Anxiety means that you are waiting for something bad to happen whether it is going to happen or not; usually it does not happen. Basically to be anxious means that you are afraid for no reason; you are afraid that something bad will happen.
For example, some people are afraid to leave their homes because they think something very bad will happen if they leave their homes. Some people are very afraid of touching anything because they think that they will get some very bad germs and die.
We all get afraid
It is ok to admit it; we all get afraid or anxious about something. God will not strike us dead because we come to Him with our fears about the future; God will not be angry with us because we tell Him that we are afraid about what we think will happen. God loves us and cares about us and wants to hear from us. He wants us to tell Him how we feel so that He can give us peace in our hearts and also answer our prayers.
Gods tells us:
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” – Philippians 4:6.
We worry when we don’t understand what is going to happen in the future. We worry if we, or someone close to us loses their job and we don’t know where our income is going to come from. And for Somali Christians, they may worry about how life will be when others find out that they have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.
Somali Christians worry about where they will live if their family, clan, and other Somalis find out they are Christians. They think: “can I become a Christian and not tell anyone? Can I stay as a secret believer and still go to heaven? Do I have to tell others that I am a Christian and still be saved?”
What does Jesus say?
Jesus says:
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
“And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” – Matthew 6.
Jesus is telling you not to worry about anything in your life. Don’t worry if you family disowns you and kicks you out of the house; don’t worry if they will not give you any food (don’t you know that God owns all the food in the world?”); don’t worry if you don’t have any money (don’t you know that all the Gold and Silver and money in the world belongs to God?); God knows you need these things and He will provide for you – you need to trust Him to take care of all your needs.
John the Baptist
There was a man in the New Testament who knew that Jesus was going to be born: his name was John the Baptist. They called him John the Baptist because he used to baptize people in the Jordan River and tell them to turn away from their sins. John used to tell them to turn away from their sins because Jesus the Messiah was going to be born; and that Jesus was going to give them eternal life if they turned away from their sins and put their faith in Jesus.
Here is what it says in the Bible about John the Baptist:
“At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living in the wilderness. Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,
“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
Clear the road for him!
The valleys will be filled,
and the mountains and hills made level.
The curves will be straightened,
and the rough places made smooth.
And then all people will see
the salvation sent from God.’”The crowds asked, “What should we do?”
John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork.
One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry” – Luke chapter 3.
John lived in a desert; he ate locusts and honey to survive. He lived in caves and wore rough clothes; but He loved the Lord Jesus Christ and didn’t care what other people thought.
You need to trust God
My dear Somali brothers and sisters, you need to trust God and believe that He will take care of all your needs. You need to trust that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and that He will guide you and take care of you better than your clan or family ever could.
Can your family raise a person from the dead? Can your father make the sun stop in the sky? Can you mother heal a blind person? Can you sister open up the sea and let you walk through it? Can any human being compare to God and do what God can do?
No, God is amazing and way more powerful than any of us. And He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for your sins. You put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and you felt the power of the Holy Spirit come into you and bless you and save you. Jesus washed away your sins; you know that you are going to heaven; your eternity is safe with Jesus Christ and you will live in heaven forever.
Do you think God can take care of your needs on this earth? Yes He can. God can give you a place to live and sleep; God can give you food to eat; God can give you clothes to wear; God can give you new brothers and sisters in your life if your blood brothers and sisters disown you. And God can change the hearts of your family to accept you even though you are a Christian.
But if they do not accept you as a Christian, if they hate you and persecute you, if you are cast out their presence and find yourself alone in some alley, or neighbourhood, or hotel, or desert or cave or wherever – God is there with you and God will never leave you or forsake you.
Believe that God will take care of you
You may find it hard to believe that God will take care of you – but He will. You have to put your trust in God to take care of your daily needs; every day you need to pray to God and say: “God I believe in your power and love for me and I believe that you will take care of me and my family.”
Then walk in the knowledge that God is with you; keep your eyes open to see the way that God is going to work in your life; trust in God to take care of all your needs. Yes put your trust in God your father to take of you in a way that no other human being ever could. Trust that God will provide for you and take you to a place where you will enjoy His presence and the joy of knowing who God is and that God is with you.
This is our true joy as Christians – God is with us.