The Remedy for Anxiety
I realize that in this day and age ensuring a remedy for anxiety is a pretty bold claim to make. The current stats say that an estimated 40 million adults in the United States are affected by anxiety disorders. Perhaps, you are one of the 40 million who are being held captive by anxiety on a daily basis. You’re weary, you’re frustrated, and perhaps you’ve tried a lot of remedies and you’re done trying to figure out a way to heal, you’re just wanting to figure out a way to cope and to deal at this point.
If you find yourself in that state or if you’re very close to someone struggling with anxiety, I can imagine that for me to ensure a remedy doesn’t only sound far-fetched but also irresponsible. You know first hand that mental illness is no joke, and to get people’s hopes up is cruel because it only sets them up for further disappointment and a deeper downward spiral.
I can imagine how you feel because I was where you are 4 years ago when I was being held captive by anxiety and carrying all the weight of the hopeless and discouragement that comes from remedies tried and failed.
So I’m not about to dish out false hope and empty promises. I’m a real life testimony of overcoming anxiety and the reason for my confidence is because I was not delivered from anxiety by my own brilliance but by the power of a living God who sees us, knows us, and has ensured our freedom through His son Jesus. The freedom that God offers us is very real and tangible, and it’s meant for our everyday lives. The freedom God offers and Jesus paid for is not being withheld from us until we cross the finish line at the end of this life and enter heaven. As followers of Jesus we carry heaven in us and we have the authority to bring heaven to earth in the here and now.
False hope and empty promises aren’t even concepts in heaven.
And if we are going to be people of heaven here on earth, we need to get acquainted with heaven’s way, which includes taking a posture of expectation for promises fulfilled.
God’s word says that no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20)
God has made a lot of promises (check out His book for all the details), and because of Jesus all those promises are “yes” for us and because of Jesus in us we’ve been given the honor to say “so be it” to those promises.
God’s word also says that His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. (2 Peter 1:3–4)
As followers of Jesus we are not only called but we are equipped to bring heaven to earth and if that is going to be our reality, we cannot approach the promises of God with cynicism or hesitation.
For me, false hope and empty promises came from all the good advice people tried to give me which often included complicated processes that required me to try pull myself together somehow by own willpower or abilities or the ability of someone else to help me through it.
The problem with that advice is that when it doesn’t work we become more discouraged and lose hope, and often we think prayer doesn’t work or God doesn’t care.
And if it does work at all we tend to give God partial credit, but in the back of our minds we think it was really the therapy, the prescription, or the self-help book. None of those things are evil — they just aren’t our hope.
Jesus is our hope.
And if you’re reading this today and you’re sick of the good advice, the theories, the guesswork— good. Me too. I don’t have any more good advice to dish out. All I have is the good news of the Gospel — which calls for a cease and desist of our own effort and a full reliance on the finished work of the cross.
Before you think I’m just big, bold, or arrogant — I want to admit something to you. I struggled with sharing this. Because I had flashbacks of that feeling of discouragement and it almost compelled me to hold back and go soft on the anxiety issue, but I came across this scripture in Isaiah 35:4
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.”
40 million people affected by anxiety disorder and currently there is not a measurable difference in the faith community — that changes today.
I’m calling it.
I’m a girl gone free and I’m taking people with me.
Gap theories
Sometimes in our holding back and trying to protect people from disappointment — we can unintentionally ascribe to God characteristics of an absent or abusive father. When we know His promises — , “I have not given you a spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7) or His commands — , “Be anxious for nothing”(Philippians 4:6) but our circumstances don’t align with His word a gap is formed. Instead of living by faith, we try to fill the gap, often with theories and theology that explain away the real power of a living God. Often those gap theories imply that we serve a God who can but for whatever reason won’t and that is a very damaging message. What kind of father holds back provision and protection from his children? Especially provision that He has promised.
As people of hope, followers of Jesus, we have to settle in our hearts once and for all that He really is a good Father and if He has promised it or commanded it then He has provided a way of possibility — even when it seems impossible to us.
The power of testimony
This is why testimony is so important.
Every time we dive into God’s word it’s an invitation to take on a new mind about something — to receive heaven’s perspective. In the thick of anxiety I had to take on a new mind because in my most desperate season my reaction to God’s promises had become this cynical, “Yeah, but what about” — and then I would think of a news report that said it’s not curable, or a friend’s story of defeat or another circumstance that reiterated my fears. It began to warp my view of God. It was in that season that testimony (stories of God’s goodness in other people’s lives) became such a powerful weapon for me because it began to tweak my reactionary cynicism to focus instead on stories of God’s rescue.
You may not know anyone personally who has overcome anxiety. At the time, I didn’t either. But the good news is that the Bible is riddled with stories of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and despair. However, they are not stories of defeat, but of victory. So if you need a testimony to cling to — start reading the Bible and read the testimonies of God’s faithfulness.
I focused a lot on the life of David during my worst season.
When the anxiety hit I’d say, “Yeah, but what about David stuck in a cave, running for his life, all the pressure of not just protecting himself but providing for the men who came with him — all the unfairness of Saul’s accusations, all the weariness and frustration and pain — and still in that state David wrote, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Many are the afflictions of a righteous man but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34)
And God did deliver him.
You may think, “Well, I ain’t no David.” Yeah, but David wasn’t any David either. Really. David didn’t know how to be king. David didn’t know how to be a mighty warrior. David just knew God. The same God that you know. And that was enough.
David knew God to be faithful, David knew God’s character, David knew God’s promises and He knew God would keep them, and even when his present circumstances didn’t align with what God had promised he refused to fill the gap with doubt.
I’m sharing my own story not to boast in my own brilliance — because the truth is that I tried and I couldn’t fix myself. I share my story because I have found that when we address an issue that is so fragile and vulnerable as anxiety is it doesn’t help to talk in hypotheticals. We need testimonies. When I was on the edge like I suspect some of you reading this may be, the last thing I needed or wanted was to hear somebody’s theories of what might work. I wanted to something that would work.
My story
In 2013, I experienced a year of anxiety and depression that at the time seemed like it came out of nowhere. Of course, looking back (hindsight is 20/20 and I’ve had 4 years to reflect) I always had a tendency towards an anxious heart and a melancholy lens in which I viewed the world. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. So professionals would probably say I was “susceptible” to anxiety and depression. Perhaps, you can relate. For whatever reason it all surfaced and exploded in 2013, and I lived in a state of constant dread. What was really scary is there began to be physical manifestations of what was happening internally. Nausea, uncontrollable shaking, headaches, brain fog, and a real aversion to social situations. I just wanted to stay at home and be away from people, which when you’re in ministry and the marketplace is not ideal.
A lot of people didn’t notice my struggle because I refused to talk about it. Often anxiety and depression forces you to internalize — it’s hard to talk about, because it’s hard to explain. The biggest reason I kept silent is that I had come to believe that it was a sin to worry and to be anxious. So talking about it meant more than just asking for help, it meant I would be confessing what I thought was a deep sin issue.
I thought that if I was a better Christian, a better person, a better version of myself, I wouldn’t be struggling with anxiety.
Interesting that people who teach that message seem to forget Jesus experienced anxiety and the Bible says He was tempted in every way but did not sin.
Experiencing anxiety is not a sin, it’s what we do with it that makes the difference.
Anyone who hears my story wants to know what snapped me out of it in the end. I think they expect some 97-step complicated process. There is an expectation of a lot of work. After all, anxiety is complicated so the fix for it must be complicated. But the good news is that Jesus completed the ultimate complicated work of defeating death, hell, and the grave on the cross so we now find our freedom in His rest, not in our work. More on that later.
Start talking
What began the process of me snapping out of it was I began to talk. First to my husband — who obviously knew something wasn’t right but for a long time I had put up a barrier with the “I’m fine, everything’s fine” response. Once I opened up to him, it made it easier to open up with other trusted friends and counselors, which helped.
But the breakthrough came when I talked to God about it. Because, yes, I had internalized it even from Him, especially Him. Because to confess it, to verbalize it, especially to God felt like I was admitting defeat. I had this warped view that if I spoke it out loud to God I would offend Him because if I was really trusting in Him and really serving Him well, I would not have this issue of anxiety. So I was waiting to figure it out on my own so I could then come to God with a status report of how I fixed myself.
But the Bible says we can approach God with confidence, especially in our time of need.
What is anxiety?
Every anxiety is rooted in accusation — an accusation against God or against you.
“I can’t.”
“God won’t.”
“I’m not enough.”
“God’s not enough.”
“God may love me but He doesn’t like me.”
“God has a plan, but I’m probably screwing it up.”
The Bible says that satan is the father of lies and the accuser of the brethren. Lies and accusations are all he’s got to wield against us. It may seem like a puny thing, but when they go unchecked — they wield power.
Here’s what really freaks us out about anxiety — it’s power. When it’s the middle of the night and anxiety is sitting on your chest, when you can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t think — when it no longer is an every once in a while occurrence but a daily experience — when the adrenaline in your body is so strong that you’re dry heaving or short of breath or shaking uncontrollably and you find yourself on the edge, tempted to throw yourself over whatever cliff just to make it stop — tempted to quit your job or walk away from your calling, tempted to never dream again or love again or live again, — that kind of power is scary.
But power does not equal authority.
Anxiety may have power but in the presence of a follower of Jesus it carries no authority to wield its power. Christ has the authority and He has shared it with us. There is a bigness to us because of Christ who lives within us that anxiety or any other dark force cannot contain.
We were given the heads up that we would come up against some powerful stuff, so we can’t be thrown off by it.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12
Jesus said this about His authority…
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Matthew 28:18
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matthew 16:19
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” John 20:21
And I love how the writer of Hebrews encourages us with this reminder:
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence,“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5–6
Don’t buy the lie that you have to remain susceptible to anxiety and its attacks because it’s some powerful force that cannot be controlled. Is it powerful? Yes — in the world’s context. But as followers of Jesus with His authority and the backing of heaven, we can say NO and that power must submit.
Why? Because Jesus won.
Who is more powerful — the anxiety that preys on us with only lies and accusations to prop it up or our God, Creator of the universe, Ruler of all, who relentlessly pursues us with a love that endures forever and who protects us with His mighty hand and outstretched arm?
With stats like that who do you think is going to win with the two of them in the ring together?
The Bible says that the Christ in you is much bigger than the anxiety coming against you.
And just in case we find ourselves struggling to believe this — we can rest in knowing the fight has already taken place!
The cross meant to kill Jesus is now dust.
The grave meant to contain Him is empty.
Death lost it’s sting.
Hell lost its ground and any chance of victory.
And Jesus took the win and gave it to us.
And He didn’t say now you go finish that fight.
Where I got it wrong
I thought I was the one in the ring.
Doesn’t it feel like that? The shaking, the nausea, feeling everything, feeling nothing, mind racing, and fear choking. It feels like our fight.
At one time, we were in the ring and it was our fight and it was a fixed fight — because the Bible says we were enslaved to sin, without hope and without God.
But then Jesus came and tagged us out of the fight and He got in the ring and knocked the enemy out.
And we aren’t fighting for the victory anymore — because the fight is over. We now live from a place of victory.
So what do we do when the enemy tries to get us back in that ring?
The remedy
Here is what God’s word tells us to do with anxiety…
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalms 55:22
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
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 transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6
According to God’s Word— the remedy for anxiety is to bring it to God.
Maybe you’re like me and your reaction to discovering this for the first time is, “Nah, that can’t be it.”
For too long I thought freedom could not be that simple. I was waiting for the catch, I was looking for the 97-step process. But as I searched scripture I found a God who was not looking for a people of great self-reliance and self-effort but a people who would actually believe Him. So I began in my own way to bring my anxiety to God. I followed the simple instruction given in Philippians 4:6 — tell God what you need and thank him for what He has done. A true gratitude began to form in the depths on my being and a belief in God and His goodness began to grow. Just like scripture promised, my heart felt guarded by this gratitude and the fog began to lift and the dread began to disappear until one day I realized I was changed — I wasn’t just having a good day, but this peace had become my new reality.
So do you still get anxious?
There is always an opportunity to get anxious in this world. Jesus said, in this world you will have trouble, but trouble will not have you.
Does anxiety come? It tries. But the difference is that I’ve stopped trying to get back in the ring. I tag Jesus in and I rest in His peace and I partake of the victory He won for me.
The last time anxiety came was two days ago at 3:30am — the same morning I was going to be teaching this message at Northlands Church.
To be honest, it was the worst anxiety attack I have ever experienced. But I knew I had the victory and I refused to give it up.
And you know why I’m not afraid of anxiety anymore? Because every day I wake up — whether it’s at 3:30am or a much more reasonable time — it’s a day that satan is still defeated and Jesus is still Lord.
The Secrets of the Psalmist
There is a practice that Greg Haswell teaches called The Secrets of the Psalmist and it’s really brilliant because it’s so simple yet so powerful. This practice revolutionized my prayers — specifically when it came to bringing my anxieties to God. What I like about this framework is that it is an easy thing to remember and if you’ve experienced anxiety you know it’s hard to think in the middle of an attack.
In his message Greg shares how David — the Psalmist often approached the Lord in prayer and worship. David would:
- Describe
- Ascribe
- Prescribe
Describe — Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. Psalm 31:9
Write about the facts you are facing — your current circumstances.
- YOU — This includes your fears, failures, frustrations, friends
- THEM — It also describes the actions, words and plans of those who would hurt you
- HIM — Sometimes it even voices concerns about the Lord
Ascribe — But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” … How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:14, 19
Give God the glory due His name — declare what you know the scriptures say about Him, try to exaggerate His goodness or greatness
- HIS NATURE — Declare who He is, focus on His attributes
- HIS WORKS — Remember what He has done for you, those you know, and those you’ve read about
- HIS WORDS — Remember what He has said and promised
Prescribe — In you, Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Psalm 31:1–2
This is a mixture of Petitions, prayers, memories of previous encounters, story telling, history lessons, declarations and testimonies
- YOUR DESIRES — Ask for hoped for outcomes
- THOSE WHO OPPOSE YOU — Prayer for them, blessings you can pronounce, that evil will fail, that the crisis will dissipate
- HIS FAME — Pray for an outcome that brings Him glory
Bring it to God
I want to share one of my very favorite moments in history with you so you can get a picture of what this looks like played out.
Watch this excerpt from my message as I tell the story:
Jesus said, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)
The Bible says He watches over His word to perform it. He hasn’t forgotten, He hasn’t changed His mind. What Jesus said then still reigns true now.
If you’re living anything less than an abundant life, my prayer is that you bring the accusations, the anxiety, the sickness, the depression, the whatever-is-less-than-abundant to God.
I know you’ll find that He’s not concerned about what is currently keeping you captive because He is fully invested in and has fully ensured your freedom.
Watch the full message:
