I am not saying we should never have urgent care and concern, or even alarm, in situations that warrant it. If your awareness of a clear and present danger springs you into action, that is not anxiety. Taking immediate and urgent action when your toddler goes missing in the mall is not sinful. An elevated heart rate and raised voice is appropriate and wise when sounding the alarm in the event of danger. Sinful anxiety is having an untrusting, uncontrolled reaction to something that isn’t happening and might not ever happen.

In 1988 Bobby McFerrin dropped his enormously popular hit that would become the first a capella song to summit the Billboard Top 100 chart to reach the #1 spot.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” resonated with a generation of those who identify as overstressed, overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated.

The lyrics, sung in an affected accent amid the bobbing and weaving of McFerrin’s own vocal gymnastics, became an anthem for the economically oppressed urbanites and a mantra for the angst-ridden collegiate coeds. Many know more stanzas of this song than of the national anthem.

In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry, you make it double
…

Ain’t got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don’t worry, be happy
The landlord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don’t worry, (ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha) be happy (look at me, I’m happy)

Ooo-oo-hoo-hoo-oo hoo-hoo-oo-oo-oo-oo-ooo Don’t worry
Woo-oo-woo-oo-woo-oo-ooo Be happy […etc. …]

The problem with this cheerful chant is that it is misleading; it posits that the opposite of worry is happiness. Let’s delve into a verse of Scripture that brings rich theological protein to this otherwise unsubstantial cotton-candy advice.

Philippians 4:5-6 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything,

Here are the first two of…

Four aspects of God’s command to avoid anxiety

1. REQUIREMENT

When bad things happen to us the solution is not to try not to worry, to Disneyfy the script and add a catchy, chipper soundtrack (à la “Hakuna Matata, it means no worries”).

The opposite of worry isn’t denial; it’s an appropriate, reasonable, godly response.

We all worry about our health, our children, our finances, our country, our church, our walk with the Lord. And after reading Philippians 4:6 you might be tempted to worry about how much you worry! But don’t. Paul isn’t laying an impossible burden on you.

The promise of this verse is that as you grow in your trust in Jesus—as you learn about who he is and what he has done for you—you’ll experience a gradual increase of your confidence in God’s control of your health, your children, country, and all other concerns.

The key to verse 6 is verse 5: “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.”

The word “reasonableness” is a Greek word ἐπιεικής that has no direct English correlation. It describes a person who is fair, equitable, appropriate. It’s a person who reacts appropriately to a situation, rather than overreacting. It has to do with keeping events in perspective, about viewing what happens and what could happen relative to our relationship with an eternal Lord and Savior.

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