Answering AnxietySýnishorn

The Anxious Heart

Anxiety hurts. If you are reading this, then you are probably experiencing it – either in your own life or in the life of someone you care about. 

Does God have an answer for anxiety? Do we have to be medicated to cope, or is there a biblical solution for the anxieties of the soul? 

The God of the Bible cares for hurting people. This is seen in both the Old Testament and in the New. In the person of Jesus, mankind meets the God of all mercy face to face. 

God does have an answer for anxiety, and that answer is found in 1 Peter 5:5-11.

First, we must think about what anxiety is. In 1 Peter, Peter speaks about casting your anxieties on Him. But what is it that he’s talking about? What is it that we are to cast on the Lord?

The word Peter chooses in his letter when he speaks about anxiety can be defined as “a feeling of apprehension or distress in view of possible danger or misfortune – ‘anxiety, worry, anxious concern.’” Jesus uses this word in the parable of the sower when He describes the Word of God being choked out by the cares of the world. Jesus warned about people being unprepared for His return because of the cares of the world. Paul describes the daily pressure he felt due to his care for all the churches.

So, Peter is writing about a soul that’s full of cares, a heart that is troubled. Let’s consider some of anxiety’s expressions:

• Do you worry? Worry is one expression of anxiety.
• What about a general sense of unrest? As someone might put it, you just are not happy.
• What if we use the word discouragement?
• What about the word depression or fear? 

In Psalm 42, we are given a great biblical description of anxiety. We are introduced to a man who is troubled by enemies and those who would mock him for his faith. As a result, his heart is depressed. But he also describes the feeling as turmoil. He talks about feeling as if God has forgotten him. 

What is this? This is anxiety.

So, the place to begin when looking for God’s answer to your anxious heart, is the place of admitting your need. We can’t embrace God’s solutions for problems we don’t believe we have. It is when we are honest with our problems, our struggles, our weaknesses – our sins – that we are genuinely ready to listen to God.

Let your heart be filled with hope! Open your heart to the answer Christ offers for the troubles of the soul. 

If you would like to find out more about this topic, we invite you to listen to the episode of the Straight Truth Podcast called “Answering Anxiety” on YouTube https://youtu.be/gPgK0tbUesc or Vimeo https://vimeo.com/252726922
You can also purchase the book "Answering Anxiety" by Richard Caldwell on Amazon: goo.gl/dLhirm