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“Our culture teaches us to never let them see you sweat and always put your best foot forward.” Pastor Daniel Fusco of Crossroads Community Church made that statement in one of his recent two-minute message videos.

It’s so true, isn’t it?  It’s ingrained in us to always put on a good face and appear as if we have it all together.  We tend to operate that way with people and it can translate into how we relate to God. I know it does for me.

One day I was sitting at work thinking about an upcoming trip to Dallas, Texas.  I had booked a flight and was slightly uneasy because I’m not a huge fan of flying and hadn’t done it in a while.  I found myself trying not to think about my fears.  I started recalling Bible verses about not being afraid as a means of blowing off my feelings instead of as a way to encourage myself.  As I was going through this process in my mind, I felt God gently impress on my heart, “Talk to Me about it.”

It was like this lightbulb went off in my head.  God is not disappointed or put off by my worries and doubts.  He sees and He cares.  He wants me to talk to Him about those things and He wants to help me.

There’s a warped idea that circulates in Christianity sometimes that having faith in God means that when we feel negative emotions like doubt, worry or fear, we have to bury them and pretend they’re not there.  If we acknowledge it then that somehow means that we don’t really trust God or we’re not as strong a Christian as we should be.

My interaction with God shattered that perception in my mind that day.  It’s actually a sign of trust in God to be vulnerable, honest with Him and ask for His help.  Pretending that you have it all together when you don’t is not faith and it’s not strength.  God invites us to trust in Him in our weak moments and rely on His strength. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

God drew me back to a truth of Scripture when He spoke to me that day.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:6-8)

To be clear, not all worry is the same.  There’s a difference between dealing with worry that’s just a symptom of our human nature learning to trust God and struggling with anxiety as a clinical diagnosis.  The latter is not what I’m referring to in this post, and requires a different response that includes leaning on Jesus for strength and support from community, as well as support from doctors and counselors.  And that’s completely okay.

It is NOT sinful, shameful or un-Christian to struggle with depression, anxiety or any other mental health issue.  It is not un-Christian to seek help for those things in counseling and medicine in addition to faith in Jesus.  I’m so grateful for Christians like Jarrid Wilson and organizations like Anthem of Hope who are helping to break the stigma surrounding mental health (especially in Christian circles), and providing support and resources to help people work through those things well.

Now that we’ve clarified that…

Here are some reflective questions based on Philippians 4:6-8 to help you remove the mask and approach God with honesty.

Are you honest with God about the things that are worrying you?

Are you honest about the things that are making you feel unsettled, however significant or simple they may be?

In my life, worry, uneasiness, concern – whatever you want to call it – can come up with anything from taking on a new task at work, or serving people with the gifts God has given has given me, to building new friendships.

What is it for you?  Job or academic performance? Relational conflict? Some step of faith in your walk with Jesus? A big decision you have to make? Finances?

Again, being honest about your cares and concerns does not indicate a lack of faith in God or a lack of spiritual strength.  The Bible is filled with stories of people having broken, vulnerable moments in conversation with God right alongside the joyful declarations of hope and praise.  (Check out the book of Psalms in the Bible) God welcomes both.  Both are a part of life and relationship with God.  It’s okay to let go of the front.  He wants you to.

Are you praying about those things, telling Him what your concerns and needs are and asking for His help?

God already knows everything you are facing and everything that you need.  (Matthew 6:8)  He asks you to pray because it encourages conversation with Him and it gives space to invite His power and help into your circumstances.  God loves to work on behalf of His children.

Honestly tell God how you feel about the worries in your heart, but also take the extra step to ask for His help in those situations.

Are you keeping perspective on who God is through thanksgiving and praise?

It’s so impactful to express thanks to God for His work in our lives and to declare and sing the truth about His character, especially in moments when our emotions and circumstances are pulling us to believe the opposite.

The passage in Philippians says that the result of praying about our concerns and thanking God for what He has done is that we will experience God’s peace.  I have found this to be true over and over again in my life.

When you focus on what’s worrying you without bringing God into the situation, it drags you down.  When you pray about it and spend time praising God, His peace fills your heart and mind and you are strengthened to trust Him.

Are you actively thinking good, truthful thoughts?

It seems like negative thoughts pull on our attention so much more than positive thoughts do, doesn’t it?

It will take effort but it is so encouraging to our hearts to focus on God’s hope and truth instead of just our worries and circumstances.

This is a valuable lesson I learned from my story earlier in this post.  Instead of using Scripture truths to discredit your feelings, acknowledge your feelings to yourself and to God, and then let Scripture speak encouragement to you.

Fill your mind and thoughts with the truths and promises of God’s Word.  Read, meditate on, proclaim and believe the truth God’s Word speaks about who He is and the situations you’re facing.

Don’t let worry fill your mind and heart, let God’s truth fill your mind and heart.

You don’t have to hide from God in shame when you’re troubled by something.  You don’t have to pretend to be strong when you’re not.  God’s arms are wide open to you when you’re hopeful and confident and when you’re weighed down with cares.  He’s always ready to give you His peace in exchange for your worry.

Let’s Talk: Is it easy or difficult to be honest with God about the things that trouble you?  What is one situation in your life where you can remove the mask and start being honest with God about your concern?  Discuss this post in the comments below.  

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