Finding An Anchor In Our AnxietySýnishorn

What is Anxiety?

Here is the clinical definition: 

Anxiety is the psychological and physiological state of arousal caused by the brain’s interpretation of a stimulus as a threat.

That’s a mouthful! It comes from a medical dictionary. It says that anxiety is psychological, that talks about our minds. It is physiological, so our bodies start getting tight, and we need to go to the chiropractor, or massage therapist. The mind is thinking that something is a threat; if it’s a low level threat it would be anxiety, if it’s a medium level threat, it is fear. A high level threat, or perceived to be so, is panic. 

While in business school, I remember studying for a final exam. I also remember sitting down in class when my friend walked in and said, “What’s the big deal?” “What’s the big deal!?" I said, “Today is the final exam!” To which he replied, “Today is the test?!!” I nodded. He literally grabbed his desk and said, “This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening.” In a very Christian manner I said, “Oh, yes it is happening.” Our tests were passed down and we took that test. Here was the spring semester, he was supposed to graduate and get married that summer. Here he was about to fail this test, and have to retake this class. Panic set in. 

Anxiety is not only psychological and physiological, it is also spiritual. Anxiety is rooted in unbelief and unknowns. Anxiety is basically a place of unbelief. It’s a place where we’re believing that God will NOT be able to take us through. So we have to be able to say Lord, “I’m anxious about this, but I want to give it to you spiritually.” If it leads spiritually, then when we’re able to think things through with a renewed mind in Christ, so our bodies can follow along. But we have to be led by the spirit to be able to say, “Lord, I’m going to believe you. Even the flowers of the field don’t worry about how their clothed, I’m not going to worry about how I’m clothed. Even the birds don’t worry about how they’re fed, so I shouldn’t worry about how I’m fed. Paul was in a jail cell by himself, but he said, ‘The Lord stood with me,’ I don’t have to worry socially, because God is with me, no matter what comes.”