Ep. 025 - Finding Peace in a World of Anxiety: Embracing God as our Provider

Episode Transcript

Spencer
You may have seen reports in the news that anxiety has been on the rise, in fact, since the pandemic and lockdown over the last couple of years, really in all areas of anxiety disorders, commonly phobias, panic attacks, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders and post-traumatic stress. These are all on the rise. And we haven't seen them come back down to that level that were prior to the pandemic in 2019.
In fact, about one in five people now suffer from a diagnosed disorder. And today, we want to talk a little bit about anxiety. At its core, it's a fear of harm in the future. And today, we want to look at one antidote for anxiety as we think about where we're at as a cultural moment. And that's really looking at God as our provider.

Austin
When we lived in Denver, we had a pastor that had gone to the Naval Academy and he would regularly tell the story that if the ship that they were on was not anchored and re-anchored and re-anchored every couple of hours in the night, then they would often just start to drift away. And I think about that in relation to our relationship with the Lord.
If we're not anchored and re-anchored and re-anchored regularly getting into Scripture like we've talked about, getting into the church body, being regularly reminded that God is our provider, then we will slowly start to drift away. And as I think about our culture and what we've gone and this rise of anxiety that we feel, it's it doesn't surprise me if we're not re-anchored to the Lord and that his promises that he will provide for us tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and today and every day of my life, then I'm going to continually to get unmoored and move and drift further away.
And that fear is going to start creeping in. So today we're going to really look at the fact that God knows our needs. He's going to provide for our needs, and he allows us to choose whether we're going to follow him or drift into an anxious presence in this world. So where does the culture go with this? Where is it difficult for us to understand?

Spencer
That's what we try to go away from that fear. We run from this idea that maybe we're not in control because internally we're told that we should be in control, but we know that we're actually not. We can't control those results. We know that harm is possible against us since the fall. So, as we look at things sometimes what we do is we run to affirming ideas.
You know, we have this echo chamber that we build around ourselves, that people will only tell us good things or that we will only read particular websites that align with what we think. But again, that's just pushing off that fear. It's not really confronting Who am I? Am I the provider? We think about folks, you know, running towards this idea of adventure.
This idea of kind of a quick hit, whether that be some activity that they're able to do or getting a likes on social media or even using substances for that. We think about all of those different pieces coming together to push us in this direction where we have this anxious presence that is right kind of underneath the surface and it rears its ugly head sometimes at times that we really can't control.

Austin
You know, Mark Sayers, I think you he captures this pretty well and he says “The modern world promises progress and perfection without God.” And this really leads to this crippling anxiety and fear because perfection is impossible. If 3000 years of human history, 5000, however many, we've not yet achieved perfection. We may see yet progress. This life that we're living now with modern medicine and a lot of things that we experience.
Yeah, there has been progress. I would much prefer to live today than 2000 years ago, but perfection is not possible. We live in a broken world, and until Jesus returns, that perfection that we seek is going to be unattainable. And I think the progress is unlikely as well, because we all have different visions of the good life.
What you desire is different than what I desire. And if we can't live in a world together, then progress is going to be impeded. If we can't embrace the fact that we are multifaceted and different, then there's never going to be the progress that we desire. We're not going be able to see the world and this vision of the good life, because the good lives are different, right?
So we're going to dive in today and we're going to look at Matthew 6:25-34. And again, Matthew's writing to a primarily Jewish audience, but he's writing to a post temple Jewish audience. So obviously Matthew's writing after Jesus has died, but he's writing post when the temple was destroyed and the temple was one of those things in the early Jews were looked to for their hope.
That's where they could take their sacrifices. That's where they could really see. It was one of the pillars of their faith. And so it's been destroyed and they really Jews really struggled during that time. So Matthew is he understands that that's where they're at. Those are the fears and anxieties that they have. And because of that loss, Jesus enters that bringing peace and he says things of that nature like do not fear are words that he says over and over and over, and this is just coming after it.
This is part of the Sermon on the Mount. And Jesus has just said, you cannot serve God in money. So Jesus is continuing to raise up these idols, these things that they've looked towards for stability and security in life. And yet he's saying no, no, no, those aren't the things that bring you security. So since you read a passage for us.

Spencer
So Matthew 6:25 and following
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[a] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Austin
As we look at these scriptures, what we see is Jesus is frequently using repetition to get his point across. So some of the things you point out, some of the things he surfaces, he begins with this point about anxiety. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, what you will drink.
And then he finishes it. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow. There's these poles in there in this one section. So obviously if he repeats it, it's important. So he knows there's some anxiety about the day, which I think is true about any day. There's always going to be something to be anxious about. No matter if you're living in 32 A.D. or if you're living in 2023, there is going to be something that's bringing this anxiety.
He talks about the birds. Don't worry about their food, the flowers don't worry about their clothes. He's saying tomorrow can't be controlled. And I think what's really beautiful about this, too, is we think about birds. Yes, there are certain animals. I think about squirrels that they'll bury their nuts for the winter. But by and large, a bird doesn't get up and think, oh, my gosh, what am I going to eat tomorrow?
He thinks, What do I need to do today to go get food today or I have babies in the nest. What do I need to do to go get food for the babies in the nest? And he goes out and God provides for them just like flowers. They don't pop up. And they say, oh my gosh, what is tomorrow going to look like?
Is it going to rain tomorrow? But they just they know that God is the one that is going to provide. And so Jesus highlights this for us because it's important for us to see that we are part one. We're not the only creatures in this world God is caring for and providing for all of his creation. And so if he's going to do that for the birds and the flowers, aren't we so much more valuable to him?
That's what Jesus comes back to. We are more valuable than the birds and the flowers. They can't control tomorrow. You can't control tomorrow. I can't control what's going to happen when I leave your front door. Right. But God does. He knows and he sees it. What else do you see here, Spencer?

Spencer
Well, I think as we look at it, God's really more aware of our needs than we are. You know, we feel these acutely, and sometimes we can get so wrapped up in them that it's hard to even get out of a thought process. We probably all been in times and also all listened to people at times where there's just circular talk we really can't see beyond the next few minutes and it's generating anxiety. We can't we don't have perspective.

Austin
Yeah, let's be honest. I think sometimes on our podcast I get into circular talk.

Spencer
Yeah. So when we, when we can anchor ourselves though, in that God is our provider and that our role is really to just seek His kingdom, that He is the one that can see where things are moving, then that gives us a very different perspective. If we just go to the Psalms. He owns the cattle on a thousand Hills.
If we think about the fact that he created food out of thin air, you know, for the Israelites in the Exodus and brought the quail for them to feast on, yeah, he can handle things. Yeah. He as a provider created if, if we just embrace that he created the entire world. I mean, everything else is kind of ancillary.
You know, if you say I believe that there is a God and he created everything and he's interacting with us, you know, if you embrace those things, you know, down the road, just being reminded that he's provider, that's something that's not a stretch, really. But we need to be re-anchored.

Austin
What I think even that first point that God is more aware of our needs than we are. I get really distorted about my needs are. They are changing regularly based on what I think my needs are. And God's definition of my needs may be very different than my definition of my needs. And if I am just coming to him and saying, God, I need this or this for my satisfaction or for my joy or for my delight, they may not be needs.
And so, I think we think about God as our provider. He gives us all that we need, but he may not give us all that we want and he is not bound to give me the desires of my heart. And I think that's where we get off track, is that we say, God, you're not providing for X, Y or Z, but X, Y, or Z may not be for my good.
I think about times where I've talked with friends and I just realize that abundance, it can be destructive for our souls. And if I'm seeking God because I think I deserve abundance, that may not be what is good for my soul and that may actually destroy it. And so by God not giving me more abundance, by God pulling that back, He might actually be satisfying me in more ways than than are truly what I think is right.
But it's because he knows my need and he provides for my needs.

Spencer
Well, and you even think about folks, one of the conversations that Billy Graham had at one point really struck me because he would pray on a regular basis that the Lord would take his life before he would stray from the faith with the Lord, would take his life before he would do things that would dishonor the direction that he had gone or dishonor the Lord.
And so we think about that from a modern angle or from, you know, our current cultural moment. Would God's bringing our death be our best in that circumstance, to keep us from going astray, to keep us from error? Potentially, yes. And yet we would never really look at things from that angle. So sometimes the Lord can bring about his purposes, his work and his outcomes that are better than what we would actually be going towards.
Through means that sometimes there is pain and suffering involved.

Austin
I think when we think about this in contrasting to the culture, there is this reality that we have to choose whether we're going to embrace anxiety and the fear of tomorrow or are we going to embrace the God who said, I have clothed, the lilies of the field? Will I not clothe you in more splendor?
And I think that is a choice that we get to make every day. Do I lay myself before the Lord and say, God, you are my provider? You know my needs better than I will?
And will I trust you today? And I think about we've talked about this conversation I've had with some friends when I was working with international students, and it was just this. It was this moment that I will never forget. A student from Ethiopia and Haiti. And they're engaged in this conversation and saying, wasn't it easier to trust the Lord when we had to go to him with our needs for him to provide food?
And we saw him show up every single day. I think about the Israelites in the wilderness and when their God is real, welcome them. Yeah. After they said, God, what are you doing? Why don't you provide for us? Are we going to die here in the wilderness? And he does it. Then they respond in worship. But it's when they get complacent of they forgotten.
They have not chosen to remember. They've not chosen to continue to pursue the Lord and re anger themselves that he provided manna every morning he provided what they needed. But it wasn't what they wanted. They wanted to go back to Egypt, where they seemingly had abundance but were in slavery. Yeah. Yeah. But God reminded them regularly, No, he is the provider and he provides their needs.
And so I think that the challenge just becomes has abundance dulled our souls to the the reality that we are truly needy and that we, we need to seek God for what is going to be enriching of our souls, not destructive to our souls.

Spencer
I think we can so easily let the undercurrents of our culture take over that we are indeed the provider, or we are the ones at least, that have to make everything happen. You know, if you sat down with me three or four years ago before the pandemic and lockdown happened, I would verbalize that I was not the provider, God was the provider.
And yet there were significant ways within the business that I would feel the weight of being the one that needed to be in control and needed to through hard work and acumen, make it work. And yet the pandemic and lockdown actually gave me space to be able to engage with some Christian brothers who were in this Kingdom Advisors group who really kept coming back to, okay, is God the provider?
Is he the one that's going to ultimately arrange things to his purposes? And if I could release that and say God owns it all, he's the provider, I just have to listen and respond, then it takes a tremendous weight actually off of us when we can make that transition to see him as the provider and see that every day in him.
So if we can come back to that, I think we have a greater sense of rest and a greater sense of joy, too, because we can look and see what is he up to rather than say, okay, well, I think I have these predetermined outcomes that I need to be able to shoot for, and if I don't get there, then God's unhappy with me instead of maybe in the moment, each moment coming back to more.
What are you up to? Like you were talking about the birds of the air and the grass of the field, the lilies of the field. You know, they're not terribly concerned about, you know, whether, you know what happens in three weeks. Yeah. They're just showing up and they're doing what God designed them to do. But sometimes that's harder for us.

Austin
It's so much harder. Well, and I think even, you know, the language of the church has and our friend Michael Blue exposes us to us. And I remember reading his book a couple of months ago and being so struck with the reality that the church has said that the role of the father is to provide. Yeah. And we often don't look to God as the provider, as the father in that instance.
And we've twisted some language to mean that you and I, as father figures of our families, it is on our shoulders to provide. And so then you must therefore go to work and work hard so that you can provide a good means of existence for your family. Right. And we've twisted the narrative there because it puts something on my shoulders that's a weight on my shoulders that was never intended to be there, because it was always intended that God is our provider and I am a conduit of giving his grace to my family.
It doesn't need to be on my shoulders. And when it whenever I feel that I get anxious of am I giving my kids the life that they deserve, which is the wrong question. Like the right question is, am I leading them towards Jesus to see him as their provider? Right? And that I am simply a conduit. I'm simply a steward of what God has given me?
But I think until we start changing the language around this, this idea of provider, we're going to keep coming back to thinking, I need to do it. It's on my shoulders. Which again, produces that anxiety.

Spencer
Yeah. You know, we look at so many different passages and to your point, we see God saying we need to care for our families. We need to shepherd our families, we need to lead our families. We never see we need to provide for our families. You know, and the one passage I think that he highlights in first Timothy five eight, that's actually not what is being said.
There's a focus there on provision for the poor, the widow that is within the sphere of influence or within the extended family of that particular individual, rather than, okay, you need to provide for your family. It's in the context of a different passage. So, we'll dive into that another time. But absolutely, we come back to if we embrace God as provider.
There's a lot of different ramifications and they bring rest in peace. They move us away from that anxious presence that we've got to get it right to have the American dream, you know, to have that ideal life that we see everybody else having in Facebook and LinkedIn and, you know, all the other, you know, socials, you know.

Austin
Yeah. Well, we hope you guys enjoyed this episode. Know that this has been a conversation that Spencer and I have been having for quite a while. It's not something that we were just like, oh, Tuesday morning, we're going to snap on the cameras and we're going to embrace that God is our provider like this is this is months and years of work that God has been tilling in our souls and coming to this place where God is provider.
It does provide rest, it does provide joy, but it takes hard work to say, I'm going to uproot long held tendencies and long held beliefs to then really put my faith and my trust in a living God who really cares for me. So we hope you enjoyed it and we will talk with you again soon.