“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6-7, NIV
Anxiety and I have been at war for as long as I can remember. At just 7 years old, I was clinically diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder — a particularly rude beast because it needs absolutely zero reason or prompting to attack. It just does. For so long, I kept my struggle as hidden as possible. I hid behind perfectionism, responsibility, people-pleasing, and my generally sunny disposition. I rarely disclosed that my stomach was basically constantly tied in knots that would put a seasoned sailor to shame.
As culture began to speak more openly about anxiety and mental health, I realized that I am certainly not alone. In all honesty, I even became somewhat annoyed at the alarming number of people who claimed to “have anxiety,” often referring to ordinary nervousness or worry. (Meanwhile, my brain and body have been living in fight-or-flight mode since 1999).
Most people never really knew how to appropriately respond to my anxiety. Christians, in particular, would typically just toss the familiar “do not be anxious about anything” line at me and wish me the best. I know they meant well, but this usually had the opposite effect. I often spiraled into shame, feeling like I was disobeying a direct command from God without even knowing how to obey it!
For years, I felt that God must be disappointed by my continued battle. I carried guilt and the heavy burden of feeling as though something was wrong with me — that my mind was somehow broken beyond repair. But, friends, that is not the God we know and love. He is a good Father who loves his children, understands our weaknesses, and desires to carry our burdens with us. Over the years (very slowly), my perspective in this war has shifted. I am learning that living with anxiety doesn’t mean I have to live consumed by anxiousness. My battle may never completely disappear this side of eternity, but I know I don’t have to fight it alone.
The Lord, in his great love and kindness, has shown me an important distinction: battling with an anxiety disorder and being consumed by anxiousness are not the same thing.
Through Scripture, research, and many, many difficult days, I have learned that clinical anxiety is not something I can simply switch off by deciding to trust God more. Physiological, psychological, and sometimes circumstantial factors are involved, and my nervous system rarely asks permission before sounding the alarm (never). But I have also learned that when anxious feelings arise, I can be intentional about how I respond. I may not be able to control the initial feeling, but I can learn to recognize when I let fear, worry, or a desire for control dictate what I believe and how I live.
When the Bible says “do not be anxious,” it is not an indication to shame ourselves for a lack of trust in God—it is an invitation to bring our concerns to him in prayer. We cannot always stop feeling anxious, but we can learn not to stay stuck in those anxious emotions. We can become intentional about what we do with those feelings.
God is not giving us an impossible standard and leaving us to figure it out. He is telling us what is possible through his Spirit! When we bring our anxious thoughts and feelings to God in prayer, we are acknowledging his authority over the very things that seem to have so much power over us.
God also does not pretend we have no real needs or legitimate reasons to feel anxious. He knows our limitations and our humanity. Psalm 103:14 reminds us that “he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust” (NIV). He even acknowledges that we will experience anxiety by inviting us to cast all our cares upon him (1 Peter 5:7). He wants us to present all of those things—our requests—to him.
He wants to hear all the messy details, the things keeping you up at night, the bills, the tension in your relationships, the worry for your child, or whatever it may be. He wants us to acknowledge the concern/worry/problem and realize we don’t have to face it alone. We can bring our anxious thoughts to him and trust him to help us navigate the very things we struggle to understand or control.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34, NIV).
Now, for all you planners out there, there is a huge spiritual difference between planning with God and worrying. When we are told not to be anxious about anything, it is a warning against allowing worry to consume us. But planning, with God’s help, is wise! We can make responsible decisions, prepare for what lies ahead, and seek his wisdom about what to do next without assuming responsibility for every possible outcome.
Do what you can do today, and leave the future outcomes to God. If you have done your best to prepare, you can rest and trust him with what remains beyond your control. (I know, easier said than done, right?)
Unfortunately, many of you may have been hurt by other Christians in your struggle with anxiety. There has historically been a persistent and hurtful idea that if you just pray enough or read your Bible more, you wouldn’t need therapy or medication to deal with anxiety. For people like me with clinical anxiety or panic disorders, this can contribute to that cycle of shame I mentioned earlier.
I want to help anyone escape that cycle of shame with a little encouragement. God has created us as integrated human beings, with a spirit, mind, and body. Yes, sometimes anxiety very much involves a spiritual battle. But sometimes there are also physical or psychological factors that can be addressed to help manage it. God is the author of all healing, and he often works through counselors, doctors, and others he has equipped to help.
When Philippians 4:6 says “by prayer and petition,” I don’t believe it means exclusively by prayer. Rather, prayer should be the foundation of everything else we do. I mean, Luke, a devoted follower of Jesus and author of two books in the Bible, was a physician (Colossians 4:14)! God can absolutely use medicine to help treat anxiety, just as he uses it to treat so many other physical conditions. Seeking professional help does not mean you have failed to trust God.
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7, NIV).
You cannot use your own willpower to conjure up a “feeling” of peace. You can only find the kind of peace Paul describes through fellowship with God, who promises a peace that “transcends all understanding.” That peace is greater than the circumstances around us, even when those circumstances haven’t changed. Trust the promise of peace more than the feeling of peace.
You can be shaking and still be safe under his care. So when you pray and still feel anxious, don’t automatically conclude that your prayer didn’t “work” or that God didn’t hear you. God answers prayer in different ways and at different times. The Bible doesn’t promise that your heart will instantly stop beating a million miles a minute or that your mental merry-go-round will end the second you finish praying.
Instead, Paul says God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. I love that. The word translated as “guard” suggests a soldier standing watch and protecting something valuable. (Strong’s Greek G5432). God’s peace is not merely a temporary feeling of calm that we have to work hard to maintain. It is his presence and faithfulness that sustain us, even when our emotions and physical symptoms haven’t caught up.
Now I don’t want to overlook a very important part of Philippians 4:6: with thanksgiving.
Something that has helped me tremendously is intentionally practicing gratitude in tougher moments. It is a relatively new rhythm for me, but it has truly made all the difference.
One day, I will be taken home or swept up to be with the Lord for eternity. (How I long for that day!) I will be in perfect union with him and will never again have to battle anxiety. That’s a life I cannot even begin to fathom!
But that also means I will never again be able to rely on him and walk with him through trials the way I can now. What a gift.
Now, I am not saying I am grateful for the suffering itself — I most certainly am not, ha! But I am learning to be so grateful that I can allow even these difficult moments to bring me closer to the God who loves me and understands my suffering. I am grateful that I can come to know him more intimately as I learn to trust his character and depend upon his strength in ways I might not have discovered apart from these experiences.
I wouldn’t wish anxiety on anyone, and I most definitely would not choose it for myself. But I can still thank God for the ways he has met me in the middle of it. Gratitude doesn’t require me to pretend that everything is fine; it just reorients me to what remains true about God even when everything doesn’t feel fine.
Friends, God knows how crippling our anxious thoughts can be. So, being the omniscient and generous God he is, he knew we might need a little extra direction when our minds won’t stop racing with worry. In Philippians 4:8, we are presented with a list of things to think about instead!
“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” (NIV).
Paul doesn’t just tell us what not to do with our thoughts. He tells us where to direct them! When your mind begins racing through every possible worst-case scenario, you can intentionally return to what you know is true about God. You can remind yourself of his faithfulness, his goodness, his promises, and the ways he has provided for you in the past. That doesn’t mean every anxious thought immediately disappears, but it gives you something far more trustworthy to dwell on than your own fears.
So, what does all of this look like practically? Well, I came up with a little acronym to help myself remember what Scripture encourages us to do. When I am going through a particularly anxious time, I personally like to throw a PARTY! (Because nothing says party like an overactive nervous system, right?)
PARTY
P — Pause and Pray. Before allowing your thoughts to carry you any further down the spiral, pause and bring them before the Lord. You don’t need a perfectly worded prayer. He already knows what you are thinking!
A — Acknowledge what you’re feeling. Be honest about what you’re experiencing rather than trying to ignore or suppress it. You can recognize you are feeling anxious without allowing those feelings to dictate what you believe or how you respond.
R — Request his help. Present the actual situation to him. Tell him what you need, what you’re worried about, and what you cannot control. You don’t have to edit the messy details. Ask him for wisdom, strength, and help with whatever is troubling you. James 1:5 reminds us that he gives wisdom generously to those who ask and believe.
T — Thank him. Practice gratitude, even if it’s simply remembering one thing you know to be true about his character. You don’t have to be thankful for the anxiety to be thankful in the midst of it.
Y — Yield to his peace. Entrust the outcomes to him, redirect your mind to his truth, and let him keep working within you. Even if you don’t immediately feel peaceful, you can rest in the promise that he is with you.
Obviously, I know a silly (fun) acronym isn’t going to cure an anxiety disorder, but maybe it can help remind you what Scripture invites you to do when your mind begins racing, and you don’t know where to turn.
I still battle anxiety and will continue to have difficult days. But I have learned that I don’t have to add the weight of shame or guilt to a burden that is already heavy enough. I can acknowledge what I am experiencing, bring it honestly before the Lord, seek the help I need, and continue trusting him even when I don’t feel peaceful.
God is not disappointed that I need his help. He is the very One who invites me to ask for it.
I want you to remember that you do not have to overcome anxiety before you can experience fellowship with God. You can come to him right in the messy middle, with all the fear, frustration, uncertainty, and physical symptoms that may come with it. He knows, he cares, and he invites you to bring it all to him.
So, next time you are feeling anxious, maybe try throwing yourself a little PARTY :)
bytaylormcgee
