According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 31% of people in the United States will experience some sort of anxiety disorder in their lifetime. That means that nearly a third of Americans will experience anxiety beyond general worry, but an actual disorder that disrupts everyday life, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in the United States, so chances are, if you have never experienced anxiety, then someone close to is, or has in the past.
The truth is, worry is a part of life. We all go through periods of life when anxiety is high and we worry about what is going to happen. If you care about anything or anyone, then you are going to have periods of worry or anxiety, because you want those things and those people to be okay. We also don’t know the future, so it can feel scary when the future feels uncertain, or something happens that we didn’t see coming. If you take just a second or two to think about it, you will probably be able to find a whole list of things that you could worry about.
So while worry and even anxiety are a part of life, we don’t want it to be the controlling force of our lives. When worry becomes debilitating, and controls how we navigate through the day, it has entered into the realm of an anxiety disorder. If you are experiencing this type of crippling anxiety, then it is going to affect your mood for long periods of times and also probably affect your relationships. It is hard and it can take work to overcome, but there is hope, and there is help out there. You don’t have to hide the struggle, and you don’t have to face it alone. Psychologytoday.com is a great place to start to look for a therapist in your area, or even one licensed in your state that can do a virtual appointment.
Worry happens because of the fall. We live in a world of death and sin. We want to survive and protect ourselves, so worry helps us to feel like we are on our guard. But worry tells us a lie. It tells us that if we think about it enough, plan enough, and worry enough, then we will be prepared for whatever comes. Anxiety tells us that if we worry enough, we will be safe. But this is untrue for several reasons. One, is that you can never be “done” worrying. You can always add something on to worry about. If I am worrying about how to pay a hospital bill, then I can also start worrying about how to pay an electric bill, and so on. It isn’t hard to find one more thing. Because of this, worry doesn’t make us feel safer. It makes us feel more afraid.
Worry also distracts us from focusing on what really helps. If we are so busy avoiding the bad stuff, then it actually makes it harder to work towards the good stuff. Worry brings the focus to self-preservation and staying safe, and takes the focus away from the things that actually make life more fulfilling and give our lives meaning, such as relationships, faith, and fulfilling our purpose.
So what should we focus on, if not on all the worries and “what ifs”? I often tell my clients to focus on what is true. Don’t spend all of your energy on things in the future that you aren’t sure if they are even going to happen. What is true? The present moment. Focus on what is happening right now, and what is necessary for you to do at this moment. Are you safe and okay at this moment? Are there changes or decisions that you need to make right now? Then focus on those, and deal with the next things when they come.
What else is true? God, and the promises he has given us. There is great comfort and peace in resting in who God is. We can’t comprehend God fully, but the Bible reveals promises of who God is. The Westminster Confession of Faith Shorter Catechism Question 4 sums this up beautifully. It says- What is God? The answer- God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
We must remember that while God is immense and beyond our understanding, He does give us large glimpses of who He is. He is holy, just, good, all powerful. And it is a huge comfort to remember that He does not, cannot, and will not change. Our world and our lives are constantly changing, but we can always be sure that God is still in control of all things and will always be on the throne.
Another truth to remember is that as God’s children, even when things are hard or we have many things to be anxious about, we know that God works for our good, and we can come to him when we are in need. It is what Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7- “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God promises us peace when we come to him. He doesn’t promise an easy fix or for everything to go perfectly, but he does promise “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”
Worry and anxiety are often complicated things, and I don’t want to minimize it by saying that all you have to do is just trust in God more, or pray harder, and it will all go away. We all know that things are not so simple. We also know that we don’t know the reasons why we go through what we go through. But we do know that there is comfort in having a relationship with a loving God. There was even a study done in 2014 at the University of Baylor and published in Sociology of Religion that found that people who prayed to who they viewed as a loving, protective God, were less likely to suffer from various symptoms and conditions of anxiety. On the other side, people who prayed to who they viewed as a distant or judgmental God were more likely to suffer anxiety related conditions.¹
Knowing who God truly is matters. Remember the truth about who he is- a God who is all powerful and also loving, just and merciful. Also remember that God wants us to come to him with our problems. He cares deeply about our struggles, and resting in him can help us to find peace for our anxious hearts.
1. New Study Examines the Effects of Prayer on Mental Health. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/blog/new-study-examines-the-effects-of-prayer-on-mental-health#1
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