Anxiety: The Dark Cave

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:6-7

Winston Churchill once said, “When I look back on all theses worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in life, most of which had never happened.”

I am a problem solver, not a time manger. In other words, if it isn’t a problem today, I’m not working on it. I wait until it becomes a problem and then I solve it. Many have tried to reform my ways. I once tried to utilize a day-timer to control my time. The day I caught myself entering events that had already happened into my day-timer I realized it wasn’t working for me.

I thrive under stress. Most people do everything they can to avoid stress, but I intentionally allow stress to drive me. I become more clear in my thoughts. I work faster and usually better. Without stress, I would be like Leonardo Di Vinci, who worked on the “Mona Lisa” for 14 years and died with it unfinished. It is just the way I’m wired. There are problem solvers and time mangers. I am the former. If you force me to be the later, I will be miserable.

However, my way of life comes with a tremendous amount of worry as well. Schedule a meeting with me and I will have played through every possible question you could raise and calculated my answers before the meeting even begins (but sometimes I’m surprised by a question). As a consequence, many of the moments I have lost in life are to worries and fears that never came to be.

We all do this to some extent, but I excel at it. Many are the nights I have worked in my mind throughout the dark hours to find solutions to problems which never even come to be. However, I also recognize it is what has given me an edge in my career. I have the solution before the meeting. I have an answer before the question is asked. Unfortunately, I also have the worry before there is a need to worry.

I recognize I’m a captive in Plato’s cave of forms. The light cast shadows of things in the world, but they are not the things themselves. I know they are not real, but simply shadows of things that might be real and usually they are distorted. I calculate, strategize and plan for all the possibilities. But I am still bound in the dark cave of anxiety!

One of the hardest verses for me to comprehend is Philippians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

How do I handle this verse? Time management doesn’t work for me. In fact, it doesn’t reduce worry for anyone. I have worked with many time mangers in my time. I hire them to compensate for my weaknesses, and they worry as much as I do. I worry about what needs to be done today, they worry about what we are not planning for in the future. But worry is worry and it leads to anxiety. I’ve come to realize the key is not in how you schedule your day. It is not in how much time you plan or don’t plan. The key is in where you place your trust. Is it in yourself? Or is it in the Lord?

“Be anxious for nothing…” is not a determination on how you should plan your day (because you can’t plan everything). It is a determination of reliance on Christ. The directive is simple, take everything to the Lord. He wired you the way you are. He knows your strengths and weaknesses. He knows the answers.

It is not a matter of time management or problem solving. It is a matter of reliance on the Lord. That doesn’t mean everything will work out great in the world. It doesn’t mean you can wait till the last second on everything and God will make it wonderful. It also doesn’t mean if you spend years planning something it will come off without a hitch, or even work at all. It simply means, as the verse says, you will have peace and God will guard your heart. It will be okay regardless of the outcome.

I believe we should always do our best! Not because God demands it; our best is nothing compared to His perfection. Rather, our best is what is best for us. It is what enables us to become everything God called us to be.

If you are a time-manager, be the best! If you are a problem solver like me, be the best! But whatever you do, don’t think for a moment that you are alone and everything is dependent on you. Understand, we serve our living Lord. He is perfection. He is everything. He sustains us when we succeed or fail. Therefore, do not worry. Cast your cares upon Him. Go do your best, and trust Him to work through your life. We only see shadows in the dark cave of anxiety, but He is the true light. He has already done everything necessary for our acceptance. Trust in that truth.

Don’t get me wrong, I struggle with worry and depression often. It comes with how I’m wired. You may be like me (at least at times). I also know, when I struggle, my eyes are squarely focused on my abilities or lack there of. I’m consumed with me. Those are the moments I need to refocus my eyes on Christ. It is only when I focus on Him I can be “anxious about nothing.” Where is your focus today?

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.