The Pattern Of Jesus And Paul
Here in our text, we have the illustration of anxiety over food and clothing. Even in our country with its extensive welfare system, anxiety over finances and housing can be very intense. But Jesus says in verse 30 that this is owing to unbelief: O you of little faith. And so this paragraph has at least half a dozen promises in it to battle that unbelief.
Believe the promises of Jesus, and anxiety will evaporate in the warmth of Gods care.
For example, at the end of verse 32 he says, Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. That is a spectacular promise. In everything you do at home and at work, put Gods purposes first, and he will provide all you need to live for his glory. Believe that promise, and financial anxiety will evaporate in the warmth of Gods care.
Paul applied the promise to anxiety in Philippians like this. In 4:6 he says just like Jesus, Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God. And then in 4:19 he gives the promise like Jesus, My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Do Not Be Anxious About Anything Easier Said Than Done
Do not be anxious about anything? Surely that sounds too good to be true. I can barely think of one day in the last year where I did not feel a little anxious about something.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety is the most common mental disorder in the U.S., surpassing even depression and affecting 40 million adults in the U.S. alone. That is nearly one in every five people!
And many of those who do not suffer from diagnosable anxiety disorders are still beset by all the worries and cares of life in the world today. We worry about work, money, relationships, our health And that is just the start of the list. On the news, we are bombarded by all the violence, destruction and heartache in the world, and on social media we are inundated by words and images depicting impossible standards of beauty, wealth and happiness that we think we need to live up to.
No wonder then that Philippians 4:6,7 are among the most searched Bible verses on the Biblica website:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. And there is therefore no need to be anxious about anything.
Ways To Treat Nervousness
How can you control your nervous thoughts? Simply trying to push them away doesnt work. Numerous psychological studies have confirmed that it’s impossible to force yourself to not think about something. In fact, somestudies have shown that trying not to think about something may make you more likely to think about it, because you’ll have to keep reminding yourself not to think about it, thus triggering the memory
So ideally, you need to find a strategy that will control the nervousness, but not necessarily eliminate it, and thankfully there are a lot of very effective options for stopping nervous thinking. These include:
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What Causes Anxiety Disorders
Its a question that is so difficult to answer. Its not like having a cold – you cant simply wake up with an anxiety disorder because you forgot to wash your hands before picking your nose.
Anxiety disorders are forged over years of experiences. They have a genetic component, an upbringing component, an environmental component. Every experience youve ever had can craft your anxiety disorder, just as any experience youve had in life can ensure you never get one.
Anxiety may even have no real cause at all.
There are also many forms of anxiety. There are different causes of OCD, causes of panic attacks, causes of PTSD, causes of generalized anxiety disorder, causes of phobias every experience and every anxiety is unique in some way.
Still, the best way to understand what created your anxiety disorder is to break it down into the two main causes:
- Biology
- Environment
These do not account for all anxiety symptoms. In fact, anxiety can, in some ways, create itself something that we will explore near the end of the guide. But generally, the two causes of anxiety are your body, and your experiences in the world around you.
How Do I Know When My Anxiety Needs Treatment
Any time a mental health issue such as anxiety gets so far out of hand that it disrupts your daily life, its time to get help. Especially if one or more symptoms cause you a lot of distress and worry, you should seek treatment before your symptoms get worse.
Most mental health disorders exist on a spectrum. For some people, symptoms are less severe and respond well to outpatient treatment. But for many others, its going to take intensive treatment to make headways into recovery. Particularly if youve tried outpatient therapy and it hasnt worked, residential treatment could be your best option.
But how do you know when your anxiety is severe and lasting enough to qualify as an actual disorder? Its impossible to pinpoint without a clinician, but you can learn to spot the same signs a clinician would look for.
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Experiencing Anxiety Without A Cause
A common complaint among people who live with anxiety is that it is all-encompassing and even paralyzing. It impacts thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It limits what people feel able to do in their lives. The worry and fear, as well as the physical symptoms of anxiety, can nearly shut us down.
When anxiety strikes without a cause, it’s confusing and maddening. Sometimes things are made worse because people around us want to know “why.” Why do we have panic attacks? Why can’t we breathe correctly? Why are we avoiding the world?
When we’re anxious but can’t explain why, either to ourselves or to others, we feel even worse. Sometimes, as we wrack our brains for a reason for our anxiety, our anxiety increases. When this happens, it’s not uncommon to shut down even further, nearly becoming paralyzed by anxiety and our struggle to explain it.
Any Other Mental Health Issue
Mental illness can cause, or contribute to, feeling a lack of drive. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, and mental illness is not your fault if you lack drive. However, if you lack drive, you must try to seek help.
Sometimes, mental illness makes you not stay motivated in other ways. Sometimes you are feeling okay, but then you get overstimulated and have a breakdown due to your mental illness. You were feeling motivated, but because of your mental illness or your personality disorders, it’s difficult for you to try to continue trying.
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You Say God Is With Me Why Don’t I Feel Him
Second, this is where faith comes in: Faith is not based on feelings. Our faith is based on the fact that God came to earth in Jesus, died for our sins, rose from the dead and even today reigns as Lord over all. Nothing can change that truth. Not feelings, not a bad day, not an argument with a friend. Nothing.
It is O.K. to feel things. God created us in His image and as emotional beings. We can be honest with God about how we feel. However, dont let what you are feeling keep you from believing the truth of Gods word. Remember, as strong and as fluctuating as your feelings may be, Gods Word is truer than anything you feel and truer than anything you experience. The Bible has withstood the test of time and never changes . Beyond the verses on this page, here are more truths you can hold onto when times are tough: Loving God in Painful Times
How To Have No Fear
This article was co-authored by Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS. Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Wisconsin specializing in Addictions and Mental Health. She provides therapy to people who struggle with addictions, mental health, and trauma in community health settings and private practice. She received her MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University in 2011.There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 35,444 times.
Fear is a life-saving feeling meant to circulate adrenaline and improve performance so that we can escape danger. However, overstimulation may lead to fear and anxiety taking control of your life. You can live a life of no fear by reducing negative thoughts and implementing positive, resilient behavior in response to change and challenges.
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Anxiety Is Not Uncommon
Anxiety is scary. It gnaws at you wherever you go, sapping the joy out of life. You could be safe at home with your family and still feel it a constant worry buzzing in the back of your mind that can grow into panic. It can make your most important tasks feel impossible. Who can work, drive a car, or care for children when they can only focus on their intense feelings of fear? Its even worse when you have no idea why youre anxious. If you cant understand it, how can you explain it to your family, friends, or co-workers? Anxiety can make you feel isolated, and no one should have to go through a scary time alone.
If youre experiencing anxiety, youve got company. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in our country, afflicting about 40 million adults a year. And although effective treatment is available, only 36.9% of sufferers are treated. People may feel embarrassed about admitting that theyre anxious. They may be dismissive of their anxiety. Or, they may not be aware that frequent anxiety is a mental health problem. But awareness of your anxiety is the first step in getting treatment for itand in understanding its causes.
Substance Abuse And Mental Addiction
Another mental illness that can make you lose drive is substance abuse and mental addiction. Abusing a substance like alcohol or another drug, legal or illegal, can lead to mental illness, substance abuse and mental issues, and other health issues. If you’re addicted, it can lead to various health issues, but there are ways to overcome them. Here are some ways to overcome your addiction.
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How To Stop Nervous Thinking In The Long Term
Those that are nervous all the time need to treat their anxiety like they would any health condition. Often, this is a matter of committing to getting some support from a trained professional. Just as you wouldn’t treat serious illnesses haphazardly, the only way to find relief from anxiety is to give it special attention and to make sure that you’re using all the tools at your disposal to find the best way of coping with your anxiety symptoms.
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Biological Causes Of Anxiety Disorders
Genetics and biology play a role in the creation of anxiety disorders. Not only does anxiety appear to run in families – if you take two people with similar experiences, one may have an anxiety disorder, one may not, and the only difference between them may be genetic, or at least influenced by the body more than the mind. Biological causes include:
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The Effective Habit: When You Feel Anxious Dont Fight Itlet It Bethe Anxiety Habit: When You Feel Anxious Do Whatever You Can To Make It Go Away
The most basic, most important thing to know about anxiety is that avoidance does not work. The harder you try to not feel anxious, the more anxious you will feel. The more you avoid situations that make you anxious, the more anxious you will be in the long run. This is why anxiety does not get better on its own.
The alternative to avoidance is acceptance: instead of fighting the anxiety, the Effective Habit is to allow the anxiety to be there. If fighting it just makes it worse, then acceptance must be the answer. This might sound crazy at first, but it really does work.
People who dont have an anxiety problem DO still have some anxietyits a normal part of life.But they dont give much time to their anxiety even when it does come up. They dont give the anxiety respect. They dont treat it as a problem, and the anxiety eventually backs down without them having to do anything about it. But anxiety feeds off of you fighting with it so if you fight it, it only gets worse.
Dont give your anxiety respect. Dont give it your time. Stop doing all the things youve been doing to fight it, and it will eventually lift on its own.
Medical Conditions Which Can Cause Waves Of Anxiety
Its important that your doctor or other health professional rules out any other problems you may have, such as:
These conditions can also cause you to suffer from anxiety, and anti-anxiety medication would absolutely not be necessary. Indeed, long-term it may make the problem much worse. Id be delighted, therefore, to show you how you can help yourself. So read on!
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This Is Not Good News
One response would go like this: This is not good news! In fact, it is very discouraging to learn that what I thought was a mere struggle with an anxious disposition is, in fact, a far deeper struggle with whether I believe God or not.
Now my response to this is to agree but then to disagree. Suppose you had been having pain in your stomach and had been struggling with medicines and diets of all kinds to no avail. And then suppose that your doctor tells you after a routine visit that you have cancer in your small intestine. Would that be good news? You say, emphatically not! And I agree.
But let me ask the question another way: Are you glad that the doctor discovered the cancer while it is still treatable, and that indeed it can be very successfully treated? You say, Yes, I am very glad that the doctor found the real problem. Again I agree.
So the news that you have cancer is not good news because having cancer is good. It is good news because knowing what is really wrong is good news, especially when it can be treated successfully.
Thats what its like to learn that the real problem behind anxiety is unbelief in the promises of God. Its not good news because the cancer of unbelief is good. Its good because knowing what is really wrong is good, especially because unbelief can be treated so successfully by our great physician.