By Max Lucado
Max Lucado wants to help you become less stressed and more C.A.L.M. I would encourage you to listen to what he says. The long-time pastor and best-selling author is going to share why you can be "anxious for nothing," but also how God helps you can experience calm in the chaos.
Anxiety is on the rise. Max doesn't run from that fact.
Our college kids are feeling [less calm] as well. In a study that involved more than two hundred thousand incoming freshmen, "students reported all-time lows in overall mental health and emotional stability." As psychologist Robert Leahy points out, "The average child today exhibits the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the 1950s." Kids have more toys, clothes, and opportunities than ever, but by the time they leave home, they are wrapped tighter than Egyptian mummies.
What's the solution? Lucado will unpack Philippians 4:4-8 to help us understand God's plan to help us move toward peace. What follows is a delightful blend of careful exegesis, engaging story, enjoyable illustrations, and practical help. This is SUBSTANTIVE and READABLE and oh so HELPFUL.
Yes, some will tell you Anxious For Nothing is a "quick read." Some may even say, "there's nothing new here." But I suggest most problems we face are not treated with "something new," but with "something old" actually applied.
Here are a few of the points Max made that I needed to hear (and apply):
Celebrate God's goodness:
You can't run the world, but you can entrust it to God. (17) God is sovereign. "The most stressed-out people are control freaks. . . . The Bible has a better idea. Rather than seeking control, relinquish it. You can't run the world, but you can entrust it to God. What Lucado wrote about "wearing our hurt or wearing our hope" (pp 58-59) was the gentle push back into the arms of God's providence I needed.
Ask for God's help:
In chapter five, "Contagious Calm" Lucado recounts all that Jesus did in plain view of the disciples before he told them to do something about the multitude who needed to eat. Seeing all that Jesus had done, none thought to go to HIM with the problem. "Did it occur to anyone to ask Jesus for help? The stunning answer is No! . . . Rather than count on Christ, they had the audacity to tell the Creator of the world that nothing could be done because there wasn't enough money." (73) Implication: God never tires of hearing our voices. Peace happens when we pray.
Leave your concerns with him:
Like Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20), "Lead with worship. Go first to your Father in prayer and praise. Confess to him your fears. Gather with his people. Set your face toward God. Fast. Cry out for help. Admit your weakness. . . . Expect to see the God of ages fight for you. He is near, as near as your next breath." (113)
Meditate on good things:
Your problem is not your problem, but the way you see it. (117) We meditate on the good things as we cling to Christ. On the Vine and the branches (John 15), he points out: "The dominant duty of the branch is to cling to the Vine. The dominant duty of the disciple is the same. We Christians tend to miss this. We banter about pledges to 'change the world,' 'make a difference for Christ,' 'lead people to the Lord.' Yet these are by-products of the Christ-focused life. Our goal is not to bear fruit. Our goal is to stay attached." (136)
You can read this book in a couple of hours, so by all means do that. But then come back for a slower read, say a chapter a day, and let these "old truths" sink deeply in your soul.
My copy contained these three helpful additions:
1. Discussion questions for each chapter.
2. A section outlining all the Scriptures used within the text and arranged by chapter title.
3. A helpful listing of endnotes to circle back to the original sources from which Max Lucado drew.