Peace for the Anxious

The most difficult battle that you will ever face in your life, is the battle in your mind. You see, how we think determines how we live. Our minds are like computer processors. Just like how a computer processor will take all the inputs that is programmed into it and then translate that into what we need, our minds take all the input of our lives and then translate it into patterns of thinking and those patterns of thinking become pathways to our emotions.

For example, imagine that, like me, you got bullied in elementary, Jr. high and high school, all by different people. Each time you experienced this bullying, you feel afraid for your safety. And then it happens again, and you feel more fear. And then again. Well, what has happened is that you have created a mental pathway that equates confrontation with danger. And so you feel fear about even the idea of confrontation which leads you to spend your life bending to everyone else’s will hoping that will keep the peace.

When we carve ruts in our thinking that become pathways to emotions, we often find that the expressions of those emotions hinders our lives - we become trapped in a cycle of mental and emotional unhealth. But there is a better way. Last week, I spoke about how Jesus, as our Messiah, came to bring us freedom. That includes freedom from a life ruined by mental health struggles.

The apostle Paul gives us two great passages about this. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 he writes,

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

And in Romans 12, Paul states,

Romans 12:1–2 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Freedom is found in the renewing of our mind - in the rewiring of our brains. And so, for the next 4 weeks, we are going to be looking at the relationship between mental health and healthy thinking in order to help you experience freedom. Mental health, like physical health, is something that we need to maintain to the glory of God, as an act of worship to him. So, as we look at some common emotional struggles that we experience to some degree or another, my hope is that God transforms you into someone who, like Jesus, is emotional, but whose emotions don’t control them. So, for today, we are going to look at the issue of anxiety.

VIDEO (3:49)

Anxiety is something that we all experience at some point, to some degree. For some of you, you experience a lot of anxiety in your everyday life. Others of you just get a bit nervous about certain social things and there are some of you who struggle with panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere. In fact, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “1 in 5 US adults suffer from mental illness each year,” “50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14,” and “75% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 24” (“Mental Health by the Numbers,” National Alliance on Mental Illness, updated September 2019, https://nami.org/mhstats). These stats include clinical depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, among others but what it tells us that experiencing anxiety and mental health struggles is normal.

While experiencing these struggles is normal, allowing them to define you and destroy your life is unhealthy. That’s why Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:6-8 “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. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

When Paul writes this, he knows what he is talking about. Paul’s letter to the Philippian church was written during a time of immense personal stress for the apostle. He’d in conflict with his former colleagues from the Jewish leadership for very long time, there had been multiple attempts on his life, he had been beaten and flogged, and he was living under house arrest while waiting to present his case to Caeser in Rome.

And the Philippian Christians were under massive stress as well. Philippi was a Roman outpost in Greece. You know the Romans -the ones that crucified Jesus and who would launch a persecution against Christians that was felt for centuries. They constantly faced death just by being believers in an armed and hostile city. Yet despite all of that, Paul rejoices throughout his letter to the Philippians and encourages them to rejoice as well. Later, in the letter, he writes that the key to finding contentment and joy in every circumstance—good or ill—is by continually looking to Christ Jesus for the strength to move forward (Philippians 4:11–13). In short, Paul recognizes that what he focuses on—the problem or the promise—directly affects his mental and emotional state. And that’s true for us as well. If we focus on the problem, our anxiety rises and gains more power over us. If we focus on the promise -the power and the presence of Jesus - then our anxiety abates and faith fills our souls.

Now, as I was studying and praying over this sermon this week, I wanted to bring some hope for those of you who struggle with anxiety, no matter how much anxiety you experience. So, I labelled three types of anxiety that make me sound like I’m a qualified psychologist - which I am not and we are going to look at some scripture that I think might help you, as well as some practical tips for processing your anxiety.

The first type of anxiety is what I call localized anxiety or situational anxiety.

This type of anxiety is about feeling worried or anxious about a particular situation. In this kind, you don’t feel a general sense of anxiety and you are far from panic attacks, but certain situations make you feel anxiety. For me, and I have mentioned this recently, but it comes back to a sense of being in trouble. If I think, or I know, I am in trouble with someone - someone is mad at me, or even worse, just disappointed in me, my anxiety level goes way up and it consumes my thoughts, it prevents me from sleeping properly and I even notice my blood pressure rise.

For some of you, this anxiety kicks in when you are about to interview for a job, or a on a first day. Others, this may kick in when you think of marriage and commitment. For some of you, it’s when you drive with “them” (you know who I mean). Whatever it is that instigates your anxiety, it is based on a specific situation or scenario. And you need to know, that many of the major faith heroes of the bible struggled with it too.

Peter had enough faith to walk on water, but then his anxiety kicked in when he looked at the storm and he started to sink. Abraham was nervous about not having a son to carry on the family and God said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you and your reward will be great.” And when Joshua replaced Moses as the leader of Israel - which are big sandals to fill - I think Joshua had some localized anxiety. I say that because of what God said to Joshua. Look at this:

Joshua 1:6–9 NLT

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Three times in four verses, God says to Joshua “Be strong and courageous.” To me, the repetition in such a short span means that Joshua was afraid - his anxiety rose up. But God encouraged him - he imparted courage to Joshua by reminding him that Joshua wasn’t going to be alone, but that God would be with him. And sometimes, that’s all it takes for us to move past our localized anxiety - to know that we aren’t alone.

And that’s why I so connect to the theology that God is omnipresent - that he is everywhere at all times. When you are driving in your car, bopping along to hits from the 80’s and 90’s - Jesus is there. When you come to our worship service - Jesus is here. When you pray alone in your room - Jesus is there. And when you’re lying awake because your anxiety about “that thing” has overtaken your mind - Jesus is there too. He is always with us and because I know how much I need him, that is an encouraging thought to me. I know that if the creator of the heavens and earth is with me, I can get through any situation that raises my anxiety levels. His presence gives me peace.

But practically speaking, what can we do in order to find peace when we encounter localized anxiety? For many of us, our anxiety is raised because, in our minds, we start thinking about the worse that could happen. Too many times, when I know my wife and I are at odds, but we haven’t talked about it, in my mind, I make it a bigger deal and soon I am imagining one of us leaving the other. That’s where I need to take my thoughts captive to Jesus. When I was at the Global Leadership Summit, which we watched as a staff at our Fanshawe campus, Michelle Poler, author of Hello, Fears” challenged us to flip the script on a common question that often holds us back.

Many of us, when we face the thing that drives up our anxiety, ask the question, “What’s the worst that can happen?” This question leads us to envision the worst-case scenario. Instead, she challenges us to ask, “What is the BEST that can happen?” This allows the potential of success override the fear that keeps us back. So, when it comes to those situations where your localized or situational anxiety rises up, ask yourself, “What’s the BEST that can happen?” and remember that Jesus is our Immanuel, which means “God with us.”

The second type of anxiety is general anxiety.

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America defines general anxiety disorder as a persistent and excessive worry about a number of different things. It could be worry about COVID, about war, about natural disasters, about the bus being late, about why you didn’t call at exactly 10:03 like you said you would or any other of a myriad of reasons. And while it may not affect everyone, this type of anxiety does affect 6.8 million adults in the US alone every year. Interestingly, the Bible speaks to this type of anxiety. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus says,

Matthew 6:25–33 NLT

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

What can help the person who struggles with a generalized anxiety cope through their day? Remembering that God is caring for them and providing for them. God sees us as valuable - not because of what we can accomplish - but because we are created by him, in his image. And because we are valuable to him - far more than the birds of the air or the lilies of the field - he will provide for us. We just need to trust him to do it. And what’s amazing in this section in Matthew that we just read, is that Jesus again tells us to take our thoughts captive. Instead of focussing on what we don’t have or even what we think we need, Jesus calls us to focus our thoughts on the Kingdom of God - on the rule and reign of our good and gracious God in this world.

So, what is a coping skill to help those who struggle with general anxiety? Since the problem is in our minds, that’s where the solution has to be as well. We have to learn to take those thoughts captive -to replace the thoughts that generate anxiety with thoughts that bring peace. I would recommend creating and memorizing an affirmation phrase that repeating out loud will calm you and remind you of the truth. Maybe you could use a Bible verse that is important to you. Or you can make one up. Here is an example of one I made up and feel free to use it if you want:

God is good, God is love and God is here. I put my trust in you.

When you feel your anxiety begin to rise, start speaking your phrase over and over until your heart rate calms down and your breath returns to you. The repetition will not only help ground you, it will create new pathways for your mind and soon, when anxiety hits, your mind will automatically go to those truths you have been feeding it.

Now, before I leave this section, if you believe you may struggle with General anxiety disorder, then first and foremost, I encourage you to speak to a mental health professional. A shirt from the amazing online company thehappygivers.com said it best: “It’s okay to have Jesus and a therapist too.” I wholeheartedly believe that in God’s amazing provision, he has empowered psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors to enact his healing work in people’s lives. God uses these people to bring healing to those who are hurting so avail yourself of their services.

The third type of anxiety is acute anxiety.

The man in the video shared about his panic attack. Panic attacks are real, they are scary and they can be the outworking of acute anxiety. What happens is that when a panic attack is triggered, your body goes into a “Fight, Flight or Freeze” response mode. During one of these attacks, your body tries to take in more oxygen so your breathing gets faster. Your body also releases hormones, such as adrenaline, causing your heart to beat faster and your muscles to tense up. These are serious and as I said with generalized anxiety, you really should see a mental health professional and get the help you need. And remember, mental health professionals are like pastors - some are good and some aren’t so if you find one that isn’t helpful, keep looking and don’t give up until you find someone who can help you.

But what does the Bible have to say about this? The Psalms are so beautiful for they don’t sugar coat the emotional distress that we experience in life. Look at what it says in Psalm 55:

Psalm 55:4–7 (NLT)

My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.

That sounds like a panic attack to me. But David’s emotional genius is such that he allows himself to feel it and brings God into that struggle. Later in the same psalm, David says, Psalm 55:16-17 “But I will call on God, and the Lord will rescue me. Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.”

David experienced acute anxiety and yet he knew that it didn’t mean that God had abandoned him. He didn’t let his anxiety cause him to doubt God, but instead he used his anxiety to draw closer to God.

So what should those who experience acute anxiety do? Firstly, and probably with the help of a trained counsellor, psychologist or pastor, you should explore what your anxiety triggers are. You need to find the root of your fear in order to begin the process of managing it well.

In Psalm 139, it says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” This is an invitation to work with God to do the introspection you need to in order to gain emotional health.

Secondly, a tip you can do, that I learned from a book about anxiety by Dr. Faith Harder, whose title contains swear words so I can’t reference it, is to create “Coping cards.” Create a set of 3x5 cards that you read in order to gain control when the anxiety tries to take you over. Maybe they have memorable verses or phrases on them, or maybe they have pictures of your family and friends. Or maybe they have facts and truths about anxiety that remind you of the truth of what you are experiencing. Whatever you put on them, make a stack of cards and then hole punch them, connect them with a ring, and when an attack comes, grab them quickly and start reading them, out loud if you have to. Just like the affirmation phrase I mentioned earlier, the more you use these coping cards, the more rewiring of your brain you will do so that when you encounter something that triggers your anxiety, your synapses will travel the new pathways of truth you built with the cards and your anxiety will abate. While it sounds weird and even cheesy, a lot of people find them really helpful in grounding them and helping them reduce the length and severity of the anxiety attack.

Conclusion

Whether you struggle with acute anxiety and panic attacks, or generalized anxiety that seems to be ever present, or just localized anxiety that is about a specific person or situation, my heart today is that you would know that God is an ever present help in times of trouble and that you can find peace in Him. That peace is found when we change our mindset - when we rewire the brain so that instead of our fears causing us to Fight, flight or freeze, they instead lead us to peace and truth. I want to close with the prayer of Paul in Romans 15:

Romans 15:13 NLT

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.