Attack Anxiety:
A Modern Look At An Old Problem
But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who
formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by
name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and
through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire
you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord
your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Isaiah 43:1-4 (ESV)
Many well intentioned Christ-Followers have quoted Philippians
4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus” (ESV) in an attempt to help others who wrestle with
anxiety disorders and other health problems that cause worry. I have even said
in my messages that worry is a sin, and, as a matter of point, UNWARRENTED
worry IS a sin! Jesus told us that worry was useless in the day to day ebb and
flow aspects of life. In His sermon found in Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Therefore
I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you
will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they
neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious
can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about
clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil
nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these.” (6:25-34 ESV) In other words, Jesus told us that worrying about
our daily needs is sinful, because it shows a lack of trust in God’s providing
grace for His children.
These admonitions from Jesus and Paul should not; however, cause us
to beguile those who suffer from disorders that are medically caused. Certain
disorders, such as Phobias, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are very real and very common maladies found
in the human condition. With Phobias, the problematic element may be as simple
as light claustrophobia, where an individual cannot ride on an elevator, to as
damaging as agoraphobia where the individual has a fear of leaving their house
or apartment. Phobias can stem from childhood trauma, and treatments vary
widely. With OCD, the subject is obsessed with a particular thought that is
anxiety provoking, and therefore acts in a compulsive manner because of the
obsession.[1]
With PTSD, as the name suggests, the patient has been through a traumatic event
that causes vivid memories of the event, despite a myriad of efforts to keep
these memories at bay, including avoidance of persons and places associated
with the event. These represent a small sample of the types of anxiety disorders
that can cause Believers to worry.
Nevertheless, the Bible has much to say that can help the afflicted
and we, as those wishing to help others cope with what life has dealt them
should know. For instance, a passage in Isaiah forty three speaks of God’s
ability to watch over us, even in times of great crisis. For those suffering
with PTSD, they can be assured that even when life seems about to flood them
with worry or burn them up with the fires of stress, the Father will not allow
them to drown or be swept away, nor will He allow them to be consumed by their
fears and stress. We can reassure one suffering from a phobia that Paul
admonished Timothy to remember that, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of
power and love and self-control.” ( Timothy 1:7 ESV) and that David told his
subjects that, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my
God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and
from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his
wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will
not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” (Psalms
91ESV) When we reach out to help one suffering from OCD, may we like Pater
encourage them to, “Cast…all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7 ESV) Or Like Asaph, let them know that we, “cry aloud to God, aloud
to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the
night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be
comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints.
Selah You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I
consider the days of old, the years long ago.” (Psalm 77 ESV)
King Saul is a wonderful example of what can go wrong when anxiety
goes unchecked. He was somewhat bi-polar, jumping from extremes. He would go
from fits of uncontrollable rage to weeping bouts of depression and exuberance
in victory. His fear drove him to make horrid decisions, such as keeping his
men from eating until the battle was over, a decision that led to near defeat
because of its rash stupidity. (Thank goodness for Jonathan’s level
headedness!) (1 Sam 14:24ff) Fear, leading to jealousy, caused him to hate
David, his champion and son-in-law, simply because of a few simple girls’ song.
(1 Sam 18:1ff) And, unfortunately, his anxiety over his perceived abandonment
led to the greatest of his spiritual defeats, seeking the witch of En Dor. (1
Sam 28:1ff) This sows the effect anxiety can have on Believers and the fall out
and collateral damage effected on those around them.
Which leads to the question of how the church can help. Prayer
relaxation techniques, Scripture meditation, vivo exposure and certain
anti-anxiety medication are all treatment options, and with the exception of
the medications most are available to be used by the church.
