Chasing False Needs Versus Resting in Realityਨਮੂਨਾ

Jesus died, so I don’t have to ________ anymore.

Romans 6 presents us with a powerful contrast between sin and God’s love. It’s the fork in the road of our faith, and the path we choose matters. Paul is letting us know that whatever we give ourselves to, that’s what we’re in the grip of, and once we’ve handed ourselves over to that thing, it’s going to take us down a path.

God’s love will always lead to freedom and peace. Sin is always a path to death, and like sin, chronic anxiety tries to drag us down a path of doom. Sin, shame, and anxiety are all bred from being a slave to the wrong thing. But there is a greater power than the power of sin—a new path that was purchased through the blood of our Savior. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, we are no longer a slave to sin; we no longer have to pursue our own righteousness.

If we can learn to name the things that are making us anxious, we can do what Paul invites us to do in the New Testament: We can die to them, and this simple prayer can help us do that:

Jesus died, so I don’t have to ________ anymore.

Jesus died, so I no longer have to control the situation.

Jesus died, so I am freed from having to do everything perfectly all the time.

Jesus died, so I don’t have to have all the answers all the time.

We do not have to be slaves to control, perfection, approval, having all the answers, or being there for others. Our identity, our need to be okay, is found in Christ. We do not have to hunt for our worth outside of Him. Now that we are in Christ, sin no longer has power over us.

Romans 6 is a fork in the road, and every day, we get to choose which path we will walk. By grace, Christ invites us down a better, more life-giving path. Jesus is where the gospel and chronic anxiety intersect.

What might fill the blank for you?

It’s both brave and empowering when we name the things that have us in their grip and offer this prayer to God. The anxiety we face often arises from our own striving rather than a simple surrender to divine love. We can take our false needs and lay them down at the feet of Jesus. We can choose the path of grace that invites us to rest in His transformative power and love.

Consider a situation in which you are trying harder instead of resting in the freedom and peace of Christ. Can you identify your unique sources of anxiety?

Considering the simple prayer, what’s the blank for you?