Proverbs 12:25. Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.
Anxiety is an increasing problem for so many people these days. Do you ever feel anxious? I do. Sometimes I know what is causing my anxiety, and sometimes I don’t. This proverb doesn’t tell us the cause of the man’s anxious heart. It only tells us the effect – it weighs him down. It brings depression, a heaviness of heart.
Anxiety and depression go hand in hand don’t they? Worry and fear, even when we know they are not rational, can debilitate a person, preventing them from being able to move forward in life. The Bible teaches us that we will never be fully free from feeling anxious, worried, and fearful. Why not? Because these emotions are part of who we are. They actually spring from love. They are the opposite of apathy. If we love or care for anything or anyone at all, we will have some anxiety because we will always worry, at least in part, about that person or thing that we love. And that’s normal.
The problem is when our anxiety weighs us down. Like carrying a heavy weight over a long distance, too much anxiety brings a depression that makes us just want to quit carrying the load. And when the load gets too heavy, we will do anything to get rid of it, even rejecting the calling of God on our lives.
What’s the cure for anxiety? A good word.
This remedy may sound a bit simplistic, but the truth is that what every one of us needs is someone who will speak the good word into our lives. Words of encouragement and faithfulness. A good word is supportive, not judgmental. A good word is gentle, not harsh. A good word brings hope, never despair. A good word points to Christ and our union with his life. The gospel is the good word that we must learn to speak to one another. This is how we will bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, by speaking the good word of grace in Christ to the anxious and weighed down heart.
Speaking and thinking about Jesus and his never ending love for us is the best way to move from fear to faith, from anxiety to gladness.
You: Do you ever feel anxious? Weighed down?
You in Christ: How can you speak the good word of your union with Christ to your own heart on a regular basis?
Christ in you: Is there someone that you can speak the good word of grace in Christ to this week, and thus help them overcome their anxiety?
Pray: Jesus, make my heart glad. Replace my anxious fear with faith in your good word. Amen.
To Live is Christ 