Have you ever wondered why we should turn our eyes upon Jesus in moments of anxiety? It’s because those who look to him are radiant (Psalm 34:5). On the other hand, have you ever imagined a world without God? I think it would be total chaos! Below, we explore more of why this is and why we should ultimately turn our eyes to Jesus.
What does the bible say?
Let’s look at that verse again. Psalm 34:5 reads, Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
I have experienced this in my own life when I turned my eyes to Jesus and realised how good He is. I didn’t find condemnation when I fixed my eyes on heaven – instead, I found forgiveness, love, acceptance and hope.
There were times when I had to decide if I would go crazy and feel trapped because of the problems I had, or if I would follow His guidance and press forward. I learned that anxiety is a lot like fear and that fear stops you. It blinds you and keeps you from seeing that there’s a way out and that things can get better. When we experience anxiety symptoms but still turn to God, we learn that God can help us in our challenges. This requires a step of faith. It’s not easy but it is worth it.
Why is it worth it? Because God is willing to open up your eyes to see.
The difference between despair and hope
If you don’t know God, you may not be able to understand what I’m saying. And that’s okay. The best I can do is explain it like this: looking at your problems and the way things are is basically living without hope. It leads you to despair. In fact, a world without His presence would be just like an apocalyptic movie where there’s no hope. This video even claims that in a world without God, morality and justice would make no sense! But to me, looking to Jesus is the antidote to hopelessness.
What does Jesus say about my anxiety?
Jesus calls us to have hope. Knowing that many of us are battling anxiety symptoms, his encouragement is, “in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
I have faced problems even as a christian. But with Christ I don’t have to close my eyes and pretend they are not there. As I turn to Him, He opens my eyes and gives me direction. I am able to face my anxiety despite initially feeling afraid. He teaches me and brings me to where I am today.
I’m not promising that unpleasant things will disappear. But you can be strong and wise in any situation when you chose to look to God in hope. If you want to learn more about living in hope, we discuss this topic in this blog post.
It’s for freedom we are called to Christ (Galatians 5:1) so there’s no need to let anxiety have the final word.
