Leaning on Christ Through Anxiety

By: Lila Lowery

“22 Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the birds? 25 Can any of you add one moment to his life span[a] by worrying? 26 If then you’re not able to do even a little thing, why worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. 28 If that’s how God clothes the grass, which is in the field today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he do for you—you of little faith? 29 Don’t strive for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious. 30 For the Gentile world eagerly seeks all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 “But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. 32 Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:22-34)

Sometimes, reading the Bible can feel impersonal to me. Like I am just reading about Jesus, not experiencing Him through it. But this was not one of those times. The day I read this in my Bible, my jaw dropped. When I read this, I was in a season of major anxiety, and social and academic nerves were eating me up inside. This passage was the exact thing I needed to read at that moment, and I just knew that Jesus was right next to me, speaking directly to me through His Word. I got through this time of anxiousness through leaning on Jesus. In April, I fainted during Palm Sunday Mass. Although I was completely fine, I was still a bit shaken up and anxious after the ordeal. But, I opened the app Pinterest like I usually do, and the first thing I saw was a quote from Jesus speaking to St. Faustina. He said, “Lean on me as you struggle, fearing nothing.” Since I literally had needed something to lean on earlier that day, I could feel in my heart it was a sign from our Lord. That He was with me in that moment, and is with me in every moment as well, even the nervous ones.

Anxiety is something that a lot of people struggle with, including myself. It can be a vicious cycle, with my mind raking through things to worry about. Worries about school, friendships, family, or anything else are sometimes unavoidable. When things are uncertain or new, it is easy for our brains to obsess over everything that could go wrong. What will people think of me if I do this? What if I’m the only one not doing that? What if I fail my test? Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ve had scary questions like these pop into your head. And while anxiety is easy to be overtaken by, it is not what we should be focusing on. We should be focusing on Jesus Christ.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He didn’t just conquer our sins. He conquered all evil, anxiety included! We don’t have to be servants to anxiety, letting it control our lives. We should be servants to the God of goodness, the Prince of Peace. As Christians, we need to rely on Christ and zero in on His kingdom, especially in times of struggle. In the passage, Jesus says not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear, because there is so much more to life than that. Obviously, food and clothing are necessities in our lives, but I don’t think that is what Jesus meant. I interpreted this as thinking more about what truly impacts our souls, like our spiritual lives and the love inside each of us. When we put in effort to spread the Kingdom of God and to be like Christ ourselves, all of the little things we are worried about will also come in time. When your foundation in life is your relationship with Christ, everything else has a way of getting better. Trust me, when I try to handle big stressors in my life on my own, it does not go very well. But when I pray and lay these things before Christ’s feet, the work begins to get done. And that’s not saying don’t work hard or don’t study. I’m saying to offer it up to God first thing, and then keep trying for God. 

Another reason not to be anxious is because the Lord has so much in store for each one of us, and we will not get through trials any easier by worrying about them. One of my best friends reminded me once that I have already gotten through everything I have been worried about. This really impacted my mindset because it helped me to see all that God has done for me and all that He will do in the future. Jesus said to consider the flowers and their astounding beauty. We are human beings. How much beauty do you think God holds for you, if that is what He has for mere flowers? Although nerve-racking experiences are inevitable, how we go through them is up to our own decision. Will you go through it alone, suffering your emotions behind closed doors? Or will you lean on Jesus, trust in His plan, and share it with the people He has placed in your life? Because, as well as utilizing prayer and communication with God directly, there is also power in relying on friends and family during times of anxiety, since He put them in your life for a reason. I can confidently say that when I open up to my loved ones about my struggles, they become easier to bear. 

The last line of this passage is my personal favorite. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In the verses prior, Jesus describes how we should seek and put our trust in His kingdom, something that will never be stolen or taken away. And when we cherish and treasure the Lord and His kingdom, our hearts will be there, with Him. But when we focus on anxiety, that is where our hearts are, in a world of hurt and sadness. So, although anxiety is something I still struggle with, I know that I can lessen the load through treasuring and pointing my heart towards Jesus. Because when the world can weigh me down with sadness, the Kingdom provides me with joy!