Welcome to the Lion Within Us, a podcast serving Christian men who are hungry to be the leaders God intends you to be. I'm your host, Chris Granger. Let's jump in. All right, fellas, it's your meat episode. Let's get right into it. Okay. So the scripture of the week this week, 2 Corinthians chapter 10, fifth verse, says, We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ. So that spiritual kickoff episode, fellas, which was in your last the last podcast in your podcast feed, that's where I took that verse and I tried to unpack it to explain how I simplify and apply it, what the Spirit has shown to me, and hopefully that's going to encourage you along the way as well. And I've kind of been telling you guys this week, uh, we're really focusing a lot on anxiety. And this particular episode for today is derived directly from a U-version study that I wrote called I'm Just a Guy with Anxiety. Okay, so now if you if you haven't checked out any of the stuff on Uverse in the Bible app that we've written, guys, I'm telling you, I love the writing. I do I try to write a couple studies per month, but you can find all that at thelionwithin.us. If you just click over there, you can you can click on Bible. We actually do two Bible studies a month together. Uh, you can do a plan with me directly in the Bible app. So uh that's just something fun that we try to do to just encourage guys. It's amazing the reach that the Bible app has. Those guys, they have been phenomenal to work with. So if you don't have an app for your Bible and you're looking for one, highly encourage you. Just use the Bible app. It's literally called the Bible app, it's the number one Bible app in the world. Uh almost a billion downloads of that app. By the time this podcast releases, it should have surpassed a billion downloads with a B, fellas. That's crazy. So uh anyway, all that stuff can be found at thelionwithin.us. Again, our community, our daily spiritual kickoff, as well as our leadership mastermind, if you want to put in an application for that. We have three groups going right now. Super pumped about that, fellas. So all that can be found at thelionwithin.us. Okay. So we're gonna kind of unpack this and and just work through this topic of anxiety together again. This is something that's been personally something that I've struggled with a lot in my life. Maybe you have as well, or maybe you know others who are who are just kind of anxious guys, right? It's okay. We're just gonna try to work through it. I'm gonna try to give you some encouragement along the way because that fear is uh is real. And when fear starts to creep in, we have to be super intentional about what we're doing, okay, and how we manage that. And and Matthew, uh, Jesus actually tells us in chapter fift in chapter six, he says, I therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, or what you're gonna eat, or what you're gonna drink, or about your body, what you're gonna put on it. It's like not life more than food and the body more than clothing. He tells us, look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather in the barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not more valued than they? Which one of you, being anxious, can add a single hour to your span of life? He tells us a little bit further, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious enough on itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. So, fellas, that's just beautiful scripture that Jesus is given is giving us. And for me, I when that anxious happens, it's like here we go again. Like the mind starts racing, and I can feel my heart pounding, uh, the or restlessness. Like for me, it's a a lot of restlessness, restlessness starts to take over. And uh, if if you ever have ever experienced anxiety, you know what I'm talking about. Maybe you this that's how you feel it for you as well. And I remember directly when it first entered my life, and it was about 15 years ago, okay? And here's the deal. What happened 15 years ago? I found out I was gonna be a dad for the first time. So, I mean, it was awesome, bro. I mean, I remember lying in bed and I was wide-eyed, and I realized that my life as I knew it was about to change forever. And there was this fear that just flooded over me that uh I didn't know what to do with. I was pumped to be a dad. I mean, don't get me wrong. I was super pumped to be a dad because I love my kids. My oldest daughter just I love them so much. But that fear of the unknown for me at the time of not knowing what to expect, that was super overwhelming. And fight or fright didn't win. Like I had to actually do something, I had to move. And for me, flight uh is that usual response. Like I can't just sit still. So if anxiety starts to grip me, sitting still and waiting it out almost feels like an impossibility. And when I start to reflecting on it, like I wasn't running because the future was bad. I was running because the future was outside of my control. And that was too much to handle. And you may be thinking, Chris, you're you're a moron. Like kids, people have kids all the time. What's the big deal, man? Like you know, you need to step up here. And I and that's fair. Like I get it, it's fair. But I just want to tell you one thing. Anxiety is personal. It's personal. The triggers may vary, but at the core, it's usually the same story. We're losing our grip of control of something. Okay? I mean, just think about that. We're losing the grip of control of something. That's why Jesus is telling us in Matthew 6, it's it's it's beautiful the way he says it. It's simple, it's very beautiful, but it's also hard to live out, isn't it? But it's also comforting for me to know that even 2,000 years ago, anxiety was still a common struggle. This is before smartphones and 24-7 news and media saturation and notifications and email, people still wrestled with worry and fear. They just did. Think about this: the peak the people in that crowd that Jesus was talking to, inside that crowd were men, just like me and you. These dudes had duties, they had pressures, they had responsibilities, they had people counting on them, they had families, and Jesus met them right where they were. Right where they were. And his word is timeless, and it sheds, it stands right here as truth today, where we need it. And when I hear Matthew 6 now, when I start hearing those words of Jesus, I hear him calling us away from anxiety's default posture, fearing the future. Like that's where we just naturally default. We believe that by worrying, we can somehow control what's to come. Isn't that crazy? The way the mind works. But Jesus invites us to admit that we can't control the future. Are you kidding me? Through fear or any other means. What he calls us to is something pretty incredible. He calls us to trust, simply to trust. To trust that by faith, we'll be able to handle whatever comes in our way. And we'll be able to embrace that kind of faith. We need when we actually do, we'll be freed from the worry and be able to be fully present right here and right now. Now, when I say we're gonna we can actually walk through the things that come in our way, it's because of the strength we have in Christ. That's it. So maybe right now, as you're listening to this, fear is creeping into your life big time. I just want to say one thing to you, bro. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know it's heavy, and I know it can be hard to talk about. But don't miss this, brother. Those emotions aren't wasted. God doesn't give us these feelings without a purpose. We got to start directing those feelings towards seeking Him and trusting in His plan. And then that can be tools for growth rather than weights of burden. You see what I'm saying? And that's what we're gonna be exploring as we as we try to think about how we can trade this fear for faith and the anxiety we have in our life with the peace that passes all understanding. So maybe as we just for this this one section here was Matthew, where are you trying to control what only God can? Just think about that for a second. Like, where are you really trying to be the guy who controls what God truly is in charge of? We're gonna leave that as we take our first break. Then we're gonna keep digging into this idea of I'm just a guy with anxiety. We'll be right back. Most men are fighting battles no one sees. Strained marriages, silent wounds, pressure to lead without a place to rest. That's why we created our community to help build strength, sharpen, and support brothers just like you. And now it's even easier to join than ever. We've lowered access to just$15.99 a month. Immediately, you'll get our daily spiritual kickoffs, our Bible studies, lion lunches, Friday Forge, and so much more. Every man needs a stronghold, and you don't have to fight alone. Join today at thelionwithin.us. That's thelionwithin.us and get started today. All right, fellas. So now, second scripture we're going to look at is first Peter, 1 Peter 5.7. Because we need to cast it all on him, right? So that verse actually says, cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Does it get any more clear? That's why I love Peter, bro. I just absolutely love Peter the way he writes and the way he just just very applicable. I got four kids, y'all. Four of them. I've heard out Else Elsa on Frozen belt out the words let it go more times than I can count. Like, and honestly, uh like that song, uh I'm not I'm not anti-frozen, man. When they throw on frozen, I'll sit down and watch it. It's not terrible, right? But the truth is, and I start thinking about the words of that song, letting go has been extremely hard for me. Extremely hard for me. That's why there's another movie that's been recently that's impacted my life. I wanted to share with you. Some of you guys probably have seen it, most of you guys probably have, but Top Gun Maverick. Man, that movie just stopped me cold, bro. Because Maverick, think about it, he's haunted by the death of his best friend Goose from the first movie, which was a great movie, by the way. And he carries a weight that he can't shake, right? And if you remember, so in the in the Maverick movie, Iceman is now like the guy in charge, right? And there's a tender moment where Iceman looks him in the eye and he and he types a prompt because Iceman can't talk, and he says, uh, it's time to let go. And Maverick simply says four words back that just rock me on my heels. I don't know how. And that line just hit me like a freight train because Tom Cruise playing that role was able to put into words something that I often feel but haven't found a way to say. And it's the reason why anxiety so often wins the battle in my mind, because I don't know how to let it go. I don't know how to let it go. And that raw honesty for Maverick in that moment was real familiar. Because I I wrestled with fear, I wrestled with insurity, I wrestled with the pressure to always be in control. But when I saw that character in that moment lean into some vulnerability, I was leaning in too, to be honest. Because I was curious to see how the story would turn out. And Maverick in that movie, if you've watched it, his the breakthrough came through trust, through trusting his students, through trusting the friend that he had lost, the son of the friend that he had lost rather, right? Now, what does that mean for me? Because I'm not in a Hollywood script. This is real life, baby. All right. It's messy. It just is. But the trend, but the principle holds true, guys. Transformation begins with surrender. Okay? Transformation begins with surrender. And that's what Peter's calling us to right here. He's calling us to cast all our anxiety on God. And that's a beautiful call, and it is a brutal call. And it sounds simple, right? Well, just give it to him, Chris. But casting it, hold on. Just listen to this. Casting it means actually admitting that we're carrying it. And that's stinking hard. Because admitting fear or weakness or anxiety makes us feel like failures as guys. But bro, I'm telling you, I'm learning this slowly. If you want to be the man that God's calling you to be, you have to be honest about where you are. You just have to. You have to stop pretending that you're fine. And you gotta start naming what's weighing you down. Because only then is when you can start laying it at your feet. So this question is worth considering. I'm telling you, bro, this question is it's uh if you take the time to wrestle with it, you'll be uh you may be surprised what comes out. What if admitting that we don't know how is actually the first step of letting go? Think about that. What if knitting that we don't know how is actually the first step of letting go? Because Maverick doesn't give us a clear answer. And I've been thinking about it. Maverick has a certain image of himself and how he deals with problems, and that that image is shaped by the culture and his family and his background and other influences, right? And I have a similar image of myself, also formed by my culture and experiences that shape me. And if I reflect on those two moments, the real challenge isn't just letting go of that image. The challenge is learning to let go while fully accepting the guy that I am. Because if we truly believe that God cares for us, like his word tells us he does, then casting our cares on him isn't a sign of weakness. It's a declaration that we trust you, God. And that's the difference, that's the reframe, right? So cast your cares on him, cast all your anxieties on him, means you trust God enough to give it to him. You see how that works? And I don't know for you if that's if that's helpful or not, but it's been super helpful for me. And again, as I as I'm recording this, I'm sitting here with a broken ankle. I got surgery in two days. I'm I'm in a pretty anxious state right now. Yet I put all my anxiety on him. I'm trying just to simply give it all. I trust you, Lord. I trust the surgeons, the nurses, the doctor, all that. I trust that, but all above all that, I trust you. Because you're a God of miracles. And you're the God that I put my trust in my hope. I trusted you before I broke it. I'm gonna trust you after I broke it, after it's healed, period, throughout the storm. So, what would it look like for you today to cast that weight onto him? Like, what are you holding on to, bro? What are you holding on to? And that grip, that strong grip that you have as a man on that anxious idol, it's just holding you back. My encouragement to you, let it go. That's where we find true peace. And we're gonna talk about that peace when we come back from the break. We'll be right back. I've got something big to share. We're making a major shift because we know the battle is real, and it's time more men had access to the support they need. For too long, guys have been trying to carry the weight alone, pressure at work, tension at home, wounds from the past, and a world that demands strength, but offers no place to rest. We see it, we've lived it, and that's exactly why we built our community. It's a stronghold, a place where warriors can find rest, truth, and a band of brothers standing beside them. And starting now, we're making it easier than ever to step in. We've lowered the barrier to just$15.99 a month. That means for less than the cost of a drive-through lunch, you can join a brotherhood that's centered on Christ and built for growth. Inside, you'll find access to our daily spiritual kickoffs every Monday through Friday, our lion lunches, our Bible studies, our Friday forge gatherings, all that and so much more. Every man needs a stronghold, and you don't have to fight alone. If you've been waiting for the right time to jump in, this is it. Go to thelionwithin.us and join the community and see for yourself what happens when iron truly sharpens iron. All right, guys, we just talked about casting anxiety on him, so now we got to talk about finding some peace in the storm out there. So in the and the gospel of Mark, the fourth chapter, we see an account where he says he got up and he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Quiet, be still. Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? It's pretty important, like pretty massive scripture right there, guys. So when I when I was growing up, you know, just to kind of bring this into a reframe, some of my greatest memories were made with my dad and my brother on our family boat. We had a couple different boats. We lived in our lake there in Virginia, and and uh we didn't live on the lake, but we lived close to the lake. If you lived in our town, you were within a mile from the lake wherever you live, pretty much. And every trip to wherever we were putting in the boat at, either if we had it docked somewhere, if we were actually just going to marina, uh, it just felt like an adventure for a kid, man, as a young boy. I just remember that. And some of the clearest uh reflections come not from when everything went right, but man, I had some of those the best memories where it didn't go wrong, where things went wrong, the unexpected happened. I remember one time we were out there, and uh and when you're on a lake, storms can just roll in. They just can. And it can turn a peaceful scene into very chaotic, very chaotic, very quickly. And uh I remember one day we were we were out there and a storm just came up on us really quickly. I mean, really quickly, and it was very it was a furious storm, and and and we actually ended up going to a bridge and tying off the boat to a bridge, to a pillar there on the bridge, and it was rough. I mean, it was thunder, it was lightning, and uh uh but my fear in that moment, and when I think about it, it was not that high. It was surprisingly low. Uh, maybe it's because I was just a kid. I didn't know any better. I didn't know how dangerous a situation we actually were. Uh for me, it felt more of a like a scene out of a pirate movie or something, right? I mean, it didn't feel like a threat. Then I got to thinking about that thing. Maybe more likely, it was because when I looked at my dad, he wasn't rattled. He wasn't scared, he was calm. And because I trusted him, I knew that I was gonna be okay. And and look at think about this thing, that wasn't a blind trust. No, that trust was built over time and and and I made that inference from seeing his character laid lived out every day. Because from the moment I entered the scene as his son, he had been steadily providing, proving rather himself trustworthy through his actions, through his words that he used with me, and with his presence. And that made me think about when it comes to God, why is it so much harder for us to find the same peace when we face the storms of life today as a man? And when you start thinking about that, man, it's harder for me to fully put my trust in God. And just say it saying that out loud is uncomfortable. But it's also necessary because I can't be the only guy who feels this way. Many of us guys out here are battling this insecurity. We know that God is trustworthy, yet in the chaos of the world of the life we live in, we are uh we wrestle to fully rest in Him. And there's just for me, when I read the scriptures and the disciples and the accounts of Jesus, there's hope in knowing that even the disciples, guys, the dudes who travel with them side by side with Jesus, they struggle with trust. And Mark, he shows us this. He shows us and he reminds us that the same men who had witnessed miracle after miracle after miracle still wrestled to find deep abiding faith when the storms hit them directly head on. And I don't know about you, but for me, it's encouraging to realize that struggling with anxiety and trust doesn't disqualify us, guys. It gives us an opportunity to reassess and reconnect with what God, what we have always recognized to be true, which is we are protected by God and He has a plan for us. He loves us. And that invites us to lean in even closer to the one who remains calm when our world feels out of control. And I'm gonna tell you what, if the disciples needed reminders of who Jesus is, then surely we do, right? And our goal can't be to have perfect faith, fellas. It can't be. It has to be a persistent faith. Just like my dad, persistent faith. Just like me trying to be a dad, just trying to be persistent with my kids. That faith that even when it's trembling, it can cling to my savior who's just gonna tell me, be quiet, be still. So if you're in a storm right now, if you're in that storm of life, man, um I encourage you to just cling to it. And think about this too. Where or who do you instinctively place your trust when the storms of life hit you right now? It could be Christ. My prayer is that it is. Or there's bottles, there's women, there's drugs, there's money, there's stuff, right? I mean, I'm telling you, there's there's there's things that pull us away. We have to be super careful and intentional about that. All right, guys, we'll take our last break. When we'll come back, we'll finish this up about I miss a guy with anxiety. Life can feel heavy, and too often we try to carry it along. At the line within us, we build a Christ-centered community where you can go, connect, grow, and be encouraged by brothers who get it. And now joining is easier than ever. We've lowered access to just$15.99 a month. Inside, you'll unlock our daily spiritual kickoffs, our Bible studies, lion lunches, Friday Forge, and most importantly, a space to be real. Remember, every man needs a stronghold, and you don't have to fight alone. To get started, visit thelionwithin.us. We'd love to welcome you in. That's thelionwithin.us. I'll see you inside. All right, fellas. So now you're dealing with anxiety. Hopefully this has been encouraging to you. So as we wrap this up, I want you to just consider how we can walk in peace daily. In Philippians, it tells us it tells us chapter four, do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things, and the God of peace will be with you. All right. Now, how do we apply that scripture? Doing good. Okay. That was my default answer for years. Uh, when when somebody asked me how I'm doing, okay? It's just I'm I'm fine, I'm doing good. You know, it was easier to say those two words than to actually reveal what's going on inside of me. You know, I I really got good. I'm still pretty doggone good at it, at hiding my feelings. Because the last thing I want is for someone to see a crack in my armor, right? And somewhere along the way, uh, I convinced myself that being a man meant that I had to always have it together, that my finances had to be flawless, uh, my fitness needed to be a top-notch, my family life had to be something out of a stinking Hallmark movie, right? But that type of pressure will crush you. It definitely crushed me. And it takes a toll on our mind, on our body, and our spirit, and it can feel like a ticking time bomb, and we never know uh what it is that's gonna finally set us off. And after I walked through a pretty painful divorce, uh I knew some things had to change, guys. And that journey has not been easy. And when I met my wife, God bless her, I love her, I committed to building our relationship on truth. And that was not natural for me. Okay, okay, that's not. Um it's still something I struggle with. She's my best friend, I love her to death. Um, but the moments of tension between us is almost certainly usually when when they stem from times of my reluctance to let her in. And because she can see through me, that girl knows me, and she knows when I'm faking it. All I can say uh without hesitation, the moments of the greatest peace in my life have come with her when everything's on the table. The good, bad, and ugly. And there's something about verbalizing my worries and being fully known by her that just disarms them. And pretty much every time I tell her this stuff, her on her every time her response is, all right, let's pray. Let's take, let's take it to God. And then you start thinking about these script these words that Paul gives us in Philippians, and it starts to come in together. I'm telling you, fellas, anxiety robs us of peace. And Phil White Robertson, God rest him, used to say all the time, peace of mind is the rarest commodity on earth. And that is a hard truth, but that is a real truth. And that leads us to the question is how do we actually find this peace? And what I found, guys, is that peace doesn't come from hiding or pretending. It doesn't come from achievements or perfect appearances, or does it come from uninvestigated or unthoughtful justifications for not doing you know some hard work? Once we've got it out on the table, peace comes from that full submission, laying everything at the foot of Christ. Purity. This is our doubts, our fears, and our anxieties. And we do all that, the Holy Spirit starts to show up and He does powerful work within us in transformative ways. And the peace that passes on understanding is not just something that goes on a stinking coffee mug, it becomes our reality because it's only found in that deep personal relationship with Christ. You see what I'm saying? So if you've been uh listening to this and you're battling anxiety, I just want you to know you're not alone, you're not weak, there's nothing to be ashamed of. You're not meant to carry this burden by yourself. And there is perfect peace that's available. It is. But it starts with honesty, prayer, and surrender. So we gotta put the mask down. We gotta talk to the people that actually care about us and love us, and we also, most importantly, we need to talk to the one who already knows you. God. That's how we let the peace of God guard guard our heart and mind each and every day. So right now, the question maybe you want to ask is who knows your thoughts? And who knows what kind of what you're struggling with the most? And and really the question of the week we've talked about all week is what kind of thoughts are you feeding the most right now? And I'm telling you, buddy, when you start really wrestling with that and thinking through how to redirect that, that's when things start shifting. So I don't know if this has been encouraging to you. My hope is that it was. You know, if you're a guy and you're just wrestling with some anxiety, uh, you're not alone, brother. We're here for you. If you need someone to talk to, I'd highly, highly, highly encourage you, reach out to. Okay, thelionwithin.us. Join click anything, anything you that you join, we're I want to send a personal message to you, and it's a chance for us to connect. So I would love to talk to you. I'd love to be an encouragement to you. I'd love just to just to, I don't know, come alongside and just try to speak some words of affirmation to you that's gonna pick you up during this difficult season that you find yourself in. So if you want to, thelionwithin.us is how you get connected with all our resources there. If you enjoyed this particular episode, then again, this is right off of a study plan that we did on the UVers of Bible app. So go download the Bible app first and foremost because it's awesome and it's incredible. And then you can search for the Lion Within Us on that as well. We have tons and tons and tons of studies on that Bible app. Hopefully you'll find some encouragement there and something that's just gonna pick you up and make you have hopefully uh a little better day. Some of the reflections are uh guys seem to like them, and uh you know it's a blessing to write them, and hopefully it'll be a blessing to you. And you can even the cool part about doing them on the Bible app is that you can do them with other people. So if you have like a small group of guys, like maybe you and your your your your buddies, you get on the Bible app, you you friend each other on the app, and then you can actually walk through those plans together. Okay. Uh I I even have a few spots left open in my on my profile in the Bible app. If you guys want to connect with me on the Bible app, and while when I go through one, you'll be invited. You can walk right through with me as well. That'd be kind of cool. So again, all that stuff is found at the Lionwithin.us. Start your daily spiritual kickoff, check out the community, check out the leadership mastermind, and put at least put an application in for it, see if it's be something that you would that you would apply for, and then we can talk about that further, okay? So again, ratings review helps, fellas. If you like what we're doing, you just want to support the show, just give it to just be a monthly donor, that'd be awesome. You can find that at the lionwithin.us donate. That would be incredible to hear from you. We don't have corporate sponsors or anything like that. So everything that we do is out of pocket, is out of support from guys like you. So if you like the message we're giving you each and every week and you find it encouraging, uh, that would be awesome. Okay. All right, guys. We'll come back on Friday. We'll have a good fun, fun Friday episode for you. Looking forward to hanging out with you then. Other than that, have a great day. Share this out with a brother who, you know, maybe he's anxious. You may just want to share this out with your men's group in general, because sometimes it can just be hard for guys to talk about anxiety in general. So just send this one out. Maybe there's something that's said here that's going to encourage them, gonna lift them up, and it may be a door opener for them to have a deeper conversation with you because you may be the guy who can help them in this difficult season right now. All right. Well, have a great day, guys. Thanks again for listening, and just keep unleashing the lion within. We're making a big change that I think you're really going to enjoy. I spent a lot of time thinking about our spiritual kickoffs. And honestly, I love doing them each week. So much so, we started doing them live every Monday through Friday, inside our exclusive platform. And here's the best part. We decided to give full access completely free. So now you can join our daily spiritual kickoff space at no cost. Every day we go live to read the word, to encourage each other, and find simple and powerful ways to apply God's truth to our lives. You'll even have the chance to engage with me directly. And if you missed a live stream, don't worry. The videos are posted the same day so you can catch up whenever it works for you. It's exclusive behind the scenes content that is not available anywhere else. And now we've removed every excuse. 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