What does the Bible say about anxiety?
“As we live before the face of God each day with real reasons for real anxiety, we can rest assured that His sovereignty (not ours), His control (not ours), His faithfulness (not ours), is our only real hope in this sad world. For that which He creates He sustains, that which He authors He perfects, and that which He begins He completes.”
-Brook Parsons
The Bible says anxiety is real.
- We see many Biblical characters face anxiety; Moses (Exodus 3-4), Elijah (1 Kings. 19), David (Psalm 3, 6, 13, 22, 25, 28, 31, 57, 142), The Disciples (Mark 6; Luke 8; John 14), and Jesus Himself (Luke 22).
- The very fact that Christ (Matthew 6), Peter (1 Peter 5:7), and Paul (Philippians 4:6) all address anxiety should remind us that no generation of Christians have ever been immune to anxiety. The Bible doesn’t address non-existent issues.
- The Bible never says that Christians are incapable of feeling anxious (1 Peter 4:12).
The Bible says anxiety can be sinful.
- Matthew 6:25a, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life...”
- Jesus specifically commanding against anxiety shows that anxiety can become sinful in its neglect of trusting God.
- Anxiety is meant to flow like a stream ultimately arriving at the feet of God, but we can sin if we choose to dam up the stream attempting to solve our anxiety without God.
- If you are casting your anxiety on God, then you are not sinning in that anxiety.
The Bible says we overcome anxiety by looking to the sovereignty of God.
- Jesus points us in Matthew 6:26, 28 & 32 to a gaze firmly focused on God’s sovereign control of the world as the solution to the anxiety in our hearts.
- Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
- "Faith is an activity. It is something that has to be exercised. It doesn't come into operation itself. You and I have to put it into operation." - Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones