Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.
Proverbs 12:25 NIV
Anxious Heart
Nearly 30,000 Ukrainians have settled in Manitoba since Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country in February 2022. Now, challenges with their documents and hurdles in the permanent residency process have many of the newcomers anxious about their future in Canada. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Manitoba says many Ukrainian newcomers are dealing with a host of paperwork problems, including expiring passports — especially men of military age from 18 to 60 years old. Manitoba is only getting 4,750 slots through the program in 2025, which is half the number it received last year.
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We live in very anxious days. On top of our usual personal issues that can cause anxiety, we are dealing with geopolitical challenges in our country and the broader world. It isn’t surprising that cases of mental illness and anger are on the rise. Social media has been in an uproar over the past few months. Never before have I seen such anxiety. The Lord keeps bringing me back, again and again, to the wisdom of Proverbs 12:25: “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” I’m not seeing a lot of kind words these days. And yet the Bible here clearly teaches that a kind word is the best antidote to anxiety. We who follow Jesus are called to kindness – it is, after all, a fruit of the Spirit – and the kindness ought to exhibit itself in our actions and our words. We have the balm for the anxiety that is so common – a kind word, sharing Jesus, telling others how much they are loved by God and us. Take time today to lower someone’s anxiety.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley