Treatment for Anxiety

                  Generalized Anxiety Disorder affects many people these days. The word “disorder” in the title means it gets in your way of having a happy and fulfilling life. You’re always in a heightened state of awareness, anxious about what you don’t have, about what will happen in the future and what might happen.

                  Treatment for the disorder often involves self examination and relaxation. It’s an old condition, as old as the human race. The best treatment I’ve seen displayed is found in Matthew 6:25-34. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.” He instructs us to notice birds and flowers. God feeds and cares for them, and they’re quite beautiful.

There’s another message in this. Jesus commands us to notice the birds and flowers. Observe them. Study them. Admire their beauty, observe the rich coloring and unusual formation of petals and feathers. In our anxious state of mind, our focus is everywhere. We see the blight and trouble where we are, and in the unseen future we imagine even worse things. In contrast, stop and look at a flower. Smell its fragrance. Absorb its form and color. Learn to enjoy it. It’s not here for long, but how bold and beautiful are the flowers!

During Springtime in Central Texas, the roadsides are full of cars pulled over so families can gather children in the midst of the rich growth of bluebonnets. That’s the spirit! I’ve noticed that those bluebonnets don’t care where they grow. They can appear on a lush hillside, and they can back right up to an ugly deserted shack.

Jesus said to notice the birds. Set out birdbaths and feeders, and watch the finches, cardinals and red-winged blackbirds flit in and out for a visit. Hummingbirds are fun to watch, too. All teach the same lesson. God feeds them better than you can, and look at their beauty! Listen to their song! Many a time have I stood spellbound while a mockingbird sings his songs.

“Look at the birds,” Jesus said. “Consider the lilies.” He ends this segment with “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Bills will pile up, water heaters will someday leak, and car tires will someday wear out—usually when you can’t afford to replace them. Don’t let the urgent things demand your attention. Put the important things first, like the Kingdom of God, and enjoy God’s gifts in the moment.

There’s the best “cognitive reconstruction” I’ve seen: enjoy life in the moment, and organize your life around Christ