Anxiety

Anxiety is something that all of us can relate to on at least some level.  In some of us it is just an adverse feeling.  In others it is much more.  It can keep you awake at night, cause you to make poor decisions, cause panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder etc.  It seems that anxiety is never alone, it tends to be accompanied by things like fear, worry, anger, guilt, and/or depression.  While the process of getting there and its intensity varies, I think it something that all of us have probably experienced. 

I think there are three things that can cause anxiety.

The first is a difficult life circumstance such as illness or the death of a loved one. 

Second, is the result of another persons sin that effects your life, such as a rebellious child. 

Third, would be the result of personal sin in your own life left unreconciled at some level, such as abusiveness or adultery. 

While anxiousness can seem to be the most natural, and even loving response at times, the bottom line is that it is a sinful response, whatever the cause.  It is something that I have to fight against and confess fairly often, usually because of life circumstances.

The world and secular psychology would have us believe that we are victims.  It would have us deny our responsibility before a Sovereign God, and say that we are not held accountable for our responses to life or for the consequences of personal sin.  While that may sound harsh, it is true, and the only way for us to be set free is through the Truth.  Would we rather cope with our anxiety or experience the peace, hope and joy that only Christ can offer?

So how do we fight it? 

First we must recognize that it is sinful.  Phillipians 4 commands us to "be anxious about nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."  At its core, anxiety says that we do not believe that God is Sovereign, loving, or powerful enough to do anything about it. 

Secondly, we must loosen the death grip we are trying to have on life by controlling it, and grasp on to Gods great and precious promises which give us everything we need for life and godliness (2Peter 1.3-4). 

Third, keep up the good fight.  Continue to wage war on your sin, refusing to give into fear or believing that you are a victim.    "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self control" 2 Timothy 1:7.  This third step means surrounding yourself with other believers, worship, prayer, reading scripture, and taking hold of the Truth by faith.

Life can be very hard, and the suffering we experience can be extremely difficult and real.  Christ was called the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  He is the God of all comfort, and before He was crucified He told His disciples "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  

Whatever has brought us to the place of being anxious, Christ is enough.  Holding on to our anxiousness tells God that He is both impotent and insufficient for us.  It is prideful to think that our life is too big and important for God to sort out, and idolatrous to make anything bigger and more important than Him.  But He remembers our frame and that we are but dust.  He extends to us through Christ love, grace, mercy, and immeasurable power "...take heart; I have overcome the world."  We must remember, that like so many others before us, He often delivers us through the flames and not from them.

I know some people may have experienced counsel like this before and come to the conclusion of trashing their medication.  That is a bad idea, coming off medication should only be done under a Doctors supervision.