I have been an anxious person most of my life. Sometimes I rise to a challenge, but often I find myself slowed if not paralyzed by a fear of failure, a fear of not measuring up, anticipating the shame of letting someone down. At certain points of my life, I opted not to compete rather than to disappoint. At times, I jettisoned relationships rather than risk being rejected. Deep down I felt unworthy of love and unlikely to succeed. When I have succeeded, I’ve been haunted by “the imposter syndrome” – the unnerving fear that I’ll be found out, unveiled as an imposter who faked my way to success.

At Wednesday night worship a couple weeks ago, Pastor Art prayed for me and an upcoming trip, a trip I had worried about. As his prayer ended, my anxiety disappeared. It felt like I’d been trapped in a room with a bunch of irritating, noisy, fluorescent lights that had just gone out. My body relaxed completely. It was a great feeling, an unusual feeling, to stand there, anxiety free. “What if I could feel like this all the time?” I though. It would be fabulous! Wait – that’s exactly what God asks us to do.
Think about all the Biblical references to worry. The summarized message is: “Don’t!” Essentially, God says, “I’ve got this! You don’t have to worry because I’m all over this!” How’s that for an incredible world? What an incredible life – to live without worry.
Some folks pervert God’s “Don’t worry” advice. They say we don’t have to worry because God is going to make us rich, prosperous beyond our wildest dreams. But I don’t read that in God’s promises or Jesus prayer for us. “Give us today, our daily bread.” I believe the miraculous gifts God gives us can be summed up in one word: Enough. Enough for today, enough for this minute, this second- enough. And what is enough? God’s presence, God’s love, God’s grace – that is surely enough.
Pastor’s prayer didn’t guarantee me safe travel, business success, or any worldly goods. It was no spiritual rabbit’s foot, magic charm or get out of jail free card. What is did was turn me around, focus my attention off myself and back to the ground of my being: my Creator, my Savior, my enough.
Focused back on God’s love, realizing God loves me, claims me and makes me God’s own– regardless of my fear, my failure or my fear of failure– makes it difficult to stay anxious. How can I be unlovable if the God of the universe loves me? How can I worry if the God of the universe is with me and for me? And, if God catches us when we fall and loves us always, then we must rethink “failure” and ask ourselves: “What would we attempt to do if we knew that we could not fail?” What and who is God calling us to do and be?
Knowing that God loves you UNCONDITIONALLY, read Philippians 4: 4-13 and quietly ask yourself:

God loves you and so do I.
 Mike
Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A+4-13&version=NRSV