Does it seem to you like we have more reasons for anxiety than ever before? A terrorist attack in New Orleans, wildfires in California, rising political unrest, and every source of information seems inundated with a rising clamor of evil, hatred, ingratitude, abuse, and devastation. “My God,” I often pray, “Please shine through me so others have hope in a world such as this! Help me to discern between—healthy anxiety and unhealthy anxiety—in my own life so I can be full of love, joy, peace, wisdom, compassion, and strength and help others find refuge in You.”
My friend, spiritual warfare is all around us and we need to be ready. We don’t need to be caught in the web of unhealthy anxiety. A good friend of mine, Dr. Nicole Dorio, a licensed psychologist, once told me:
“SOME level of anxiety is helpful and healthy as it helps motivate us to get things done. For example, a low level of anxiety helps us prepare for a case or study for a test. Additionally, anxiety helps trigger our flight-or-fight response in the presence of a threat (i.e., a lion, bear, etc.) so we can react (i.e., run or fight). Unfortunately, when we live in chronic anxiety our flight-or-fight response is over-firing and therefore, it’s not healthy. It is this perpetual anxiety that God does not want us to live in.”
God does NOT want us to exist in perpetual anxiety because this is unhealthy and it is NOT how God created us to live.
All anxiety is typically rooted in some form of FEAR. A relationship with Jesus is a relationship with LOVE and the Bible says “perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18) When we are surrendering to God and actively living under His Lordship, we are close to Him.
GOD FEARS NO ONE.
God COMMANDS us at least 364 times in His Word to NOT be afraid. One of my favorite verses is:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
So why do many born again believers seem to have such high levels of anxiety? Well, I can tell you why I struggle. Let me preface this by saying that if perfect love casts out fear then the opposite of perfect love must be what makes us fearful—right? But we know that the opposite of love—as defined by God’s Word—is not “hate.” Love, as defined by God’s Word is…
Long suffering, kind, unenvious, humble, not self-seeking, not puffed up, not rude, not easily provoked to anger…
Love doesn’t think evil or rejoice in sin, but rejoices in the truth…
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Probably the one word that comes closest to defining “love” is “selflessness.” Selfishness (placing “self” on the throne of our heart instead of God) is sin. So love and sin are opposites. Sin is the enemy of love. Sin is what causes us to live in perpetual fear. Keep in mind—when I say “sin” I’m referring not just to our own, but also the horrific effects it has had on our entire world. Sin produces unhealthy thought patterns like doubt, fear, worthlessness, pride, hopelessness, etc.
However, many of us who have suffered from anxiety for most of our lives aren’t ready to hear this. It may just make us more anxious—right? It’s kind of like someone placing a bomb inside our bomb shelter. But we were not created to live locked away cowering in fear. When Jesus makes us free, He says “we are free indeed.” (John 8:36) I want to live in freedom—don’t you?
I’m so glad God gives us His Word and His presence. I’m so grateful that His forgiveness is forever. God gives us help in His Word for unhealthy anxiety. He also gives us tools like mental health professionals, godly friends, church community, and His Spirit. But because unhealthy patterns do not become engrained overnight. It takes a while to form new habits. Just like life-long unhealthy eating habits take a while to change—so, too, it is with life-long anxiety habits. We need to be intentional about change.
But when we are born again, we have a huge advantage.
God gives us the supernatural power of His Spirit. And—when we get to know Him, He gives us new habits which produce peace. Peace is so much better than the anxiety we become very motivated to hold onto it. It’s kind of like losing 100 pounds and being able to have the confidence of being fit—it’s a great motivator for changing our old habits. Well, my friend, once you start experiencing the peace that comes from God—you never want to go back to living in perpetual anxiety. Jesus, Who is love, is also the Prince of Peace.
He is not anxious.
But to be close to Him, we must be committed to live in loving obedience. When Jesus taught us the Beatitudes, He was giving us a way of blessed peace. The attitudes of Christ keep us in peace. The study on the Beatitudes has been pivotal in decreasing my anxiety!
My friend, everything we watch, listen to, think about, and allow to enter our heart, mind and soul—affects us. It’s much like how everything we eat, drink, smell, and do—also affects us—even if it is a subtle effect. It follows that if we want to decrease our anxiety, we need to be very careful what we’re feeding our soul.
Learning to live in the attitudes of Jesus will fill our mind and soul with the tools to find peace. Jesus understands our suffering and He offers us His strength.
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16
When we have an attitude of mourning towards all sin and desire God’s holy presence, we walk beside Him.
God is LOVE and HE and is never anxious; when HE is in control of our life—we have peace.
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength.” Isaiah 26:3-4
*If making a change in habit feels overwhelming, or if you have tried these strategies and are still struggling with anxiety, I encourage you to reach out to a Christian mental health professional. They can help provide additional skills to help you feel unchained from anxiety and live the life God wants you to live—a life without chronic fear and anxiety.
