OPINION:
The holidays are supposed to be filled with joy and celebration. But for 20% of Americans, this time of year also brings a cloud of anxiety that many struggle to shake.
Chronic anxiety is not just the nerves you feel before a first date or a big presentation; it’s a “what if?” snowflake that snowballs into an avalanche of worry. It’s a roller-coaster loop that gets stuck in your head, goes around your stomach, and keeps you up at night.
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Even though Christians know we shouldn’t worry, we still do. Even though Christians know we should trust God to take care of it, we still don’t.
Is anxiety sinful? Or is some anxiety good because it drives us to take action? These are fair questions that deserve a biblical response.
The Greek word that we translate as “anxious/anxiety” can be godly. In 1 Corinthians, Paul says that married Christians are “concerned” about how to make their spouses happy and that believers should be “concerned” for each other (7:33; 12:25).
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If I am concerned that my marriage is struggling and that concern causes me to serve my wife, that’s God-pleasing. If you are worried about a member of your family who is straying from Jesus and that worry leads you to pray and encourage him, God is pleased.
To prevent confusion, most translations refer to this state of mind as “concern” rather than “worry” or “anxiety.” But that same Greek word most often has a negative, sinful context. It’s the kind of worry that focuses on all the terrible things that could happen instead of on the powerful God in charge of every future detail. This anxiety is a sin.
I know that feels discouraging, because your constant battle with anxiety is, therefore, a constant battle against sin. But Jesus’ grace is always greater than our sins.
Dealing with anxiety is like dealing with any other spiritual weakness. It’s not a “light switch” fix but instead a process. Let’s examine God’s plan for how to deal with anxiety.
Step 1: Breathe
If you’re super anxious, it might be better to start with breathing. I could grab my Bible and try to reason with you, but you’re not ready to reason. That’s because of your amygdala — the almond-shaped thing in your brain, which is God’s way of keeping you safe from danger.
If a lion appeared in front of you, your amygdala would trigger your body into a fight-or-flight reaction. However, your amygdala is famous for false alarms. A random thought can trigger the same physical responses, which is why worry makes your stomach ache or prevents you from thinking logically.
That’s why the first step to dealing with anxiety is deep breathing, which uses your nervous system to tell your amygdala: “You’re not running from a lion. You can slow down and think.”
Step 2: Pray
God loves His anxious kids. He doesn’t want you to be anxious about anything. Paul wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6), and Peter added, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Your constant worries might wear down your friends, mom, or husband, but not God. If you’re often anxious, God isn’t rolling his eyes and saying, “You again?” He cares constantly about you. So, pray and ask Him to take your worry away.
Step 3: Seek
Jesus says, “Do not worry about your life” (Matthew 6:25) and “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and [God’s] righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). “Seek” means to hunt for, go after, and remember. God wants you to seek His kingdom and righteousness.
God’s kingdom is where God is King, where He blesses you with safety. Jesus died so you would be safe from condemnation and always be right with God.
God’s righteousness is the gift of being right with your Father through the blood of His Son. That gift is yours not because you’re perfect but because Jesus was perfect in your place.
God’s not going to fail you, even if you fail Him. Seek these truths to help deal with your anxiety.
Step 4: Community
Be with a group of Christians who can keep you connected to the promises of Jesus. When you’re stuck in your head, it’s easy to forget to breathe, pray, and seek, but that’s why God gave us each other.
Proverbs 12:25 says, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Community is God’s way of helping you deal. It’s the supercharged way that God helps you with everything, including anxiety.
Remembering these four steps won’t cure anxiety by tomorrow — or erase it this holiday season — but it will help. And when you’re fighting those “what if?” battles, remind yourself that you are being held in Jesus’ strong arms and scarred hands. May you, in all your faith and fear, believe that Jesus is as close to you as He could possibly be.
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Excerpt taken from “Taboo: Topics Christians Should Be Talking About but Don’t” by Mike Novotny (© 2024 Time of Grace Ministry).
Mike Novotny is an author, pastor, and speaker who holds a Master of Divinity from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Mike is the lead speaker for Time of Grace, a global media ministry that exists to point people to what matters most: Jesus. In his latest book,”Taboo: Topics Christians Should Be Talking About but Don’t” he covers deeply personal, vulnerable, and emotional topics, handling them with grace and respect. Taboo is a must-read for Christians looking for a biblically based resource to modern questions.
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