Become New with John Ortberg 34. How to Stop Being Anxious About Tomorrow (w/Dr. Rick Blackmon)
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Oct 13, 2025 Dr. Rick Blackmon, a clinical psychologist and spiritual leader, joins to tackle the burdens of anxiety. They dive into the distinction between healthy planning and harmful preoccupation, revealing how clinging to control amplifies worry. The conversation highlights the power of prayer as a remedy for anxiety and explores a metaphor illustrating the risks of fixating on outcomes. Dr. Blackmon offers tools for building tolerance for uncertainty and emphasizes that surrendering control can lead to true peace.
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Anxiety As Future-Focused Worry
- Biblical teaching equates anxiety with worrying about the future rather than all feelings of fear.
- Paul and Jesus offer a direct counter: bring requests to God with thanksgiving to receive transcendent peace.
Writing Sparked A New View On Anxiety
- Rick Blackmon was asked to write a lead article on Christians and anxiety for a magazine early in his career.
- That project led him to study scripture and shape his view that anxiety concerns preoccupation with tomorrow.
Planning Versus Preoccupation
- Rick distinguishes occupying the mind with planning from preoccupying it with brooding and ruminating.
- Preoccupation looks like acting as if you control the future instead of releasing it to God.