Getting Real about Anxiety

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:5-7 NIV

Anxiety is so toxic to our spiritual lives that God’s command to ‘not be afraid or anxious or fearful’ is the most frequently repeated command in the Bible.

Anxiety paralyzes our ability to trust God.  More than anything else, fear is what keeps people from saying ‘yes’ to God.

If we are going to get real about anxiety we have to take into account that there is a physiological aspect to anxiety.  Medial research tells us that some people are genetically predisposed to being anxious. Their brains are extremely sensitive to the effects of adrenaline.

Then you have the other extreme of people who are predisposed to be risk-takers.  Their brains and nervous systems are not very sensitive to adrenaline or to other stress modulators. They are drawn to bungee jumping, alligator wrestling, and karaoke.

Then you have the people in the middle who are set up for normal experiences of anxiety.

And Jesus says, ‘Don’t judge’ - because only God sees into the brains and the neurons and knows all the raw material that every one of us is wrestling with.  We all start at different places when it comes to anxiety.

The goal is just to grow one step at a time, starting with wherever you are.

But regardless of your physical make-up, know this - God never calls anyone to live in anxiety.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Tim 1:7 NKJV

So where does anxiety come from?

Anxiety is caused when we have an increased sense of feeling vulnerable, or feeling threatened, and a decreased sense of being in control of what is happening.

So surprisingly worry is not a direct product of our problems… it is a direct product of our beliefs about how vulnerable we are and how much control we have in our circumstances.

Anxiety is the ‘absence of inner peace in our souls’.

Think of it like this: When you take away light, darkness takes over; when you take away peace, anxiety takes over.

So if we are going to ‘get real about overcoming anxiety’ the first thing we need to do is stop focusing on Anxiety and focus on how to get peace to come to our lives.

Receiving the Peace of God is a ‘huge’ deal in the Bible and even to this day the traditional Jewish greeting and farewell is, ‘Shalom’ i.e. Peace

In John 14:27, Jesus gives us the promise of His peace:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
(and notice what He says next) Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus is talking about giving you a priceless gift – it’s the Peace of God i.e. peace that God himself has, the serenity that characterizes God’s own eternal being.

How do we access the peace of God?

The primary way the Bible teaches us to access the Peace of God is to… Pray about EVERYTHING.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:5-7 NIV

The best way to worry about ‘nothing’ is to pray about ‘everything’
Hand every concern over to God - take decisive action: Pray out loud, sing worship songs, have a God visualization ready of the Lord as your Shepherd OR…

Talk to other Christians to help you get God’s eternal perspective:

Offering reassurance can sometimes break a chain of worry in another person - it’s a reminder that they’re connected to God.  When we offer reassurance for each other, something happens inside us, and the peace of God begins to guard us.

Every time we take decisive action against worry and fear, it’s a chance to learn from the Spirit how to access the peace of God.