“Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.”
Anxiety weighs down a heart. You don't need King Solomon to tell you that.
The anxiety you experience may be a by-product of a spirit of heaviness. Yes, that is a real evil spirit. Have you ever felt as if something was sitting on your chest or squeezing you? Yep. That's it. Don't fret. That can be cast out by a faithful Christian friend calling on the name and blood of Jesus. You may trust Jesus enough to cast it out yourself (if you are strong enough in your relationship with Him).
But there are other things that can weigh us down or cause anxiety: things like outrage and the myriad things in the world that can cause us to feel outrage, rejection and abandonment, liars and their lies, betrayal and betrayers, racism, and cheaters and their cheatin' hearts.
The one thing I've noticed over the years is that "there are two types of people" no matter where you go or what your perspective or purpose. In this case, I'm going to talk about the spoiling sympathizers versus the caring compassionate.
The spoiling sympathizers are those who believe all people need is self-esteem and a chance. The caring compassionate are those who understand people are born sinners who need Jesus and an orderly, disciplined life to fulfill God's purposes for their lives. You may have been confused about the two words -- sympathy and compassion. You might have thought they were essentially the same words, just spelled differently. Au contraire, mon frère.
Let me explain. Holy Spirit gave me this beautiful explanation one day in prayer: One day, a man soiled his undergarment. A person acting in sympathy sat down next to him and bemoaned the fact that the man's undies were soiled and complained, shaking their fist at the sky, crying out about how unfair God was for allowing the man to soil himself. Whereas a person acting in compassion arrives, shoos away the sympathizer, and helps the man clean up and get dressed in clean clothes without judging the man (or God) for his incontinence. You may recognize this comparison from the Bible. Go and do likewise.
One thing you may have noticed is how your job is to have compassion on others. We are supposed to offer the grace to others that we would want to receive.
“Compassion is the way of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Sympathy is the way of the kingdom of Hell. ”
However, you may have been a sympathizer. In other words, you may have been your own worst sympathizer. You may have been amplifying your anxiety by feeling sorry for yourself. Feeling sorry for yourself is a tool of the devil. In other words, you're doing his job! Would you rather have a sympathizer come sit beside you and moan and groan with you while you get diaper rash or would you rather a person come and help you get up, clean up, into clean clothes, and get on with your new life? Jesus is the One who is more than happy to help each of us get up, clean up, into clean clothes, and get on with our new life. Why not go to Him and let Him help you right now? No more feeling sorry for yourself.
Make the commitment right now to never again feel sympathy for yourself, but to have compassion. No more defeatism. If you know the victory is yours in Jesus, you will overcome by living with a victorious mindset. Simply take responsibility for your life, stop blaming others, remain rooted in Jesus by prayer and daily Bible reading, and you will overcome.
My friend, that is the "kind word" you needed to hear today! I pray your heart is cheered up and filled with hope.
Prayer
Father God in Heaven, I confess I have been a sympathizer. I apologize for my ignorance and ask that You would forgive me for doing the devil's handiwork. Please forgive me. I repent of, renounce, and reject having felt sorry for myself. I hoped it would gain me sympathy from others and all it did was cause me more anxiety. I hate anxiety, Lord, I want it out of my life forever. I hate how it keeps me in bondage. Whatever right anxiety has in my life I ask that You would reveal it to me so I can move on with the life You have called me to live. Please let me know if I am aiding and abetting the enemy. I want to be completely on Your side in this spiritual battle, my Lord. However I am living wrong, please let me know. I wish there was a simple one-and-done prayer I could say, but I know sin is a spider's web of causes and effects. Please help me exercise patience when all I want to do is vent my anger at an innocent person. Help me to aim the Sword of the Spirit at the enemy and not at my family. In Jesus' holy name, amen.
* Painting: "The Good Samaritan" by Joseph Highmore 1744