WORD OF THE WEEK - ANXIETY - 1/19/26

SERIES:TESTS

WORD OF THE WEEK - “ANXIETY”

DEFINITION: Anxiety is an emotional state marked by apprehensive uneasiness, nervousness, or fear about an anticipated event or possible misfortune

Scriptures:

Psalm 66:10 - “10For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.”Psalm 23:4 - “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

Website:  www.wow-newton.com

Website: www.wow-newton.com
Email:  osnewton@wow-newton.com

Transcript

SERIES:TESTS

WORD OF THE WEEK - “ANXIETY”

DEFINITION: Anxiety is an emotional state marked by apprehensive uneasiness, nervousness, or fear about an anticipated event or possible misfortune
Scriptures:Psalm 66:10 - “10For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.”Psalm 23:4 - “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

Last week, I invited you to share your insight on the Word of the Week: Test. Thank you to everyone who responded.  In many ways, that invitation itself was a test—not of knowledge, but of engagement.
In ministry, it matters that the WORD OF GOD inspires action. A message that never moves us to respond has little effect. Your willingness to participate affirms that this journey is not passive. My prayer is that the Word continues to grow within us, shaping us into doers of the Word and not hearers only.
One of our listeners, Y.C., shared this wisdom: “If you do not accept the hard test, you will never know how easy and beautiful it really was.” She encouraged us to enjoy the journey and reminded us that the test itself is “God-planned”. Another listener, J.P., reflected that perseverance and testing are inseparable—without a test, there is nothing to prove perseverance.
That truth meets many of us where we struggle most: anxiety while waiting on God. How often are we sidelined by anxiety during challenges God sent to grow us not to defeat us?  Although we cast our cares on Him, we still feel the weight. Why?
I was reminded of this recently while watching a nine-year-old girl prepare to sing a solo. It wasn’t her first time singing, but it was her first time singing alone among adults. Though she believed she was ready, when the moment arrived, fear overtook her. Anxiety paralyzed her confidence, and she resigned herself to failure before she ever sang a note.
I understand that anguish well. As a youth, my own anxiety before performances was so intense it made me physically ill. What carried me through were mentors who nurtured rather than criticize me. They taught me that anxiety is not evidence of weakness—but proof that something meaningful is happening. “When anxiety was great within me,” the psalmist writes, “Your consolation brought me joy” (Psalm 94:19).
- My mentors taught me to redirect my fear rather than resist it, by trusting the Spirit of God who gives us power, love, and self-discipline rather than timidity (2 Timothy 1:7).-They asked me to visualize someone stronger carrying the weight with me, echoing God’s command to Joshua: “Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).-They reminded me that peace often comes after obedience, not before it, as promised in Philippians 4:6-7.-And they helped me see that even the worst-case outcome was never world-ending, because God walks with us even through the darkest valleys (Psalm 23:4).
So…why are we anxious while we wait, even after casting our cares on God? - - 
ANXIETY - is often part of the test and is not a sign of failure. It exposes the extent of our faith and illustrates how we respond to God’s presence, timing, and trustworthiness.
Next week, we look forward to your thoughts about ANXIETY as we consider:   Why does God call me to purpose, yet make that purpose so hard to identify?
Remember:While anxiety reveals what needs to besurrendered, strengthened, and refined;it is not meant to stop you—but to prepare you for what lies ahead.
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Share this with others. Discuss it in Bible study. Or work through it on your own.
Let’s see what God has in store for us.  I believe God is going to meet us in this journey!