What to do When Everything is a Catastrophe
This morning, I read a passage that greatly encouraged me: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). For those willing to apply it, Scripture gives us the best solution for anxiety in this world.
We are immersed in a world that insists on the catastrophization of everything. Trust me, that really is a word. Our media, including social media, depends on this phenomena just to get attention amidst the other bad news out there. The problem with this is deeper than attention-getting headlines and internet clickbait. How many messages do you receive each day, whether through news outlets or advertising, that remind you of impending doom? Economic collapse, political instability, environmental meltdown, and worldwide contagion have all been recent themes I’ve run across.
So much is wrong with this kind of thinking. First, there is a particular chronological snobbery in thinking that the problems we face today exponentially exceed those humanity has experienced in the past. Even a limited knowledge of history tends to correct this idea. Second, this view of the world is highly secular in outlook. A world without God would be a world without hope, but we don’t live in that kind of world. Finally, the solutions offered ought to make us skeptical of the nature of the crisis. Almost inevitably the unprecedented disasters presented to us either call for us to purchase some product that will save us (3 easy payments of $19.99) or they encourage us to believe that the federal government (or some conglomeration of governments) will save us through some policy or legislation. Many people today have an almost divinized view of ability of government to fix problems. Besides the obvious idolatry of this perspective, some basic historical knowledge provides ample examples of how government can also cause great problems. Our hope will never be found in these things.
That’s why I love the simplicity of Philippians 4:6. I do not have to be anxious about anything. I can take each and every concern I encounter to God. I can do so with thanksgiving because I know that God is good. I can present my requests to God with faith because He has promised to hear and answer. God doesn’t always answer prayer the way we envision but that shouldn’t deter us from praying.
The best thing we can do with all the troubles in this world is take them to God. When we go to God He promises: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).