Coping with Anxiety
All of us struggle with anxiety. It's normal. However, we do have some words of encouragement from Scripture. Let's dig into what the Bible has to say about anxiety.
Anxious — See the following Scripture passages 1 Sam 9:5; 10:2; Psa 127:2; Is 35:4; Jer 17:8; Dan 7:15; Matt 6:25, 27–28, 31, 34; 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22, 25–26; 1 Cor 7:32–34; Phil 2:28; 4:6
Hebrew da’ag to be anxious, concerned.
Greek merimnao to have an anxious concern, based on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune — ‘to be worried about, to be anxious about.’
Overview of Anxiety in the Old and New Testament
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7–8 ESV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 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 for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
(Matthew 6:25–34 ESV)
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
(Luke 10:38–42 ESV)
Exercise to Discover More About Anxiety
According to Rev. Dr. Stuart Scott, professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, anxiety and ungodly fear are like “kissing cousins.” Though they are not exactly the same, where you see one, you often see the other because they are so very closely related. Anxiety usually involves worrying about what could possibly happen. Fear goes a step further and is more convinced that what is dreaded will really happen. When someone experiences apprehension that does not stay within biblical bounds, there is definitely a lack of peace and trust. Concern and fear are not always wrong. Both the words concern and fear are used the Bible to refer to right and wrong responses. There is godly concern and an ungodly concern (anxiety). There is also godly fear and ungodly fear.
Godly concern is caring about important things for the right reasons. It is also accompanied by a trust in God’s ultimate control and faithfulness. This kind of concern helps you to be responsible to God and does not send you into a confused state. It involves focus on the responsibilities of today, eternal goals and others. Paul talks about an unmarried person only being “concerned” about the things of the Lord and married person being “concerned” about pleasing his wife (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). The New Testament is also filled with references by Paul over his “concern” for the churches and Timothy’s concern for the Philippians’ welfare (2 Corinthians 11:28; Philippians 2:20). These are examples of godly concern. For your concern to be the right kind of concern you must be focused on what is true and helpful from God’s perspective.
Ungodly concern (anxiety) goes beyond reasonable concern and involves worry about mere possibilities. When we are anxious, we are not focused on God and what is true and helpful. When we are anxious, we are often concerned that something we want to happen may not happen. Therefore, we are focused on difficulties of the future, temporal matters, and self. In Matthew 6 we are told not to worry about tomorrow and about “what we will eat,” or “what we will wear for clothing” because unbelievers “eagerly seek these things” (Matthew 6:31-32). Instead, we are to concern ourselves with obeying God today. We are commanded not to be anxious for anything, but to trust God in everything.
Anxiety always involves a certain amount of fear. Ungodly fears are directly related to the things we are thinking about.
Examination
Question: What kind of things do you think about that brings on anxiety?
See Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 4:8
When we are sinfully fearful, we are focused on the circumstances rather than God. Ungodly fear and failure is inevitable when we fail to look beyond our circumstances and look to God and His promises and truth.
When we are fearful, we are focused on self. Ungodly fear is selfish and therefore is the opposite of love. When one continues in fear he is always focused on self and what the self does or doesn’t want. Ungodly fear lacks consideration of God and others. When we are afraid we must put on love for God and others. Love will help to dispel selfish fear (Deut. 7:17-18; Isaiah 51:12-13; Philippians 2:4; 1 John 4:18).
When we are engaged in ungodly fear we are fearing something else more than God. This often means that we want something or love something more than we want or love God. When we fear something more than God, we almost always forget about Him and His Word (promises) and we usually disobey Him in other ways as well.
Ungodly fear accomplishes absolutely nothing worthwhile. Anxiety and fear have been compared to rocking in a giant chair. It involves a great deal of work but doesn’t get you anywhere. Worrying (sinning) never accomplishes anything but trouble (see Proverbs 13:15; Matthew 6:27).
Reflection
Is there anything that you are presently fearful about?
Recall the last 5 times you were fearful. Explain the situation that was involved. Did the situation come about due to other sins of yours?
What was your thinking for each of the situations in #2 above? Were you thinking about tomorrow? Where you concerned about the temporary or eternal things?
How did you respond to your fears?
How were you not trusting God?
What have you done about these situations or fears since?
What kind of things typically contribute to your anxiety or fear?
What sins do yo tend to commit due to fear or anxiety?
What do you need Christ to breakthrough for you?
Transformation
Having come to a better understanding of anxiety and ungodly fear and our own involvement with it, we can now learn how to change in this area. Instead of anxiety and fear, we want to put on the fear of the Lord and trust in God’s promises, love and faithfulness.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4–7 ESV)
In the list below describe your fearful thoughts versus thanking, hoping and trusting in our loving Lord.
Fearful Thoughts
Hebrew da’ag to be anxious, concerned.
Greek merimnao to have an anxious concern, based on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune — ‘to be worried about, to be anxious about.’
Overview of Anxiety in the Old and New Testament
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
(Jeremiah 17:7–8 ESV)
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 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 for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
(Matthew 6:25–34 ESV)
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
(Luke 10:38–42 ESV)
Exercise to Discover More About Anxiety
According to Rev. Dr. Stuart Scott, professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, anxiety and ungodly fear are like “kissing cousins.” Though they are not exactly the same, where you see one, you often see the other because they are so very closely related. Anxiety usually involves worrying about what could possibly happen. Fear goes a step further and is more convinced that what is dreaded will really happen. When someone experiences apprehension that does not stay within biblical bounds, there is definitely a lack of peace and trust. Concern and fear are not always wrong. Both the words concern and fear are used the Bible to refer to right and wrong responses. There is godly concern and an ungodly concern (anxiety). There is also godly fear and ungodly fear.
Godly concern is caring about important things for the right reasons. It is also accompanied by a trust in God’s ultimate control and faithfulness. This kind of concern helps you to be responsible to God and does not send you into a confused state. It involves focus on the responsibilities of today, eternal goals and others. Paul talks about an unmarried person only being “concerned” about the things of the Lord and married person being “concerned” about pleasing his wife (1 Corinthians 7:32-33). The New Testament is also filled with references by Paul over his “concern” for the churches and Timothy’s concern for the Philippians’ welfare (2 Corinthians 11:28; Philippians 2:20). These are examples of godly concern. For your concern to be the right kind of concern you must be focused on what is true and helpful from God’s perspective.
Ungodly concern (anxiety) goes beyond reasonable concern and involves worry about mere possibilities. When we are anxious, we are not focused on God and what is true and helpful. When we are anxious, we are often concerned that something we want to happen may not happen. Therefore, we are focused on difficulties of the future, temporal matters, and self. In Matthew 6 we are told not to worry about tomorrow and about “what we will eat,” or “what we will wear for clothing” because unbelievers “eagerly seek these things” (Matthew 6:31-32). Instead, we are to concern ourselves with obeying God today. We are commanded not to be anxious for anything, but to trust God in everything.
Anxiety always involves a certain amount of fear. Ungodly fears are directly related to the things we are thinking about.
Examination
Question: What kind of things do you think about that brings on anxiety?
See Proverbs 4:23; Philippians 4:8
When we are sinfully fearful, we are focused on the circumstances rather than God. Ungodly fear and failure is inevitable when we fail to look beyond our circumstances and look to God and His promises and truth.
When we are fearful, we are focused on self. Ungodly fear is selfish and therefore is the opposite of love. When one continues in fear he is always focused on self and what the self does or doesn’t want. Ungodly fear lacks consideration of God and others. When we are afraid we must put on love for God and others. Love will help to dispel selfish fear (Deut. 7:17-18; Isaiah 51:12-13; Philippians 2:4; 1 John 4:18).
When we are engaged in ungodly fear we are fearing something else more than God. This often means that we want something or love something more than we want or love God. When we fear something more than God, we almost always forget about Him and His Word (promises) and we usually disobey Him in other ways as well.
Ungodly fear accomplishes absolutely nothing worthwhile. Anxiety and fear have been compared to rocking in a giant chair. It involves a great deal of work but doesn’t get you anywhere. Worrying (sinning) never accomplishes anything but trouble (see Proverbs 13:15; Matthew 6:27).
Reflection
Is there anything that you are presently fearful about?
Recall the last 5 times you were fearful. Explain the situation that was involved. Did the situation come about due to other sins of yours?
What was your thinking for each of the situations in #2 above? Were you thinking about tomorrow? Where you concerned about the temporary or eternal things?
How did you respond to your fears?
How were you not trusting God?
What have you done about these situations or fears since?
What kind of things typically contribute to your anxiety or fear?
What sins do yo tend to commit due to fear or anxiety?
What do you need Christ to breakthrough for you?
Transformation
Having come to a better understanding of anxiety and ungodly fear and our own involvement with it, we can now learn how to change in this area. Instead of anxiety and fear, we want to put on the fear of the Lord and trust in God’s promises, love and faithfulness.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4–7 ESV)
In the list below describe your fearful thoughts versus thanking, hoping and trusting in our loving Lord.
Fearful Thoughts
Oh no! I just know this plane is going to crash. I can't do this. I don’t want to die!!!
My job is ending soon and I don’t have another one yet. What am I going to do? We’re going to be in the poor house!
Thankful, Hopeful, Trusting God
Thank you Lord, that I am in Your hands. I am just as safe up here as I am on the ground. You are in control of all things. I can trust you to help me with whatever happens.
Thank you Lord, that I am in Your hands. I am just as safe up here as I am on the ground. You are in control of all things. I can trust you to help me with whatever happens.
I thank you Lord, that you know our needs. I will do all I can to find another job, but I know you will help us through whatever happens. Please help me find another job. You are in control of all things. I will trust you and be content with what you provide.
Note: Photo by Keghan Crossland on Unsplash
“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””
(Hebrews 13:6 ESV)
Note: Photo by Keghan Crossland on Unsplash
