christ died on the cross, it was not just a
great man who died; it was the God-man. When He
took the sin of the world upon Himself, He acted
not as a mere prophet or a spiritual leader; He acted
as God Himself. Even the man next to Jesus on the
cross turned and called on Him for salvation. In
those last moments of his life, Jesus did not turn
him away. Jesus forgave the thief and assured him
of everlasting life.
Jesus is asking you to bring your problems, your
fears, and your worries to Him. Call on the name
of the Lord. Replace your fear and worry with trust
and faith. The same Jesus who calmed the seas for
those troubled disciples gripped by fear and worry is
standing at the door of your heart right now. He says,
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in”
(Revelation 3:20).
If you would like to trust Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior, simply ask Him to forgive you of your sins.

86
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

You can do this through prayer, which is just talking

to God. Ask Him to take control of your life and show
you how to live a life of true fulfillment based on His
grace. From this day forward, you will be glad you
did. The seas may not always be calm, but you can
know that He is directing the winds that blow your
way and will see you through all your storms.
If you need a place to start, consider these words:

Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I am

sorry for my sin. I thank You for dying on the
cross for me. I turn from my sin, and I turn to
You by faith right now. Forgive me for all of
the wrong things I have done. Fill me with the
power of Your Holy Spirit. I want to be Your
disciple. Help me to love You and hate sin from
this time forward. Thank You for Your offer
of forgiveness. I gladly accept it now. In Your
name I pray. Amen.

If you’ve prayed that prayer, I would love to

hear from you. I would also like to send you some
helpful materials, at no cost, to encourage you in
your spiritual growth. Please write to me or visit
KnowGod.org.
For those who are reading this book that are
already Christians, or if you’ve just prayed that

87
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

prayer and have begun to trust the Lord, I want you

to consider a powerful tool to combat fear, worry,
and anxiety: worship.

The Role of Worship

The Bible gives us some amazing examples of people
who overcame fear, worry, and anxiety. They coun-
tered these things by trusting the Lord and worship-
ping Him.
Take Paul and Silas for instance. Their story is
found in Acts 16:16–40. If anyone had reason to be
afraid, worried, or anxious, it is these two men in a
dark, dank prison cell in Philippi. And yet they chose
to worship. Let’s examine the account of these two
men. First, a little background on Philippi to give you
context.
Philippi was a Roman colony. The Romans had
effectively conquered a good deal of the world,
including Greece, and they would build little Roman
colonies in each place. They would encourage
Roman citizens to move to these other places so
they would have loyal subjects there. They wanted
pro-Roman cities in strategic areas—a “Rome away
from Rome,” if you will. And people could visit these

88
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

cities and they would find a lot of things they had in

Rome, on a smaller scale. For example, they might
have their own little amphitheater—it wouldn’t be
anything like the enormous Coliseum, but it would
be in the same vein. A lot of the luxuries of Rome
but on a smaller scale. That is what Philippi was. It
was in an area of Greece but was now a Roman city.
And in this city, there was a lot of anti-Semitism. So
this is what Paul was seeing in Philippi, and as a Jew,
he was going to have to face this bigotry toward the
Jewish people.
Paul comes into town and he goes looking for the
synagogue, but there was no synagogue. It would
seem there were not enough Jews in this city to form
a synagogue. You needed ten Jewish men to form a
synagogue, and because apparently there weren’t
that many Jewish men there, Paul went down to
the river where some Jewish women were meeting.
Among them was a woman named Lydia. Lydia was
a very affluent woman. The Bible tells us she was a
“seller of purple.” Now, that doesn’t mean anything
to us today, but it means she sold expensive clothing
that was dyed purple—a color of luxury.
The Bible says that as she listened to Paul, the
Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul
was saying. She then was baptized along with other
members of her household. And after her conversion,

89
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Paul and Silas were followed around town by a

demon-possessed girl. And strangely she yelled out,
“These men are servants of the Most High God, and
they have come to tell you how to be saved.” What
she was saying was true, but she was possessed by
demons and she shrieked it. Paul was thinking, “Is
she ever going to stop?” And this went on for days.
Finally Paul couldn’t take it anymore and he cast
the demon out of her. And along with that went her
ability to make money because she worked for her
masters as a fortune-teller. She was a slave girl, and
they were making a lot of money from this witchy
woman. So now the masters were angry with Paul
and Silas, and they dragged them down to the town
square.
“The whole city is in an uproar because of these
Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. “They are
teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to
practice” (Acts 16:20–22 NLT). A mob quickly formed
against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered
them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
So the accusers of Paul and Silas cleverly
exploited the rampant anti-Semitism. Notice that
they refer to Paul and Silas as “these Jews.” And then
they appeal to Roman pride. “It is not according to
Roman customs!” They brought Paul and Silas up on
false charges, and they beat them with wooden rods.

90
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

They were severely beaten, and then they were

thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make
sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into
the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the
stocks.

Worship Instead of Worry

What a fearful position to be in. If ever there was a
time to feel anxious or worried, this might be it. But
the Bible says that at midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God, and the other
prisoners were listening.
Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and
the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the
doors immediately flew open, and the chains of
every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the
prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners
had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But
Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We
are all here!”
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon
and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then
he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do
to be saved?”

91
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you

will be saved, along with everyone in your house-
hold” (Acts 16:31 NLT). And they shared the Word
of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his
household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer
cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he
and everyone in his household were immediately
baptized. He brought them into his house and set a
meal before them, and he and his entire household
rejoiced because they all believed in God.
Wow. What a story. Paul starts out in prison and
he ends up leading the jailer to the Lord. But what
set the scene for this dramatic chain of events is
found in Acts 16:24: they are clamped in stocks. Just
imagine how horrific this is. I mean, when we talk
about dungeons of the first century, we are talking
about the worst conditions imaginable. There is no
ventilation. There is no sanitation. It is just a cave. It
is a pit of death and misery. And then, if that weren’t
bad enough, they are put into these stocks where
their legs are spread apart causing excruciating pain.
Would you be feeling a bit of fear, worry, or anxiety
in their situation?
There they are in agony, facing an unknown
outcome, and what do they do? They offered a sacri-
fice of praise. At midnight, Paul and Silas began to
sing praises to God.

92
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

Songs in the Night

You know, when you are in pain, the midnight hour
is not the easiest time for a worship service. But God
can give songs in the night. Psalm 42:8 says, “Each
day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and
through each night I sing his songs, praying to God
who gives me life” (NLT).
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night
and had a Christian song, a worship chorus, going
through your mind? Isn’t that cool? Do you know
what that says to me? It says that you are laying up
the things of God in your heart. Instead of waking
up to the lyrics of “Wild Thing” in your head, you
wake up and you have a Christian song, or maybe a
Scripture, just playing through your mind. That is a
song in the night that the Lord has given to you.
So Paul and Silas were singing songs from prison
and Acts 16:25 tells us that the other prisoners were
listening to them. Now the word that is used here
for listen is significant. It means to listen very care-
fully. Another way to translate it is, they listened
with pleasure. There are some things that are not a
pleasure to listen to, like fingernails on a chalkboard.
But this was pleasurable. It is like when your favorite
song comes on the radio and you go to turn it up.
“Oh, I love this song. This is a great song!” Their
fellow prisoners were listening with pleasure.

93
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Why? Well, I doubt they had ever heard anyone

sing in that dungeon before. Now, I don’t know if
Paul and Silas were harmonizing, but I think just the
fact that they were singing to the Lord was a powerful
testimony. It was a platform for evangelism. You
can talk about trusting God in adversity but when
someone sees it in action in your life, there is an
undeniable authenticity. It is a powerful witness. You
can tell your nonbelieving friends, “I am a Christian
and God is in control of my life” but it might just
be words to them until something horrific happens
to you and they see you are still praising God. That
carries a lot of weight. That makes your words more
powerful. And the next time you talk to them, they
are going to listen more carefully.
That is why I believe worship can be a powerful
tool for a nonbeliever to witness. I think it is a good
thing when people come to church and see believers
worshipping the Lord. That is a powerful testimony.
They are not just checking out what is happening
on the platform; they are also checking out what is
happening around them. And if they see that people
are engaged and worshipping God, they are thinking,
“Wow. These people are into this.” On the other hand,
if people are distracted or talking to their friends or
whatever, then that says to them, “This must not be
all that important.”

94
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

So this was a powerful testimony. And some-

thing supernatural happens when God’s people
come together and engage in corporate worship. It is
great to worship by yourself, but when two or more
are gathered together in His
name, He is there in the midst When we worship on earth,
of them (see Matthew 18:20). we are in tune with what is
That doesn’t mean that God happening in Heaven.
is not with us everywhere
we go, because the fact of the matter is that God is
omnipresent, which means present everywhere. Yet
it is an undeniable fact that when God’s people get
together and pray and worship together, the Lord
blesses it in a wonderful way. And that is why church
is important.
When we worship on earth, we are in tune with
what is happening in Heaven, because in Heaven
worship is constantly in motion. Revelation 5:12
says, “They sang in a mighty chorus: ‘Worthy is the
Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and
riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory
and blessing’” (NLT). So in Heaven, praises are being
offered. When we are praising the Lord on earth, we
are joining the chorus of Heaven. And God is looking
for people to worship Him in spirit and in truth (see
John 4:23).

95
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

Worship Brings Perspective

When we come to church and worship, it helps us
get things into perspective. Asaph asked the age-old
question, “Why do the wicked prosper?” And then it’s
like the answer dawned on him in Psalm 73:16–17:
“When I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting
headache . . . until I entered the sanctuary of God.
Then I saw the whole picture” (MSG).
Sometimes we don’t understand why things
are the way that they are. But when we come and
worship and we hear the Word of God, even if it
doesn’t apply specifically to our situation, it helps us
get perspective.
When our son Christopher died on a Thursday,
we were in church the following Sunday. And people
said, “Oh Greg, your faith is so strong.” No, actually
my faith was weak. I needed help. I needed God’s
people. I needed to worship God. I needed to hear
a Bible study. I needed perspective. And I will tell
you, the moment I walked in and was surrounded
by God’s people and I knew they were praying for
me, it helped me. It is not like all my questions
were answered and it was all good. No. It was still
as painful as ever. But it helped me get perspective.
When you worship the Lord, you see God for who
He is and you see your problems for what they are.
Sometimes we have big problems because we have

96
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

a small God. But if we have a big God we will see,

comparatively speaking, we have small problems.
That is why church is important. That is why hearing
the Word of God preached to you is important.
So Paul and Silas had perspective and they praised
God in a stinking dungeon.
Three or four years later Paul is in prison again.
And this time there hasn’t been an earthquake,
but he is still singing. In fact he writes about it in
Philippians. Consider these words of Paul that were
written in a prison cell:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it

again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are
considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord
is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray
about everything. Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done. Then you
will experience God’s peace, which exceeds
anything we can understand. His peace will
guard your hearts and minds as you live in
Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4–7 NLT

Now, that is interesting, because when He

says, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it

97
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

again—rejoice!” it is a command. You are commanded

by God to rejoice, whether you feel like it or not. Paul
was not living in the lap of luxury when
Rejoice in the he wrote these words; he was actually in
Lord always! a prison cell. If anyone had reason to be
depressed, it’d be Paul. But he chose to
rejoice, and you and I should too. Rejoice in the Lord
always!
And that is what Paul and Silas were doing with
their songs in the night. You know, only a person
with a relationship with God can truly do this. Our
joy and contentment in life do not come from what
we have, but who we know.
Now, whatever you get in life, you are going to get
tired of it in time, right? What is better than a new
car? Don’t you love the new car smell? You look for
excuses to go on a drive so you can get in your new
car. And you make a vow: “I am never going to eat in
this car.” Then a month goes by and you are late for
work and you have to eat. You get a burrito, and you
lose it somewhere in the car. You don’t know where
it went. And then you get your first dent. Someone
opens a door and bumps it. And then the paint chips
a little bit. And then, you know what? What was once
new and exciting isn’t so exciting anymore.
Take that metaphor and apply it to everything in
life, and it remains true. I don’t care how big, how

98
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

cool, or how fast it is—everything loses its appeal

after a period of time. So if you think happiness
comes from what you have, you will find that you are
always going to want something else to take its place.
But the Bible teaches that happiness—true happi-
ness—comes not from what we have, but from God.
Habakkuk 3:17–18 says,

Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,

and there are no grapes on the vines; even
though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie
empty and barren; even though the flocks die
in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in
the God of my salvation! (NLT)

Let me update that for modern times: Even when

business is slow and there are no prospects in the
immediate future, even when my investments have
evaporated and the car won’t start, when depression
and anxiousness are biting at my heels, I will rejoice
in the Lord.
The words of a crazy man? No. The words of a
man who recognizes that contentment does not
come from what you have. It comes from who you
know. And that is how Paul and Silas were able to
rejoice in these circumstances.

99
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

So here are Paul and Silas. At midnight they sing

praises to God. I want you to notice that we don’t
read about them praying for deliverance. They didn’t
say, “Lord, send an earthquake,” or “Lord, remember
how You busted Peter out of jail with the angel? How
about doing that for us right
Contentment does not come now?” We don’t read that
from what you have. It comes they prayed anything of the
from who you know. kind. They just sang praises
to God. And yes, the earth-
quake came, but that is not the focus of the story.
The focus of the story is that the child of God can
rejoice in the most trying of circumstances. That is
the message. Because you know what? Sometimes
the earthquake doesn’t happen. Deliverance from
circumstances doesn’t always come. Sometimes
He delivers us from our circumstances like He did for
Daniel in the lion’s den. And sometimes He delivers us
in our circumstances like He did for Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego.

God Is with You

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown
into a fiery furnace that was heated seven times

100
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

hotter than normal because of their unwillingness

to bow before the golden image of the king. We read
that while they were walking through the furnace,
walking with them was one who was like the Son of
God, which many of us believe was Christ Himself.
So sometimes you will say, “Lord, help me,” and He
will deliver you and heal you. He will provide for you.
He will fix your problem. And other times He says, “I
am going to be with you through it, so trust Me.”
We need to keep that in mind. Ultimately, Paul
wasn’t delivered from that prison in Rome. In fact,
he was beheaded. But on this occasion in Philippi,
he was delivered. An earthquake came. Paul and
Silas were singing, and you could say that they really
“brought the house down,” right?
An earthquake comes and shakes things up so
that the walls of the prison literally collapse. And this
Roman soldier is ready to kill himself. Now under-
stand, this is a hard man. After he whipped Paul
and Silas, he didn’t even wash their wounds. But he
noticed they were different. He had heard their songs
in the night too. And he might have thought, “What
if it is possible to know a God like this?” I think he
was already deeply moved by their willingness to
worship God.
Why would he think to kill himself when the
walls came down? Because back in those days if you

101
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

were a Roman guard in charge of someone and your

prisoner got away, you would be put to death along
with your family. So he thought, “I will just have an
honorable death and kill myself right now. I am ready
to do it.” Paul says, “Don’t hurt yourself. We are all
here. We haven’t left.”
What does the guy say next? “Sirs, what must
I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). I love the fact that
he called them sirs. Very formal. I’m sure he wasn’t
calling them sirs before this happened. Paul answers,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved” (verse 31). And the man believes. Verse 33
tells us, “Even at that hour of the night, the jailer
cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he
and everyone in his household were immediately
baptized” (NLT).
Like Zacchaeus, the tax collector in Luke 19:8
who made restoration because he stole from people,
there was clear evidence of a change of heart
demonstrated by this man’s actions. When there is
no change in actions, it is doubtful there has been
a change of heart. If your heart is really changed,
your actions will change. And if your actions
haven’t changed, it is doubtful your heart has really
changed.
Paul and Silas could easily have chosen not to
worship. They could have thought, “My circumstances

102
 G o d’s Answer for Fear, worry, an d A nxi e t y

stink. I don’t feel like worshipping.” They could have

spent their time grumbling and complaining. They
could have been angry or depressed or indignant or
fearful. But they chose instead to turn their hearts
to the Lord in worship and surrender. And look what
happened as a result. Not only were they happier, not
only did it bless the Lord to receive their worship, but
an entire household came to know the Lord because
of their witness of worship.
I pray that all of us who read this book will find
a song in the night when things are scary or uncer-
tain or difficult or frustrating. I pray that we would
have hearts of worship in every experience, in every
circumstance, in every phase of life—from the begin-
ning to the middle, right to the end, and then into
eternity.

103
 Some Practical
Questions to Consider

We have looked at fear, worry, and anxiety from a

spiritual perspective because I truly believe at its
core, it is a spiritual issue. But that doesn’t mean
there aren’t some physical and mental factors that
contribute to these things.

Consider these questions:

• Am I getting enough sleep?

• Am I nourishing my body with the things I eat,
or am I filling it with junk?
• Am I hydrated?
• Am I getting exercise on a regular basis?

105
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

• When’s the last time I took a vacation?

• What images am I filling my mind with?
• How much time am I spending on social media
and mindless entertainment?
• Do I interact with others or do I isolate myself?
• Do I have a support network of caring individ-
uals around me?

I think the basic idea behind these questions is

the principle that what we put into our minds and
bodies has a direct correlation with the things we
think and feel.

106
 Conclusion

I think the best way to recap the principles we’ve

explored in this book is to go straight to the Scriptures
to summarize what we’ve discussed.

What is God’s answer to fear? God’s presence

expels fear.

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10

107
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

And the Lord, He is the One who goes before

you. He will be with you, He will not leave you
nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.
Deuteronomy 31:8

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
And through the rivers,
they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire,
you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1–3

108
 Conclusion

What is God’s answer to worry? Turn your worries

into prayers!

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray

about everything. Tell God what you need,
and thank him for all he has done. Then you
will experience God’s peace, which exceeds
anything we can understand. His peace will
guard your hearts and minds as you live in
Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6–7 NLT

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he

cares about you.
1 Peter 5:7

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about

your life, what you will eat or what you will
drink; nor about your body, what you will put
on. Is not life more than food and the body
more than clothing? Look at the birds of the
air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather
into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds

109
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

them. Are you not of more value than they?

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to
his stature?
So why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow:
they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to
you that even Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which today is,
and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will
He not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, “What
shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or
“What shall we wear?” For after all these
things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly
Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be
added to you. Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its
own things. Sufficient for the day is its own
trouble.
Matthew 6:25–34

110
 Conclusion

What is God’s answer to anxiety? Abide in the

Lord, remain close to Him, and draw comfort
from His nearness.

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;

you are my glory,
the one who holds my head high.
Psalm 3:3 NLT

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:7–8 NIV

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.
Psalm 94:19

111
 Go d’s Answer to Fear, worry, and Anxi e t y

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 23 NIV

112
WANT TO CONQUER FEAR, ANXIETY AND
WORRY TODAY IN YOUR LIFE?
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed
diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore
magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam,
quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut
aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure
dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat,
vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et
accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent
luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, cons ectetuer adipiscing elit, sed
diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore
magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam,
quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut
aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

Greg Laurie is senior pastor of Harvest Christian

Fellowship, one of the largest churches in Ameri-
ca. More than 5.9 million people have attended
Laurie’s Harvest Crusades since 1990, and more
than 500,000 people have registered professions
of faith through these outreaches. Laurie is the
author of more than seventy books, and his daily
nationally syndicated radio program, A New
Beginning, is broadcast worldwide.