Anxiety is a major health issue in our society according to the Mental Health Institute. In fact, 18% of people in Canada and the United States suffer with anxiety or anxiety disorder. This accounts for more than 40 million people, and many of these people don’t even realize they are suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety holds us back in life and even sucks the very life out of us! But God wants us to have zeal and joy in life. Many people develop not only emotional and mental symptoms but also physical symptoms because of anxiety. We don’t have to live with anxiety because God’s Holy Spirit can bring us hope and freedom instead.
Some common signs of anxiety include:
- Fear
- Distress
- Foreboding or worry
- Agitation or an unsettling feeling
- Uneasiness about situations or the future
- Asking oneself “what if …?”
Anxiety causes us to worry about what could, should or might happen. And it can be either an imagined threat or a real threat. For example, having anxiety or fear of snakes is a real threat, but you can do something about it: you can get away from the snake. But a perceived or imagined threat is different because it’s intangible; you have to look inside your heart and soul to deal with this kind of anxiety.
Anxiety produces a belief system that says, “Something bad is going to happen to me. I can’t avoid it, and there’s no one to help me.” In turn, hopelessness grows, and we feel helpless and alone.
At its root, anxiety is a form of fear. And when we make decisions and act out of fear, things only get worse. Unfortunately, only 1/3 of people who deal with anxiety get any kind of mental or medical help. Please understand: it’s okay to seek help. Sometimes God uses doctors and medication to help us too.
In this series, we are going to focus on Biblical solutions for anxiety. If you’ve been dealing with anxiety for a long time, you’re probably used to feeling fearful, anxious and hopeless. However, God’s plan for us is safety, tranquility, and peacefulness. There are answers to anxiety, and there is freedom available through the power of God.
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself to see if you might be suffering from anxiety:
- Do you avoid social gatherings because of anxiousness or uneasiness?
- Are you afraid that you’ll get into situations that you won’t be able to get out of?
- Are you a worrier? Do you worry about many things like the future, your job, or your relationships?
- Are you concerned about losing control of yourself or of situations?
- Do you have thoughts that play over and over again in your mind?
- Do you often feel overwhelmed by life or by responsibilities?
- Do you experience fear or stress, continually dwelling on situations, even when you’re trying to rest?
- Do you feel nervousness, fear or anxiety which has prevented you from doing something you should or need to do? Even something you feel God’s called you to do?
- Do you feel like someone or something is controlling you, your mind or your feelings?
Contrary to traditional Greek thinking, the spiritual realm and the physical realm are not only connected but also affect each other. In fact, most things that we deal with in the physical realm begin in the spiritual realm.
In this teaching series, we will look specifically at what scriptures say about this issue, and we’ll learn how to apply Biblical concepts to our lives. We’ll discover how to use Biblical truths as tools to help us achieve a life of hope, faith, and joy, just as God intends for us.
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