The Weight of Anxiety
Key Verse to Read and Treasure
Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down (Proverbs 12:25, ESV)
For Insight
The Bible does not state what causes anxiety. Perhaps that’s because anxiety cannot be over simplified or reduced to one common cause. But when it surfaces and no matter how it enters in—through some trial, crisis, suffering, perceived lack, emotional, spiritual condition or other, it can be a peril to the body and soul, destabilizing every part of life and well-being. Just as Solomon was writing anxiety is not just felt in the emotions or brain and mind, it is felt in the body, and burdens the heart; weighing it down until it is unbearable. If you open the Bible to find something on anxiety that will help you, you might have to look under several words or topics such as “heaviness, distress, trouble and cares. That’s because the word anxiety is like an umbrella with many prongs.
Some things we know about anxiety are:
About 40 million adults between the ages of 18 and 54 suffer from anxiety disorders. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that anxiety has become the number one mental health issue in North America. That alone tells us anxiety is not uncommon and Christians should never think they are alone when they experience anxiety. We might understand the physiology and psychological aspect of anxiety, but God also wants us to understand it as a spiritual issue which is why he talks about it so much in the Bible. God talks about it, not to shame us or berate us for experiencing it as people of faith or to make us feel our faith is inadequate, but so we will know it’s not uncommon, there is nothing to be ashamed of, and he has provided answers for the anxiety we experience in our life at times. Since anxiety can come upon both believers and nonbelievers; and believers are not immune from having mental or emotional disorders or be plagued by things such as anxiety, fear, or worry it’s good to know the only thing that sets us apart is because of the relationship we have in the Lord. Our relationship with God gives us additional strength and support; help to overcome even something as weighty as anxiety.
Because God loves and cares for us and does not want us to suffer under the weight of anxiety or any emotional, psychological, or spiritual pain, he tackles the hard stuff in this life and is not afraid to talk about the things the devil shames us over. When Jesus died on the cross for all our sins and suffering, he set us free, so we are free to speak up about it and seek help for it, using God’s Word as a spiritual resource and those professionally trained to experience wholeness and regain mental, emotional and spiritual health.
Praying Proverbs 12:25
God, it’s been said we should let you do the worrying which will keep anxiety away. When we are feeling anxious help us to seek and accept help, both in your Word and those who are trained to help us in this area. When the devil shames us help us to push back by calling him what we know him to be, “a liar and the father of lies” because we know Jesus took the shame on himself and made it possible that we might be victorious even over anxiety. Amen
Digging Deeper
Devotionally Yours 