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What do you do when anxiety about a task fills your days and nights?

Previously we looked at Abraham and Eliezer who experienced serious anxiety issues. Both men turned to God in faith and asked for help. God listened to them and honoured their faith by providing the guidance they needed and by blessing the actions they took as a result of that guidance. By walking in God’s way both of them played an important part in enabling God’s Plan for the salvation of humankind, and all Creation, to proceed. In taking the actions which they did, they both experienced a lifting of their burden of anxiety and they gave praise to God.

2000 years after Abraham and Eliezer, people continued to struggle with anxiety in their daily life. In search of an answer some went out to listen to two itinerant preachers who were cousins, John and Jesus. Many people scoffed at the preachers’ message and sought to undermine their influence. In this response they revealed that they were unwilling to listen to God’s Word if it threatened their life-style—a life focussed on dominating others and in accumulating more and more stuff. To the people who were struggling with anxiety and seeking a more abundant life, free from the false goals of society, Jesus said, “Come to me and I will give you rest.”

The experiences of people of faith recorded in the Bible continue to encourage people today to accept Jesus’ invitation to receive the peace they seek but which the world cannot give.

Bible Reading: Matthew 11:1-30; John 14:23-27