We’ve talked about Jesus struggling with anxiety, but was anxiety ever a topic of one of his sermons? Princeton explores the famous sermon on the mount in Matthew 6 and explains how it contains life lessons on how to deal with anxiety.
Episode Highlights:
- Matthew 6 is about a discussion of how a good deed has done for the wrong reasons.
- Princeton talks about Matthew Chapter six on how Jesus preaches about anxiety.
- Princeton gave recommendations from Jesus on how to deal with anxiety.
- Verses 1-4 lesson says, stop performing for the measurement and approval of people.
- Don't do good work trying to be impressive, because you tend to open yourself up to the anxiety.
- When you open up for people's praise /identity, you also live by their rejection.
- It is not the right motivation if you just want to be seen because you are not even aware that you open up to others by basing your identity on what people are saying.
- Jesus never tried to impress even he has a lot of reasons and opportunities to do so because he is going to the will of the Father that sent Him.
- The tendency is, you might impress people today until someone comes along who's more impressive.
- People give praise because of what they need, so the moment they lose it, they will no longer be impressed.
- Princeton is so concerned about every generation on how we are so obsessed with how we look to others.
- There's a lack of inner peace because our concern all the time is how we look to others.
- Verse 5-6 lesson says, learn the value of genuine time alone.
- Anxiety is not about too many things that we're going through, but because of not having that time alone.
- The lesson from verse 7 to 8 is to remember that your needs are already known.
- The Father knows what you need before you ask.
- The lesson from verse 9 says, remember the reverence of God and your relationship with God.
- When praying, you see God is way bigger than your anxiety.
- The lesson from verse 10 says, release the desire to have everything in your order.
- Anxiety is because we choose to do it our way as we believe that our plans are more significant than God.
- The lesson from verse 11 says, take life one day at a time.
- Forgiveness is the art of releasing which makes space for peace.
- Do not hold on to anger to put more space for peace.
- The closure is an important part of forgiveness.
- Forgiveness begins in acknowledging that sin was committed.
- Our responsibility is to forgive but not to entertain the same space.
- Holding on is not going to penalize others who have sinned you, but it will just make you heavy.
- To wrap it up, therefore take no thought as God said don't be anxious.
3 Key Points:
- To avoid exposing yourself to anxiety and find inner peace, do good things not trying to be impressive.
- The Father knows what we need, pray and see that God is greater than your anxiety.
- Do not hold on to anger, forgive to put more space for peace.
Tweetable Quotes:
- "When you do good work don't do good work trying to be impressive." -Princeton Parker
- "If you wanted to be seen, is not the right motivation in the first place."-Princeton Parker
- "How much freer would you be, if you pick clothes out in the morning not caring about what people's gonna say?"-Princeton Parker
- "Sometimes, we like to be offended because it guarantees us an opportunity to something later on" -Princeton Parker
- "Where there should be love, there's anger." -Princeton Parker
- "If God treated you the way you treat others will you be satisfied?"-Princeton Parker
Resources Mentioned:
