Do I have any real friends? Will I ever find a spouse? If I do find one, will he or she be faithful? Will we be able to have kids? What about my health? There’s always something to worry about. David Powlison recognizes that we have good reason to worry about things. But he assures us that we have much better reasons not to worry! Anxiety is a universal human experience, and we need to approach it with a plan. What do you do when anxieties take over your life? Powlison describes a six-point game plan based on these truths: “It is your Father's pleasure to give you the kingdom. Your father is God. You need not worry.“

Anxiety and worry are distress responses to the circumstances of life in this fallen world. In many cases, anxiety and worry are simply the result of sinful fear driven by unbelief and a desire to control the outcomes of life. However, Scripture does distinguish between sinfully acting on anxiety and taking the burdens of our souls to God in prayers. There is also a right concern for what concerns God and a proper sense of the burdens of life. In addressing anxiety, Jesus and the Apostles give believers numerous theological rationales and practical truths to help them overcome sinful fear. Our knowledge of God and belief in His promises constitute either the cause or cure of our sinful anxiety. Doubting God’s love, wisdom, and protection results in our attempts to take the matters of life into our own hands. Joy, thanksgiving, and trust in God, on the basis of His love demonstrated in the saving work of Christ, are the ultimate remedy to our sinful fear and anxieties.

Fears and frets are commonplace in a world affected by sin. How should Christians avoid falling into the trap of worrying? Today, Gabe Fluhrer provides pastoral counsel for those facing worry.

good reason that v. 8 follows vv. 6–7. In vv. 6–7, we are told that prayer is the place to begin. In v. 8, we are told what to think about instead of worrying. To be honest with you, I don't know anyone who can pray all the time. Paul gives us some important principles to think about instead of worrying. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (v. 8)

Essentially, we are being challenged to think about what we think about. Each of these words represents a brand-new vista to replace the worry weeds that can crowd into the landscape of our minds. Just take the first phrase, "whatever is true." This is the foundation for all the rest. We are blessed to have the truth of God's Word, which includes all His wonderful promises. Worried about finances? The truth is that "my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (4:19). Worried that you won't have the strength to carry on? The truth is that "I can do all things through Him that strengthens me" (4:13). If you are feeling lonely, isolated, or neglected, the truth is that "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). Instead of worrying, spend some time plumbing the depths of this new way of thinking.

You will notice that these antidotes to anxiety take into account your vertical relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Remember to look up to the One who hears you when you cry out to Him and who has given you His amazing promises to reflect and meditate on in the midst of the storms of life.

designed to give you lasting peace (see Matt. 6:19). It is about daily feeding your soul on the promises and provisions of your heavenly Father. It is about taking special care before you name something a need. And it is about living for something bigger than you. It is about giving the love and concern of your heart to the King and His kingdom and fighting the instinct to construct a Lilliputian kingdom of your own. The kingdom of self will never give you rest because it does not have the capacity to satisfy the cravings of your heart.

In the cave, David had it right when he said, “For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Ps. 4:8). It’s as if David is saying, “My peace isn’t found in locations, relationships, or circumstances; it is found in the Lord. Because it is, I am as free of worry here in this cave as I was in the palace!” Yes, David was grieved as any father would be, and no, he did not know how things were going to turn out; but in the middle of his questions and in the throes of his grief he was a man with a heart at rest, so much so that he was able to sleep.

Worry and rest always reveal the true treasures of our hearts, and in this battle we are not alone because the King we are called to serve is also Emmanuel. He is ever with us and battles for us by His grace.

In the book of James we are told to count it all joy, when we meet trials of various kinds. What could this biblical injunction mean? Is the Christian called to enjoy pain and suffering? When anxieties plague our soul, is it enough to just say, "Don't worry?" What is the biblical way to deal with suffering of any kind? Considering these things in this message, Dr. Sproul teaches us the meaning of joy in the Christian life, especially during times of suffering.

The festivals and feasts of the old covenant were occasions for the people of God to gather and rejoice. As great as it was, such joy was but a foreshadowing of the joy that we know as new covenant believers, for we can celebrate our salvation with a knowledge the old covenant saints never had. For the next week, we will examine Christian joy more fully using Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series Joy.

Unfortunately, our culture has so trivialized joy that it is all but impossible for many people to understand properly the biblical definition of this fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). Every day we are told both explicitly and implicitly that real joy cannot exist apart from success in all our relationships and happiness with our standard of living. The mantra, “Don’t worry, be happy,” has been immortalized in song and is often used as a quick way to silence any fears that we might harbor.

Yet we can see a slight similarity between this phrase and Scripture’s teaching on joy, for both the phrase and the Word of God command us to have a certain attitude. Just as “Don’t worry, be happy” orders us to be happy, the Bible commands us to rejoice. In fact, rejoicing is so important to the Christian life that the apostle Paul makes joy the central theme of his epistle to the Philippians.

As we have noted, joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23), and it must be evident at some level in the life of every believer. Joy need not be tied inescapably to our circumstances, for we have the Holy Spirit, and we can decide to rejoice always (Phil. 4:4).

Of course, Christian joy does not deny the existence of pain or the legitimacy of grief. Jesus was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3); thus, there are times when it is okay to be sad. Only when we are consistently despairing or hopeless has sadness become tainted by sin. Being made in God’s image, we are complex creatures who can be both sad and joyful at the same time, though in different senses. We can grieve the death of loved ones because we no longer have personal communion with them. At the same time, we can have a deep, abiding joy, knowing that death for the Christian is only temporary. Christ’s death and resurrection have crushed this enemy, and now we wait for God to finally and fully defeat death when the new heaven and earth dawn (1 Cor. 15:20–28; 2 Tim. 1:10).

Having told us not to store up earthly treasures (Matt. 6:19–24), in today’s passage Jesus anticipates an objection to His teaching. Sure, some may think, it is easy to tell us not to pursue earthly treasures, but we need money and other goods to meet our needs. Will we not worry if we do not go after such treasures? After all, how will we afford to eat, buy clothes, and so on without money?

Our Savior’s answer to this unstated problem is simple: “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (v. 25a). In the examples that follow, Jesus shows us why we need not fret about such things. But before we get into these reasons, note that Christ is not here commending a lackadaisical approach to life in which we expect everything to fall into our laps. Nor does His teaching release us from the duty to feed our families. Scripture is clear that we should be industrious, just like the ants (Prov. 6:6–11), and that anyone who does not provide for his family is worse than the unbeliever who does (1 Tim. 5:8). Even so, toiling away out of fear for the future is not the same thing as God-glorifying labor.

Life’s pressures invite us to worry incessantly about tomorrow. Yet Christ says divine providence makes this anxiety foolish. Birds do not worry, they sing, and still they find food each day without sowing or reaping. We as God’s image-bearers have more worth than they and can be all the more confident that He will feed us as well (Matt. 6:26; see Gen. 1:26–27). “The lilies of the field” neither toil nor spin. Their life and worth is so limited that they are fuel for our fires, yet their glory is far greater than Solomon’s. Since the Father provides for these, He also will provide for us, His beloved people (Matt. 6:28–30).

Far from compounding our anxiety, making God’s kingdom the center of our lives frees us from anxiety. If we seek this kingdom first, He will meet all our needs (v. 33). Those who serve Him wholeheartedly and live out the ethics of God’s kingdom will share what they have (5:42; 6:1–4), and thereby our Father will meet our needs through our efforts and the generosity of others. We need not worry about tomorrow, for God always takes care of His own (Ps. 37:25).

Joseph rejoiced when he saw Jacob in Egypt (Gen. 46:29) because the father and son had been apart from one another for decades. Yet as believers, we know that we can have joy even during tragedies like separation or death. Using Dr. R.C. Sproul’s teaching series Joy, we will now devote a few days of study to this Christian virtue.

It can be hard to comprehend the biblical concepts of joy and happiness because our culture has trivialized and sentimentalized these states of being. Society tells us real joy is impossible if we are not always happy with our relationships and possessions. The mantra, “don’t worry, be happy,” is often recited in a trite and frivilous manner.

However, this slogan has one important thing in common with Scripture’s teaching on joy: it expresses an imperative. That is to say, just as “don’t worry, be happy” orders us to be happy, so too does God’s Word command us to be joyful. Today’s passage is but one of many texts telling us to “rejoice in the Lord.”

Unfortunately, we tend to believe joy is something that happens to us, and so we often lack joy when things do not go our way. But joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23) that will be manifest in all believers, and so we must strive to be joyful in our lives. We have the Holy Spirit living within us, and we are therefore able to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4). We can decide to have joy.

Let us also be clear that Christian joy does not deny the legitimacy of grief. Jesus was a “man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3); thus, it is not wrong to be sad. Sin creeps in when we are consistently despairing or hopeless. We are fearfully and wonderfully made - complex creatures who can be sad in one sense and joyful in another simultaneously. I grieve if my brother dies because I no longer have personal communion with him. But I can have a deep, abiding joy, for I know that death does not have the final word. It has been conquered in Christ’s death and resurrection (2 Tim. 1:10).

Christians find their joy in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). When we consider all the benefits and blessings Jesus has brought to us, we realize that we are joyful in Him and that we must strive to show forth this joy.

The song of praise that the Israelites sang on the shore of the Red Sea was born from hearts filled with joy. This joy is something that should be a part of every Christian life. It is not merely icing on the cake to be tasted once in a while but it is an abiding obligation. Joy is a normal fruit of the Spirit. We often consider happiness or joy as something that happens to us, not something that should flow from us. We don’t consider joy as a duty to be performed, but as an emotional state to be received passively and involuntarily. But when we look at the concept of joy in the Bible, it is expressed as an imperative, something we do by faith.

It is the Christian’s moral obligation to be joyful, and the failure of the Christian to be joyful is sin. Unhappiness and a lack of joy, in many circumstances, is a manifestation of the flesh. Certainly, there are times when we are filled with sorrow. Jesus Himself was called a man of sorrows. The Scripture tells us that it is better to go to the house of mourning than to spend our days in the house of feasting. Even Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” We must understand that it is legitimate to feel sorrow and grief. But a person can have a sense of joy even in the midst of mourning and profound grief. This is because our sorrow is directed toward a circumstance, but our joy is focused on and flows from God.

Joy, therefore, not being opposed to sorrow, is a fruit of the Spirit. It is our duty to be joyful: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” Being joyful is a matter of the will. The key to being joyful all the time is “in the Lord.” If Christ is in me and I in Him, that relationship is constant. Therefore, there is always a reason for joy. That is why, in the midst of difficulties, we can rejoice in Christ—or because He is always present in us.

The fruits of the Holy Spirit are not the same as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Gifts are distributed differently among various members of Christ’s body. But when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit, we are all to bear these fruits (albeit by differing degrees). This means that the more we grow in grace, the more joyful we will become. The Christian life is not to be dour and miserable. It will often be sorrowful, but it should always be filled with joy that flows from Jesus Christ.

Here's an excerpt from Instead of Worrying, Tim Witmer's contribution to the July issue of Tabletalk:

"What? Me Worry?" Those of us who are old enough remember Alfred E. Neumann's mindless approach to worry. Similarly, Bobby McFerrin's smash hit "Don't Worry Be Happy" resonated with millions of people who just hoped that it could be that easy. It isn't. All of us wrestle with anxiety. After all, there are lots of things to worry about: money, health, family, career—you can fill in the rest.

Continue reading Instead of Worrying, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3 month trial.

Are you sure you're saved? Many Christians wrestle with this question, agonizing over guilt and worrying whether they're truly in Christ. But it doesn't have to be this way. In Assurance of Faith, Dr. Joel R. Beeke examines the Bible and the Westminster Confession of Faith to help believers lean on God's promises and find assurance. This is a series to comfort struggling Christians, encourage the assured, and caution those who take their assurance for granted.

In Found: God’s Peace, trusted pastor and teacher John MacArthur tackles this vital question head-on. Throughout the book, MacArthur shares principles to help you overcome uncertainty, defeat worry, and experience true freedom from anxiety.As Pastor John MacArthur writes, the key to worry-free living is to replace worry with prayer, right thinking, and action. Here he draws on rich biblical truths to show us how.

One of the haunting dilemmas of the human condition is that fear is “an inescapable feature of earthly life.” Every person who has lived on this earth has encountered fear. Tragically, for this reason our race for the good life finds us all too often “running scared.” In his new release, Running Scared, Edward T. Welch investigates the roots of fear in the human soul and the ramifications of living in the grips of anxiety, worry, and dread.Welch encourages readers to discover for themselves that the Bible is full of beautiful words of comfort for fearful people (and that every single person is afraid of something). Within the framework of thirty topical meditations, Welch offers sound biblical theology and moment-by-moment, thoughtful encouragement for life-saving rescue in the midst of the heart and mind battlefield of rampant panic-stricken responses.This comprehensive primer on the topic of fear, worry, and the rest of God will have readers retreating to scripture for invariable constancy, stalwart care, and robust comfort, instead of as Welch terms it, “hitting the default switch” by responding with characteristic human independence, control, and self-protectiveness. Running Scared affirms that, through Scripture, God speaks directly to our fears: On money and possessions On people and their judgments On death, pain, and punishment.Welch’s lively text provides convincing evidences that humanity’s struggle against active and dormant fears are countless. The good news is that God provides both the remedy and the cure for this malady in the person of Jesus Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and through powerful, life-altering promises in Scripture. Far more than merely another psychology “self-help” guide, serves as a biblical roadmap to a life of serenity and security.

People are complex. There is behavior that we see and motives that we don't. Behind the ″what we do″ of our lives is the ″why we do it.″ Edward T. Welch challenges us to peer more closely into the ″why.″ He insightfully reveals that, according to God's Word, the heart is the source of all human motivation. Our hearts contain motives such as: Pleasure, Happiness, Meaning, Power, Comfort, Control, Success, Peace, Freedom, Reputation, Respect, Love/Intimacy. Welch encourages us to ask questions to discover some of our deeper motives: • What do we hope for, want, crave? • What do you fear? What do you worry about? • When do you say, ″If only...″?

Are you sure you're saved? Many Christians wrestle with this question, agonizing over guilt and worrying whether they're truly in Christ. But it doesn't have to be this way. In Assurance of Faith, Dr. Joel R. Beeke examines the Bible and the Westminster Confession of Faith to help believers lean on God's promises and find assurance. This is a series to comfort struggling Christians, encourage the assured, and caution those who take their assurance for granted.

Worry and anxiety rob us of joy. How can we find relief from our fears? Today, R.C. Sproul encourages us to seek renewed joy in prayerful fellowship with our heavenly Father.

Fear and worry are never far from us in a fallen world. How should we think about our anxiety? Is it sinful? Today, Ed Welch reflects on the way Jesus speaks to anxious hearts.

The September 2024 issue of Tabletalk will feature articles on the theme of certainty in an uncertain world. Few would dispute that we are living in an era of great upheaval. Wars, pandemics, economic problems, population migrations, technological advancement, and much more prove that from a human perspective, the world is in continual flux. A sense of uncertainty and unease can even plague those who find rest on the sure and certain foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ. This issue of Tabletalk will seek to assist readers in finding certainty in God and in the truths and promises of His Word in this era of so much uncertainty. Contributors include Burk Parsons, Mark Kelderman, Wiley Lowry, Joshua A. Squires, Karrie Hahn, Matthew P.W. Roberts, Joe Holland, Derek W.H. Thomas, Eric B. Watkins, Tessa Thompson, Andrew M. Davis, Kara Dedert, Jonathan L. Master, R. Carlton Wynne, Kevin D. Gardner, Nick Batzig, Todd Alexander, Chad Vegas, and Jackie Gibson.

“Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” —2 Corinthians 7:1 We all have experienced fear at some point. And if we are honest, we don’t usually think of fear as a good thing. So why does the Bible call us to fear the Lord? In this book, Michael Reeves explains that the fear of God is not a gloomy fear marked by anxiety but a heartfelt and happy enjoyment of God as Creator and Redeemer. As we learn more about the surprising good news of the fear of the Lord, we will discover the vital role we play in displaying to the world the awesomeness of our God. This is the concise edition of Rejoice and Tremble by Michael Reeves.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” —Proverbs 1:7 Fear is one of the strongest human emotions—and one that often baffles Christians. In the Bible the picture can seem equally confusing: Is fear a good thing or a bad thing? And what does it mean to “fear the Lord”? In Rejoice and Tremble, Michael Reeves clears the clouds of confusion and shows that the fear of the Lord is not a negative thing at all, but an intensely delighted wondering at God, our Creator and Redeemer.

Are you overwhelmed by stress? On edge? Pressured to achieve? Spinning into free fall? What is the “noise“ going on inside you? Or are you quiet inside? Here David Powlison invites you to look at Psalm 131 to learn how to quiet your soul. “Psalm 131 gives us intimate access to the inner life of someone who has learned composure,“ Powlison writes. “This person is quiet on the inside because he has learned the only true and lasting peace.“ Psalm 131 is not about unruffled detachment or stoic indifference. It is not about having an easygoing personality or low expectations. It is about learning composure through a relationship with Jesus Christ. His presence in our lives is the only thing strong enough to overpower stress. We can say with the psalmist, “Surely I have composed and quieted my soul.“