Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,
but a good word makes it glad.

Proverbs 12:25

I am attempting, again, to live in a more-healthy way which includes losing weight! I am sad to admit that I have been that yo-yo diet person for over 30 years. Not a thing to be proud of. Don’t worry, this is not a ‘follow my diet plan blog’ and I will not dwell on this long; only to say that I am an emotional eater; doesn’t matter the emotion. I can be extremely happy so I eat…junk of course. I can be depressed (yes, that is something I struggle with) so I eat same said junk. I can be feeling silly or grouchy or worried…I eat. And guess what has happened over these 30 years? I have been weighed down, not the scale going down kind of down either.

It is the weighed down of the scale number going up and up through the decades and my entire body suffering for it. In other words, I am being weighed down by my obesity (just calling it what it is). 

The ridiculous thing is…I Know Better! I’ve always known better! I am not uneducated or unware or even unmoved about the negative consequences of being obese. Thus, the yo-yo diet life style. I can’t fully explain it: the comfortable place of eating to soothe the bad or enjoy all the good emotions is entrenched in me. I am thankful that I have taken off a significant amount of weight in the past 8 months and my physical numbers prove this and my doctor applauds my efforts. With that encouragement, I have more determination and more enthusiasm to keep at this new healthier lifestyle. But, it is a daily and sometimes, hourly, battle within myself to not let my emotions weigh my heart down and move the scale number up!

I share this analogy to demonstrate the powerful influence anxiety and worry has upon our soul…deep inside our very hearts! And to appeal to each of us just how important it is to speak good and peace into the lives of people we love and even into the lives of people who pass by us, as God gives opportunity. We probably will never know this side of eternity just how much good our simple “Thank you” or “Have a blessed day” or “I am praying for you” impacted an anxious soul to bring a tiny bit of peace within them. 

This word, anxiety, is only used six times in the Old Testament. But, various synonyms are used more frequently that depict the severity of impact when we are weighed down in heart.

These are: anguish, tribulation, sorrow, oppression, worry and many more!

Here are a few specific anxiety synonym samples..

Troubled

Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.

Proverbs 25:20

Distress

In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me. (KJV)

Psalm 120:1

Affliction

I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because you have seen my affliction;
you have known the troubles of my soul.

Psalm 31:7

It is safe to conclude that no one is exempt from ‘Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down’, no matter which synonym one uses to describe it.

It is equally safe to conclude that God uses Jesus Followers to say a ‘good word makes it glad!‘

Let’s be actively looking for precious opportunities to make a heart glad by our words and by our actions and with our prayers!