Readings: Spiritual Strategies for Dealing with Anxiety

[one_full last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

This Sunday’s Readings

Gospel Lesson
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:34)

 

Swedenborg Insights

Anyone who examines the question without looking beyond the literal meaning is apt to believe we must reject all care for the tomorrow and just wait for our life’s needs to simply come from heaven. But, when you look deeper than the literal reading and look at the deeper meaning we are able to understand what it really means.

 

…Providing for ourselves and our family is the right thing to do. Anxious people worry because they rely only on themselves rather than God. Also, they focus solely on worldly and earthly concerns rather than spiritual ones.

 

Anxiety about the future completely consumes them, as does the lust to own everything and dominate everyone, a lust that burns and grows bit by bit until it exceeds all bounds. They grieve if they do not achieve their desires and become frantic when deprived of them.

There is no comfort for the loss because they are then furious with God, reject him, discard all belief in him, and call curses down on themselves. That is what people with care for the morrow are like. The case is totally different with people who rely on God. (Secrets of Heaven §8478:2–3)

[/fusion_text][/one_full]