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. ANXIETY. "But pay attention to yourselves that your hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon you as a snare. For it will come upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth." (Luke 21:34,35).
"On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your souls as to
what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you
will wear. Does not the soul mean more than food and the body than clothing?
Observe intently the birds of heaven, because they do not sow seed or reap or
gather into storehouses; still your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not
worth more than they are? Who of you by being
anxious can add one cubit to his lifespan? Also, on the matter of
clothing, why are you anxious? Take a
lesson from the lilies of the field, how they are growing; they do not toil, nor
do they spin; but I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was
arrayed as one of these. If now, God thus clothes the vegetation of the field,
which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much
rather clothe you, you with little faith? So never
be anxious and say, 'What are we to eat?' or, 'What are we to drink?' or,
'What are we to put on?' For all these are the things the nations are eagerly
pursuing. For your Heavenly Father knows you need all these things."
(Matt 6:25 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; while you throw all your anxiety (1) upon Him, because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6,7). "Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness." (Matt 6:33,34). 'Have we found that anxiety about possible consequences increased the clearness of our judgement, made us wiser and braver in meeting the present, and arming ourselves for the future? ...If we had prayed for this day's bread, and left the next to itself, if we had not huddled our days together, not allotting to each its appointed task but ever deferring that to the future, and drawing upon the future for its own troubles, which must be met when they come whether we have anticipated them or not, we should have found a simplicity and honesty in our lives, a capacity for work, an enjoyment in it, to which we are now, for the most part, strangers.' (F. D. Maurice). 'Cast ALL your care (2) on God... Never brood over yourself; never stop short in yourself; but cast your whole self, even this very care which distresses you, upon God. Be not anxious about little things, if you would learn to trust God with your all. Act upon faith in little things; commit your daily cares and anxieties to Him; and He will strengthen your faith for any greater trials. Rather, give your whole self into God's hands, and so trust Him to take care of you in all lesser things, as being His, for His own sake, whose you are. (E. B. Pusey).
"Now as they were going their way he entered into a certain village. Here
a certain woman named Martha received him as guest into the house. This woman
also had a sister called Mary, who, however, sat down at the feet of the Lord
and kept listening to his word. Martha, on the
other hand, was distracted with attending to many duties. So, she
came near and said: "Lord, does it not matter to you that my sister has left me
alone to attend to things? Tell her, therefore, to join in helping me." In
answer the Lord said to her: "Martha, Martha, you
are anxious and disturbed about many things. A few things, though,
are needed, or just one. For her part, Mary chose
the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her."
(Luke 10:38 'Beware of letting your care degenerate into anxiety and unrest; tossed as you are amid the winds and waves of sundry troubles, keep your eyes fixed on the Lord, and say, 'Oh, my God, I look to you alone; be my Guide, my Pilot', and then be comforted. When the shore is gained, who will heed the toil and the storm? And we shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God. If at times we are somewhat stunned by the tempest, never fear; let us take breath, and go on afresh. Do not be disconcerted by the fits of vexation and uneasiness which are sometimes produced by the multiplicity of your domestic worries. No indeed, dearest child, all these are but opportunities of strengthening yourself in the loving, forbearing graces which our dear Lord sets before us. (F. De Sales).
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