Bible Answers for Anxiety

Having been in ministry for more than 30 years, I have often counseled people dealing with serious bouts of anxiety. As a human being, I have also personally dealt with anxiety. And there are more people who wrestle with it than just those who come to a pastor for counsel. Academics who study such things estimate that, in the United States, anxiety now exceeds depression as the top mental illness, if that is the right word. At any given time, some six million Americans are afflicted by anxiety. Many of those millions also experience depression; it’s very common for those disorders to be found together.

Anxiety and depression are not the same. Most people use them as synonyms, but really anxiety and depression are two different issues. Depression is a period of despondency, or perhaps just disinterest, in life and its activities. Anxiety, by contrast, is more “active” than depression. Anxiety is a a feeling of fear that arises inside a person. Sometimes the fear has a specific trigger; other times the fear has no clear explanation. Perhaps the accumulation of life events have created a sense of anxiousness or eagerness in a person's heart. That feeling of anxious anticipation is what I want to address.

There are many possible sources of anxiety. The stress that accompanies modern life is often the culprit. Some medications, even some sleep aids, have the side effect of triggering anxiety. Several recent studies indicate that our attachment to our cell phones is producing anxiety. All our waking hours we are bombarded with notifications. People are on the edge of their mental seats anticipating the next reaction, comment, or text.

Social media in general is a prominent cause of anxiety. The most recent studies indicate that excessive use of social media is promoting anxiety, especially among young people. The world of social apps is a very new phenomenon; it only gained popularity and began to influence our culture around a decade ago. Studies now indicate that teenage anxiety is now at an all time high.

Additionally, anxiety is a part of the human condition. Our instinctive response of fight-or-flight (or freeze) is a form of anxiety given to us by God. It is part of our mental hardware so we know whether we need to throw a punch in a threatening situation, or whether we need to run.

To be clear, the mental disorder of anxiety is different than our God-given response to physical danger. The clinical term is generalized anxiety disorder. It's something a doctor can diagnose. The symptoms range from a feeling of being overwhelmed and anxious to experiencing panic attacks.

While there are many manifestations of anxiety and many triggers for it, my study has focused on what I call poor mental processing. What I mean by “poor mental processing” is any kind of unbiblical thinking.

Let me give you some background of my own experience with anxiety. Several years ago, I went through a very difficult life change and a major loss. My twin brother unexpectedly passed away when we were both relatively young. That loss set me on a pathway of accumulating anxiety. I understood that, as a pastor, there were certain things that I needed to do from the Scriptures so I would not become consumed with anxiety. I knew of scattered Bible verses that addressing anxiety, but no one had ever connected all of the dots and presented me with a system that I could use. What I needed was a very practical method of thinking that I could use when I became anxious.

I immersed myself in the issue of anxiety. I studied the Bible, cognitive behavioral therapy, and stoicism. With Scripture as both my foundation and the judge between wisdom and folly, I combined the principles I learned into a useful “recipe” to help myself and others with their mental processing.

My governing principle for peace of mind is based on Proverbs 23:7: “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The thoughts in a man’s heart are his emotions. A man’s behavior is who he is. Thoughts, emotions, and behavior are like the points of a triangle. According to Scripture, our thoughts produce our emotions, and our emotions drive our behavior. Likewise, the behavior we engage in affects what we think. This interrelationship of thoughts, emotions, and behavior is a cycle that people with anxiety know by experience.

There are many clinical definitions for anxiety. One of the definitions is this the inability of the mind to shut down a particular worrisome thought or course of thinking. For anyone who genuinely believes the Bible, it should be obvious that Scripture has much to say about thinking. Throughout the Bible—both Old and New Testaments—there there are directives on how we are to think.

Let’s apply the Bible’s words concerning thinking to the clinical definition of anxiety. “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.” By thinking rightly, my thoughts can control my emotions; and if I control my emotions, I can also control my behavior. The first place we need to start, then, is with what are we thinking about.

In the book of Philippians, Paul gave us a list to govern our thoughts. “Whatsoever things” are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, we are to “think on these things.” When we fail to think that way, we create anxiety in our own thinking. If my emotions are negative, worrisome, or troubled, my thoughts are to blame.

Sometimes people react to being assigned responsibility for their thoughts. “Pastor, I can't help what I'm thinking,” they say. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Bible places the onus of our thoughts upon us. According to 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are to capture the thoughts that stand opposed to God.

Recognizing and capturing thoughts is something people do not usually do. “I have to think about my thinking?” they might say. It’s true. Most people let let their thoughts roam their mind like wild horses and then are surprised at the negative emotions that follow. Capturing our thinking requires discipline and internal dialogue. “What am I thinking about right now that is creating this anxiety?” Analyze your thoughts and find out.

After capturing the thought, we must cast it down. All imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God must receive the same treatment. It’s strange that we allow crazy thoughts to get us emotionally worked up. We can call those thoughts crazy because they eliminate God from the equation. For example, there is a clinical diagnosis for individuals who take anything negative and mentally carry to the extreme. Their boss critiques them and they ruminate on that criticism until they imagine themselves getting fired, no longer able to pay their mortgage, being forced to pack up and leave, and, with no job, no money, and no house, living in a refrigerator box under a bridge.

While any sequence of events is possible, God must never be eliminated from the situation. Examine your thoughts for any that fight against the knowledge of God. For example, I know that God loves me. Any thought that says He doesn't care for me, or He doesn't answer prayer,  or He is not watching out for me is a thought that is exalting itself above the knowledge of God. Any thought like that should be rejected out of hand and refused. There are some things I simply should not think about.

Again, people often don’t think they can start or stop their thoughts. “Pastor, I just can't stop thinking about this.” yes you can. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Our human responsibility is discipline. Discipline is like strengthening a mental muscle. The first week a person practices casting down anxious thoughts, they will struggle. Week two they will also struggle. If they are consistent, by the third or fourth week they will find themselves able to think more biblically.

The proper judge for thoughts is the word of God. For example, if the idea comes to mind that God doesn't love you, quickly reject it as an untrue, unbiblical thought. We think on things that are true. For thoughts that worry us, we should reframe them. For example, a wife might think that her husband works all the time and is never at home. These thoughts often lead a wife to feel lonely or abandoned. Instead, she could change her thoughts, and tell herself that her husband works because he loves his family. He's trying to provide for them, and he works to demonstrate his love. See the difference between the two trains of thought?

This counsel is not some kind of positive thinking thing, where the thinking brings a different reality into being. Rather, the difference in the two ways of thinking is intended to promote a different emotion in the person. Retraining thoughts in this way takes skill.

Many Christians know that the theme of Philippians is joy. However, many haven’t considered the implication of having joy. Joy is an emotion which comes from thinking the right things. For example, Paul said in in Philippians 3:13 that he was “forgetting those things which are behind.” Paul’s statement is a principle of life we can apply to other situations. If a person’s past is haunting him, he is ruminating over aspects of his past, and the resulting emotion is joylessness. The problem is that no one can change his past. The past is set in stone. By ruminating on the past, the man is chained to his past; his previous negative experiences affect his joy in the present.

There are aspects of my past that I refuse to think about, and so should you. A common objection to this counsel is from people who believe that their past experiences are so bad they cannot control their thoughts on it. However, thoughts of the past can be controlled, and they must be controlled. It is difficult at first, but with practice the discipline becomes easier.

Philippians 4:6 gives believers a clear command. “Be careful for nothing,” the verse says. A  careful person is an anxious person. The verse continues by giving the alternative. “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” There are parts of life we should care about. For example, Paul cared for the churches he planted. Pastors today care about their people. It is wrong in many situations to not care. Years ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. When I was put on a certain blood pressure medication, my family immediately noticed a huge difference: I didn't care about things, to a fault. Eventually, I realized pastors have to care, so I asked the doctor to prescribe a different medication that could lower blood pressure without making me carefree.

The problem is not when we care, but rather when we are filled with care. Careful people have their entire mental state consumed by or filled with concern, often for things they can do nothing about. Paul said “be careful [or filled with care] for nothing; but in everything by prayer...let your requests be made known unto God.” If we do this, then “the peace of God which passeth understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

God’s peace is not something He gives like a pharmacist dispenses a medicinal dosage. Praying for “a great sense of peace” sounds spiritual, but it ignores the responsibility God has given us. God gives us biblical instructions that He expects us to obey.

Let’s review. We are to reject any thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We examine our thoughts, and dispose of the ones that will consume us. Some thoughts we reframe instead of reject; we change them to align with Scripture. Our emotions follow. Here’s another example. Many people are consumed with future uncertainty, whether weeks or decades away. Can they control the future? No. At this point, apply a rule: do not ruminate over anything that is beyond your control.

Refusing to worry about things that are not under our control is one of the themes Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount. Three times said to “take no thought for the tomorrow.” Peter’s instruction was that you should be “casting all your cares upon Him, for he careth for you.” The catch, however, is that we cannot cast our cares upon Him while continuing to hold onto our cares in our thoughts. Our family used to live next to a little Methodist Church. Behind the church was a little fire pit, a wooden cross, and seating for outdoor services. When I was tremendously bothered by something (in a state of anxiety) I would go to the Methodist churchyard alone and cast my care upon the Lord. I would pray about the matter out loud and ask Him to bring to mind anything that I could do to help this situation. Then I’d wait. Sometimes the Holy Spirit would prompt me; sometimes not. Regardless, I would remind the Lord that the situation was bigger than me; I would remind Him of His command to cast my burden on Him, and of His promise that He would sustain me. I would end by laying the burden before the Lord, telling the Lord I was giving it to Him. I would leave that little place victorious.

One objection to the practice of purposefully forgetting the past is that it isn’t godly. That objection isn’t Scriptural. Remember from Jeremiah 31:34 how God chooses to remember our sins no more? God doesn't actually forget anything, but he chooses not to remember certain things. We can do the same.

Some people have a lot of guilt because of their memory of past sins. However, if I have confessed my sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9). I confess my sins; I get my heart right with God, and He doesn't remember it anymore. Whether it’s my own past sin or another’s past sin against me, I can choose to forget like God does.

If you want further instruction and help, I refer you to my Peace of Mind sermon series. In it  I give more detailed instruction for a person who struggles with anxiety. Of course, merely listening or reading will not solve any problems. These principles require practice. Listen, write down the principles, and review them daily basis. Consider your thought life carefully and identify thoughts that are out of line with Scripture.

Perhaps the most important principle is to think about things that are true. As an example, people often worry about what might happen tomorrow. Here is a secret about tomorrow: it hasn't happened. It isn’t true. If someone were to try over the course of two or three weeks to apply the principles of managing their thoughts, the Bible’s guarantee is that their anxiety level will dramatically dramatically reduce, and may even disappear. Additionally, the more you make biblical thinking a habit, the more automatic it becomes. After a period of time, you will have trained your mind to think biblically.

The scientific term for the brain’s ability to be retrained is neuroplasticity. Years ago, doctors believed that the the mind is an organ that cannot be changed or reprogrammed. Because of that, the only way to affect the mind, they thought, was by medication. I'm not against medication, especially since there is often a physical aspect to anxiety and depression. On the other hand, I would caution anyone not to rely merely on medicine. If we retrain our minds to think anxiously, the anxiety response will burn a path into our mind. Likewise, we can physically change our mind with purposefully different thinking to make the automatic response no longer anxiety, but a healthy response.

Christians believe in the inspiration of the Bible. However, sometimes we are imbalanced and highlight the inspiration and minimize its profitability. I hope this short explanation has demonstrated the profitability of Scripture. Praise the Lord.

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The above article was written by Marc Monte. He is the senior pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Danville, IN. To offer him your feedback, comment below or email us at strengthforlife461@gmail.com.

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