Anxiety: A Fairy Tale, Come True?

Once upon a time, I was walking through the woods. It was so enjoyable. The smell of wildflowers floated through the air. Birds chirped overhead. Soft grasses brushed up against my ankles. The sun peeked through the leaves, warming my face. I looked up lovingly, taking it all in----- THUD!

...Sometimes that’s just how it happens. Enjoying life. And then something comes along to interrupt our enjoyment...

I got up, knee bleeding from a rock, face scraped from my fall. Surely it was the wildflowers that caused me to trip. So, I stopped sniffing the air, choosing to breathe through my mouth instead.

On I went, listening to the birds, still noticing the grasses brushing up against my bruised ankles, sun warming my face. I was still determined to finish my walk, even though those pesky flowers tried to stop me. I started to feel better now, so I skipped a little as I went----- OUCH!

...Yep, sometimes that first interruption isn’t too bad. We pick ourselves back up and continue with only a little bit of discouragement. But the second set-back…

I should have known that the grass was out to get me. Who hides thorny vines in the grass? I limped along, bleeding from my knee and my ankles. I was less enthusiastic about enjoying the walk at this point. The wildflowers and the grass tried to take me down, so now I was breathing through my mouth and staring at the ground to protect myself from everything lurking beneath, trying to destroy me. I didn’t even notice the birds and their lovely songs any longer, as my inner dialogue was running through my mind: “You shouldn’t have gone on this walk today. The concrete wouldn’t have tried to destroy you. Why didn’t you go walk in the city?”

As I came to the end of the path, the heat and the pain in my face led me to assume that the sun decided to join in the attack.

Spiritual Causes

Although this is a fictitious tale, for me, anxiety feels just like that. Something completely harmless, yet unpredictable, comes along that injures me in some unforeseen way and I jump to the conclusion that I need to avoid that thing because its “out to get me.” I acquire an inner angst when I am around people or things that are “out to get me.” The feeling can be overwhelming and can consume my thoughts, impacting my day in a negative way. It becomes a tool of the enemy.

One strategy to conquer our anxieties is to search our hearts to see if there is a spiritual cause to our anxiety. David prayed this prayer: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and
lead me in the way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23–24).

Anxiety over invisible or visible “enemies” is just believing a lie. Sin.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the
throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Heb. 12:1-3)

Unconfessed sin, unbelief, or self-reliance in our lives can lead to a feeling of anxiousness. In my case, taking my eyes off Jesus, and placing them on the things I am anxious about is at the root of my anxieties. Anything that we put above Jesus in our life can
cause us anxiety. Also, playing out imaginary fears in our minds and other worst-case scenarios lead to anxiety and emotional responses to things that aren’t even there. [1]

“Jesus addressed this directly when He told His followers not to worry about tomorrow. He was not teaching irresponsibility. He was protecting peace. Anxiety is faith pointed in the wrong direction. It uses your God given imagination to rehearse defeat instead of trusting promise. That is why breaking this pattern requires intentional redirection. Replace ‘what if’ with ‘even if.’ … When you bring your requests to God with thanksgiving, as Scripture teaches, gratitude interrupts fear and peace begins to guard your heart.” [2]

Behavioral Causes

Sometimes behavioral causes can be the source of our anxieties. We become overcome with anxieties over things we have no control over, things we may never be exposed to, things we obsess over, things we believe we are missing, etc.

Overexposure to social media can be something that falls under this category. As I consume a multitude of opinions from other people, extremes in news reporting, or exposure to lifestyles I cannot achieve, I can become inundated with thoughts that “I don’t measure up,” “the world is scary,” “I have to DO something” about the negativity that I am seeing, as well as other pessimistic mindsets. All these things are lies of the enemy. Constantly filling our minds with negativity gives the enemy a foothold in our lives.

The truth is that I am exactly who God made me to be. I don’t have to become and live up to the standards and expectations of other people. The world can be scary… when I am living my life mentally in 50 different countries at the same time. I was never wired to be inundated with the news of the entire world all at once, every day, and in never-ending loops that consume all my free time. It is great to be passionate about things like injustice, but living in continual anger and rage about something that I have little control over will eat me alive. I am but a tiny little grasshopper (Is. 40:22). I can use my freedom to vote evil people out of
office, write letters or emails to congress members, make phone calls to senators, and trust God to handle the big things that I cannot control. He made the earth and all the things on it! I am quite sure He can manage the injustices that I am enthusiastic about. The most important thing we can do… pray.

"Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You
make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Ps. 16:5-11)

God makes us secure, even steadying our hearts at night (Not keeping our eyes on the news). Having boundaries on ourselves – our time, our treasures, our priorities, etc. – ensure that we prioritize our future (heaven). Keeping our eyes on Him is how we defeat our proneness to anxiety. This psalm even says that we will have a glad heart, joy in God’s presence, and eternal pleasures!

If you can pinpoint your anxieties on a behavior that is changeable, it’s time to consider a change! Finding someone to keep you
accountable in removing an anxiety-producing behavior from your life would be a helpful solution.

Emotional causes

Paul addresses some of the emotional issues leading to anxiety in Phil. 4. He pleads with two sisters in Christ, Euodia and Syntyche, who were having a disagreement to “be of the same mind in the Lord” and asked for others to help them. When I have unresolved conflicts, deep wounds, and unforgiveness toward others, anxieties can develop. Any minute reminder of these open, gaping wounds can bring those anxieties back to the surface of my psyche.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace
of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Phil 4: 4-9)

Healing the wounds of my past can be painful and difficult, but it will help me in times of anxiety. Keeping my mind in the present and considering positive things will keep me from being emotionally overloaded. Reach out. There are resources and people who can help in healing emotional wounds.

Physiological causes

Not all causes of anxiety are rooted in thoughts, beliefs, or emotions. Sometimes, anxiety can be downright practical. Sometimes my anxieties can be pinpointed to physical things – like dehydration or poor diet. Positive brain chemicals (dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and oxytocin) can be triggered in simple ways: getting adequate sleep, listening to music, exercise,
sunlight, meditation, laughter, hugging, acts of kindness, etc. But sometimes anxiety can be a bigger issue tied to brain chemistry problems. This is where I must consider seeking professional help from a therapist or advice from an elder, a pastor, or a trusted and mature Christian friend.

If you have tried all of the above suggestions, if you have joined with Peter, who says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” (1Pet. 5:7), if you have followed David’s advice, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy,” (Ps. 94:19) and found no release, then maybe talking to your doctor or any of the above mentioned people is advisable.

Final Thoughts

The story at the start of this blog is, as stated, a fairy tale - untrue. It’s an example of anxiety that I have seen in myself. Perhaps
anxiety looks different to you than this picture – stomach pains, heart palpitations, racing thoughts, time-wasting activities, addictive behaviors, etc. Anxiety doesn’t look the same for everyone. None of this was designed to be diagnostic, but rather informational. It is meant to say that you don’t have to live forever bound by anxiety. Just as addiction and sickness are treatable
with intentional attention, focus, and treatment, so is anxiety. We just must be willing to do the hard work, and we have to be willing to reach out. Here’s what Paul says:

"Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. (Phil. 1:27-30 [emphasis mine])

We are in the struggle together – against anxiety and any other foe. Let us reach out and stand together.