Anxiety and the Christian

In today’s society, anxiety is on the increase. Doctors have never been so busy with people bogged down with anxiety and worry.

Anxiety can overwhelm you and decrease your quality of life. It creates an emotional barrier that prevents you from relaxing and enjoying the day ahead.

 

I’ve been touched by anxiety. People assume, especially Christians because you are a believer that you have a worry-free life. Quite the opposite is true! The enemy attacks believers with all sorts of arsenal to draw them away from God.  Anxiety is just one method Satan uses.

But what does the bible say about anxiety and how we should cope with it? I’d like to share some scriptures that specifically pinpoint anxiety and how to apply them so we can lead a stress-free life.

One of my go-to scriptures to deal with anxiety is found in Philippians 4:6-7 “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.”

This scripture in Phillipians is quite clear. God is telling us quite plainly, do not worry about a thing. He is in control and we can leave our anxiety’s and problems to Him. God will not abandon us. We are His children and He knows how difficult life on earth can be. But to lead a stress-free life, we need to keep the lifeline open and continually pray. That’s the key. Prayer and thanksgiving. We pray and give thanks to our maker, King Jesus because it builds us up and produces emotional and spiritual strength.

We can’t lose heart and give in to fear. We weren’t created to live a life of fear. God made us in perfect love, not fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 explains further. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.”

Timothy describes we were made in love from a creator that adores us. His divine love for us surpasses all understanding. So we need to remember we were designed with love in mind. God’s love is what should fill our mind and spirit, not the enemy’s weapon of anxiety.

The enemy wants to have us believe that we are weak and not strong. But God’s word tells us the complete opposite. Scripture tells us we are more than conquerors.

Romans 8:37 reassures us “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

Scripture is what we fight the enemy with. When he uses his weapon of fear, we use scripture to destroy that fear that is trying to overcome us.

John 14:27 also tells us we should not be anxious. “Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]”

The world gives temporary satisfaction, but Jesus Christ gives everlasting peace that we can take comfort in. The peace of the Holy Spirit runs deep and is eternal. The world’s solution to peace is short-lived and shallow.

When the enemy attacks with anxiety, we can fill our spirit with the scriptures that God has given us to tackle fear. If we can do this, we allow our worries to melt away. God’s goodness and grace are evident through the Word of God. It is our shelter and defence. His Word encourages us and sets us free in a time where fear is becoming a dominant emotion.  So take heart, anxiety can be overpowered with scripture by diligent meditation through the Word of God.