Do you find yourself feeling anxious, nervous and worried frequently? According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, more than 40 million adults currently living in the United States suffer from anxiety.
What’s even more tragic is the fact that the same study indicates that less than 37% of those suffering from anxiety seek any kind of treatment. Before we proceed with how to win the spiritual battle over worry, let’s clear up the misconception that many people believe.
There is nothing shameful and/or sinful about seeking professional medical help if you deal with anxiety or any other medical disorder.
Yes, God is our source of hope and healing, but He has blessed us with access to doctors, medicine and scientific research that can help battle the effects of anxiety. If you or someone you know is in need of professional medical services, please, contact your healthcare provider.
In addition to seeking help from a medical professional, we can also go into the Word of God to find help for dealing with our anxiety. If you feel like worry is winning the war in your heart, consider some of these powerful truths from God’s Word.
Is It a Sin to Worry?
Somewhere along the way, people have decided that it is sinful for Christians to worry. You may have heard it said that the Bible tells us to “fear not” roughly 365 times between Genesis and Revelation.
While that statement does appear numerous times, it’s important that we understand that there is nothing sinful about having moments and fear and suffering from anxiety. God is not angered by your fears. He is not offput by your anxiety.
Instead, He wants to be close to you during the times where you feel like everything is falling apart. In fact, when it feels like everything is falling apart, God is actually putting everything together.
In order to overcome the anxiety you’re feeling and win the battle over worry, you must first accept the fact that God is not angered when His children are afraid. He doesn’t shy away from our anxiety and leave us to figure out a way of escape. Instead, He runs to us like the Father that He is, picks us up and protects us.
Your anxiety is not a sign of a lack of faith. It isn’t something that will cause God to lose faith in you. Instead, it is a reaction to something that is too big for you to handle on your own. Thankfully, our Father doesn’t want us to handle our problems by ourselves. Instead, He encourages us to fully trust in Him, allowing Him to handle everything on our behalf.
Borrowing Trouble
There’s an old saying that says “don’t borrow trouble.” At it’s core, this old adage speaks to the importance of not worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. For many people, the fear of some future event is enough to leave them paralyzed in the moment. Jesus spoke to the importance of this when addressing a multitude of people.
Matthew 6:34
Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
Jesus said these words during the Sermon on the Mount and they are still incredibly powerful for us today. It is easy to get so caught up in something that might happen in the future that you spend all of your present time worried about it. It can stem from any number of things, but the fact remains that Jesus spoke to the importance of not being scared of the future.
How can we do that? We do so by focusing on the fact that God is not limited by our concept of time. God has already seen your tomorrow. God has already gone ahead of you and is preparing your future. Instead of being worried about what may happen later on, focus on the present. God is with you and He is for you. He will be tomorrow, too.
You Can’t Handle It
Psalm 55:22
So here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you.
Is your anxiety too much for you to carry? That’s because you weren’t meant to carry it on your own. Instead, God wants to take those worries away so you don’t have to deal with them. David knew about stress, worry and anxiety.
In addition to running an entire country, he had suffered attempts on his life by Saul and even had a son who wanted to kill him and take his throne. David was very familiar with anxiety.
That’s why he started this statement with the phrase, “this is what I’ve learned through it all.” David had been through plenty, and the one thing he had learned was that he couldn’t carry all of it on his own. The weight of his worry was too much for him.
We live in a society that tells us that we should do everything on our own. The false gospel of self sufficiency is not only untrue, it’s also dangerous. God never intended for you to carry the weight of the things that worry you on your own. Instead, follow the advice of David and lay it all at His feet so God’s measureless grace can give you strength.
You Aren’t Alone
Psalm 16:8
Because I set you, Yahweh, always close to me, my confidence will never be weakened, for I experience your wraparound presence in every moment.
One of the scariest parts about anxiety is the feeling of isolation. When you are overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life, it’s easy to feel like you’re alone. Satan would have you to believe that you are in this by yourself, but that’s simply not the case.
When anxiety begins to overwhelm you, rest in the promise that God is close. He doesn’t run away when things get hard. Instead, He gets even closer when His children are feeling hopeless and helpless. Rest in His presence, even when it seems like everything is falling apart around you.
The Bible is very clear about the best way to win the battle against worry. It doesn’t mean that worry won’t come, it just means that it does not have to defeat you. When you feel overwhelmed by the circumstances you’re facing, rest in His promises and rest in His presence.
A Closing Prayer:
God, you know the anxiety that I’m feeling. Please, take the weight of my worry away. I know that I can’t carry it on my own. I need Your help. In fact, I need you to handle it all for me. I know that You are close and I know that you care. Please, help me through this. In Christ’s name, Amen.