Anxiety Is Real: So Is God预览

Your Anxiety Is Real

Tossing and turning, I wondered if I would ever fall asleep. All I could think of was the trip I was taking that weekend, the project I needed to finish by Friday, and what I was going to get my husband for his birthday. Of all the times in the day, I could be anxious about these things, why now? What was happening inside of me?

Looking back on my childhood, I can see my anxiety began around age 3. I would hide behind my mom anytime she talked to someone at the grocery store or park. It developed into anxiety over the first day of school, sometimes to the point I would get physically sick.

Anxiety is an interesting yet complex mental health disorder, isn’t it? In Christian circles, there are mixed opinions around mental health. Sometimes anxiety is minimized by people saying, “If you prayed more, you wouldn’t have anxiety.” Or “Christians don’t need medications if they trust God enough.”

As someone who has dealt with anxiety for the majority of my life, both as a non-Christian and now a Christian, I am here to tell you: Anxiety is real. It’s not something that goes away with a snap of your fingers. Often, it takes deep work through counseling, a healthy community of Christians, getting to know God more, and sometimes even medication.

Without going into the science of how our brain is full of chemical receptors and neurotransmitters, just know that sometimes anxiety is your body’s way of protecting you or revealing something to you. Other times, our brains exaggerate the threat way beyond what is true. Either way, what we feel is real and intense.

The Bible speaks of anxiety and worries over 7,000 times. Even David, “a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14), experienced anxiety. God never abandoned David because of his anxiety. Instead, David said, “When I thought, ‘My foot slips,’ your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up” (Psalm 94:18). Steadfast means unchanging, unwavering. This love doesn’t change for you when you are experiencing anxiety.

I used to believe that when I was anxious, God was disappointed with me and wanted me to just ignore my emotions. That’s quite the opposite, actually. God invites me (and you) to share those emotions with Him.

Today, spend a few minutes praying to God about your anxiety. Ask Him if there is anything He is trying to show you. Write down any emotions you feel toward yourself and your anxiety.