Anxiety seems to be everywhere, and everyone seems to have it! The good news is it can be a very normal and sometimes healthy part of life. The bad news is more often than not it grows into an oversized burden that can be difficult and even debilitating. When we as Christians have anxiety that needs to be managed, we know the Bible has the answers. The good news is we know we need to trust in the Lord, to pray continually and to live in faith. The challenging news is many times our anxiety is so powerful that hearing these biblical answers hurts and doesn't help. Why? Because we have already worked at applying these things, and we’re still stuck! Our objective today is to slow the whole process down and work on suggesting ways to cope with anxiety's overwhelming grip.
Four steps
While we always encourage anyone who suffers from high levels of anxiety to seek professional help when appropriate, we also encourage focusing on what we personally can do to cope with our anxiety. Along with prayer, faith and trust, we suggest facing and challenging our anxieties with a four-step approach:
Recognize: Observe when anxiety is overtaking our minds.
Refrain: Pause the cycle of anxious thinking.
Reframe and Rebuild: Approach the problem positively and take action.
Restart: Intentionally reboot our life perspective to see our experiences from God’s perspective.
Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount highlight the anxiety-inducing dangers of earthly treasures and what to do about them. Jesus shows us how being anxious warps our perception, and he emphasizes the importance of God-centered reframing. While not necessarily a sign of weak faith, it is a challenge that requires intentional coping strategies. Psalms 88 and 139 encourage us to recognize anxiety and rely on God's care.
Social anxiety
Another point in Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6 reveals how social comparisons intensify the problem. Jesus warns us of the challenge believers face to focus on spiritual priorities rather than worldly appearances. Philippians 4 promotes prayer and gratitude to combat anxiety and bring God’s peace in its place.
Ultimately, we understand this mental struggle as an adversary to a believer’s faith that requires continuous efforts to manage. Through prayer, biblical teachings, and reframing anxious thoughts, we can all work towards peace and balance as we continue to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.