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“Anxiety increases as perceived control diminishes.”

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World (Kindle Location 608). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

We live in a world of anxiety, don’t we?  I mean, don’t you watch TV or read Facebook?     

Max says, “So what do we do? Control everything? Never board a plane without a parachute. Never enter a restaurant without bringing your own clean silverware. Never leave the house without a gas mask. Never give away your heart for fear of a broken one. Never step on a crack lest you break your mother’s back. Face anxiety by taking control. If only we could.”

He goes on, “That’s why the most stressed-out people are control freaks. They fail at the quest they most pursue. The more they try to control the world, the more they realize they cannot. Life becomes a cycle of anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure. We can’t take control because control is not ours to take.”

He then says, “The Bible has a better idea. Rather than seeking total control, relinquish it. You can’t run the world, but you can entrust it to God. This is the message behind Paul’s admonition to ‘rejoice in the Lord.’ Peace is within reach, not for lack of problems, but because of the presence of a sovereign Lord. Rather than rehearse the chaos of the world, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty, as Paul did. ‘The things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ’ (Phil. 1:12–13).”

It is good to remember that when Paul wrote these words he was in a Roman prison.  His peace didn’t come from his circumstance or his control it came from his rejoicing in his God who Paul knew was in control. 

Yes, in our world there is a lot of chaos but as Max says, “rather than rehearse the chaos of our world, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty.”  It is all about who is in control. 

So, are you losing control?  So, how is your anxiety going?
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