Explore biblical perspectives and find peace in stressful times.
Do you struggle with anxiety and worry over various situations in your life? Anxiety and worry are significant problems for many people, including Christians.
As Christians, we should seek biblical ways to address anxiety and worry. Let’s explore some solutions for overcoming these issues from a Christian perspective.
Understanding anxiety and worry
But first, let’s gain a better understanding of what anxiety and worry are. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com), Anxiety is an “apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill.” Again, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Worry is “a mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending or anticipated.” Although you can have one without the other, anxiety and worry can also be related.
Christians may experience anxiety for a variety of reasons, including personal struggles, family, work, health issues, money problems, etc. Anxiety and worry can make it challenging to carry on with life, interfering with daily routine activities.
Biblical Perspectives On Anxiety And Worry
From fear and apprehension to faith and trust in God, the Bible offers many passages to help Christians deal with anxiety and worry. The Bible encourages us to turn our anxieties over to God, and we can be assured that He will help us face them.
One of the most famous biblical verses that address anxiety is Philippians 4:6-7 NIV: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.”
The Bible assures us that, as Christians, we can have peace even during stressful times as long as we trust in God’s goodness and depend upon His promises. Rather than allow our worries to take center stage in our lives, Christians can exchange our anxieties for God’s peace that surpasses understanding.
3 Strategies to Manage Anxiety and Worry
- Prayer with Thanksgiving: Note that the Bible states here in Philippians 4:6 that when we pray about these troublesome concerns of ours, it is with thanksgiving that we are to present our prayer requests to God.
Yes, my sisters, we are to pray and thank God for all of His amazing blessings that He gives us daily. That grace that He gives us that we don’t deserve, that mercy that He gives us by withholding the consequences for our sinful deeds that we most certainly deserve. The Bible says in Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT: “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Wow! Every morning, God gives us new mercies. What a wonderful God we serve!
We should also thank Him for the many provisions that Jehovah Jireh (means the Lord will provide- Genesis 22:14) provides us daily.
- Prayer with Meditation: Prayer and meditation can effectively calm the mind and reduce anxiety, focusing on the peace and goodness of God. When I speak of meditation, I simply speak about situating yourself in a quiet environment. Then, clear your mind of all other thoughts and focus on God, His greatness and goodness, and His word, the Bible. I encourage you to focus on a specific Bible verse (or verses) of your choice and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you reflect on the meaning of that verse (or verses) and to help you apply those verses to your life.
- Speak to your problems about God’s Almighty Power: This may sound strange, but I will explain. Sometimes, we must speak to our problems and tell them just how powerful our God truly is instead of letting them overwhelm us and take control of our thoughts. This is Satan trying to discourage us by taking our eyes off God and onto our problems in an attempt to keep us discouraged and in a constant state of anxiety and worry. Don’t let him!
Please, let me give you an example of how I handle anxiety and worry when it touches my life. Now, look at Philippians 4:6-7 NLT translation: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
When I experienced feelings of anxiety in the past, I remembered the truth of these Bible verses. I put them into action in my life (with the help of the Holy Spirit) by first thinking about just how good, great, mighty, and all-powerful God truly is. Then I spoke back to God, His promises and direction for us from these Bible verses, and I’ll say out loud in prayer, “Lord, You said in Philippians 4:6-7 that I am not to worry about anything but instead that I should pray about everything. Lord, I need You to please comfort me and take away this anxiety that I am feeling. I know that these anxious feelings are not from You. God, You created me in Your image, and I know that it is not Your desire for me to be anxious, but instead, it is Your desire for me to experience joy and peace (even during my problems). When I am anxious, I am not putting my complete faith and trust in You into action (please, God forgive me for that), but I am leaning on my own understanding of my problems, which does not honor You. The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT that I should trust in You, LORD, with all my heart; and not to depend on my own understanding. I should seek Your will in all I do, and You will show me which path to take. Then I began to do what the Bible says in Philippians 4:6, I thank God for all His goodness and blessings in my life. I’ll say, “Thank you, God, for waking my family and me up this morning and for keeping us safe. Thank you, God, for food and a safe place to live. Thank you, God, for clean clothing and healing me when I was sick. Thank you for Your love and kindness, never leaving me alone, and sustaining my life. The more I thank and praise Him and think of His goodness towards me and others, the less I worry about my problems because I have focused my attention and understanding on the one that is bigger than my problems and certainly more than capable of handling them, so I think to myself; what am I so anxious about? Indeed, my God is greater and more powerful than my problems. Then, I am comforted. Yes, I am so very grateful to God that I have genuinely experienced over and over again that peace that exceeds anything I can understand that Philippians 4:7 speaks of.
The Bible helps us to understand anxiety and worry better and can empower us to take action to overcome them.
In conclusion, overcoming anxiety and worry as Christians is possible. With the Holy Spirit’s help in our lives, as we pray with thanksgiving and meditation and focus on God’s goodness over our problems, we can experience God’s peace in stressful times. The Bible reminds us that our faith and trust can enable us to exchange our anxious thoughts with God’s unconditional love and goodness.
May these strategies inspire you to seek God’s guidance and strength in your struggle with anxiety and worry. Remember that you do not have to bear them alone. God is with you; you can experience His peace and comfort to overcome them.
Remember to Seek Jesus 4 life!
