Introduction
Last week, we learned about five types of anxiety, their symptoms, and how the Bible shows Jacob, Moses, Queen Esther, and Martha experienced anxiety. So, the Bible does talk about anxiety and how it steals peace and joy from our hearts. And more than that, it hinders us from being Christ's witnesses to the world.
Today we will learn that anxiety is not merely caused by a spiritual problem such as a lack of faith or disobedience to God. Many factors contribute to anxiety. Doctors, researchers, and counselors believe anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including:
1. Genetics. Anxiety disorders appear to be passed down from parents and immediate family to children, especially panic disorders. According to a study of identical and fraternal twins, identical twins (who share the same DNA) were twice as likely to develop anxiety disorders than fraternal twins.
2. Upbringing/Life Experiences/Parenting. Our life is forged on many experiences, and each of these experiences can promote or prevent developing an anxiety disorder. We can learn anxiety from our parents simply by watching how they react to fear when we're younger. We can also learn about anxiety from their teachings. If our parents told us to worry about things when we're younger, we could become more anxious. We can create social phobia simply because of a few poor social reactions in our youth. We can become fearful due to bullying or develop anxiety because we're worried about school, teachers, and classmates.
3. Environmental issues. For most people, anxiety will be primarily environmental such as work-related problems, relationship issues, or issues relating to the family.
4. Stress. Long-term stress is one of the most common reasons that people develop anxiety.
5. Problem. Serious problems that are happening are often a factor causing anxiety. For example, a husband is hospitalized for months and can't work, and his family has to pay for his significant medical expenses.
6. Brain chemistry. Psychologists have identified the causes of some anxiety disorders as misalignments of hormones and electrical signals in the brain. Brain imaging studies have shown that some people with anxiety have different brain activities than those without anxiety.
7. Medical problems. Some medical conditions can lead to anxiety, which could also result from the side of your medication. Sudden withdrawal from drug addiction can also lead to chronic anxiety.
Finding the Causes of Anxiety and Handling It
Because various factors can cause anxiety, when you're having a hard time, try to find out why you're anxious and what factors are causing it (if necessary, do this with family, friends, or your pastor). For example, if your anxiety is not caused by factors 1 – 5 above, then factors 6 and 7 may be the cause. If it results from disturbed brain chemistry or a side effect of certain drugs, you need to see a doctor for help. Remember, as is the case of worry, not all anxiety results from sin.
Unfortunately, often, anxiety is the result of sin. If this is the case, the cure or treatment is to overcome the sin. You know the story of King David, how he committed adultery with Bathsheba and silently orchestrated the death of her husband. However, after the prophet Nathan exposed his sin and rebuked him harshly, David, with a broken heart, repented for his horrible misdeeds. And he later wrote psalms expressing the anxiety, fear, and dread he felt because of his sin in Psalms 6, 32, 38, and 51. And he later wrote four psalms expressing the distress and terror he had felt due to his sin. David's anguished heart cries are found in Psalms 6, 32, 38, and 51. In each of these psalms, David was looking back, recalling the torment he experienced during this dark period of his life.
In each of these psalms, David looks back, remembering the inner torments he experienced during this dark time of his life. Specifically, in Psalm 38:1-11, he describes his situation at that time and how he begged the Lord for mercy:
"1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Your arrows have pierced me, and your hand has come down on me. 3 Because of your wrath, there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. 4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. 5 My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly. 6 I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. 7 My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health in my body. 8 I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. 9 All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes. 11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds; my neighbors stay far away."
And in Psalm 51:10-12, David expresses his repentance and pleads with God: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
After he confessed his sins and asked for God's forgiveness, David said In Psalm 32 that the person whose sin is forgiven is blessed, and the heavyweight of guilt is taken away when we confess our sins. Let's read Psalm 32:1-5 - "Of David. A maskil. Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." And you forgave the guilt of my sin."
So, when you lose peace and joy in your heart and become very sensitive, irritable, and depressed, ask yourself if there is a sin you need to acknowledge and confess to God. It can be lying, cheating, pride, envy, selfishness, anger, immorality, resentment, hatred, unwillingness to forgive, etc. If you are a child of God, you cannot get better until you confess your sin and receive God's forgiveness. The Holy Spirit that dwells in your heart will convict you and speak to your conscience.
If a broken relationship causes your anxiety, try to make peace. In 2 Corinthians 13:11, Paul says, "Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you." God calls us to live in peace. Unresolved conflict and unforgiven spirit take God's love and peace from us.
Are overwhelming circumstances causing anxiety? Turn the situation over to the God who knows everything and is in control of it all. Have faith in God. Illustration: One day, John Wesley was walking with a troubled man who doubted God's goodness. He said, "I do not know what I shall do with all this worry and trouble." At that exact moment, Wesley saw a cow looking over a stone wall. "Do you know," asked Wesley, "why that cow is looking over the wall?" "No," said the worried man. Wesley said, "The cow is looking over the wall because she cannot see through it. You must do that with your wall of trouble—look over it and avoid it." Faith enables us to look past our circumstances and focus on Christ!
When the disciples became distressed in a storm, Jesus first rebuked their lack of faith, then rebuked the wind and the waves (Matthew 8:23-27). As long as we are with Jesus, there is nothing to fear. We can count on the Lord to provide for our needs, protect us from evil, guide us, and keep our souls secure for eternity.
Testimony: Last Tuesday, when we were in Virginia, my wife, my son (Eric), and I fell asleep. Suddenly our phones rang telling us there was an important message. An "Emergency Alert" told us to take shelter immediately because the tornado might hit our area (See PP). The question that came to my mind was, where is it? Eric said there was a basement outside the house, but it was raining hard outside, and the room was filthy and dark because we had never used it. So, we prayed, asking for God's guidance on what we should do. In my prayer, I remembered the story in Matt 8 about how Jesus calmed the storm. I felt at peace. God took my fear. I prayed for God's protection to us and everyone in the area and trusted that nothing would happen. So, we didn't need to leave the house and continued to sleep peacefully. Please understand me; there are times when we surely need to find shelter or avoid danger. I want to emphasize that we should not panic and fear t when we face an unpleasant situation. Do not let our situation control us. Come to God and ask for His wisdom or guidance. If God leads us to find shelter, then we should do it.
Advice from Jesus
As we studied Matthew 6:25-34 last month, we see Jesus taught us to examine our worry or anxiety. In Greek, the word "merimnaó' that Jesus said in verses 25,27,28 and 34 means 'worry' or 'to be anxious about.' In His teaching, Jesus encouraged His disciples to ask themselves why they were worried or anxious. What made them anxious? And then, Jesus reminded them that they were so precious in the eyes of God, the Creator of the universe, and how God, their heavenly Father loved them and would take care of them and provide for their needs.
Our anxiety reflects our view of God. Tim Keller writes, "Worry is not believing God will get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong." How we respond to life's trouble reflects how we view God and whether we trust how He has acted towards us. Jesus makes the case that our worry stems from a heart of unbelief that God is working wonderfully towards us. To those who doubt the provision and power of God to do what's best, Jesus gives a gentle rebuke, "O you of little faith." How often do we become distracted when we fear the future and take matters into our own hands? We seek to control our destiny and focus on what we want, and we don't trust God to provide or to keep us safe.
Closing
I want to close this message today by inviting you all to take a quiet moment and think about this one essential question: How do you view God? Do you believe He is a good God who loves you and cares for you? Or, if you search your heart deeply, you will find that you have some unpleasant feelings about God.
Maybe you were disappointed with what happened to you and blamed God for allowing that to happen to you or did not intervene to help you. Because of that, you lost your trust in God. And now you often worry or are anxious about facing your situation because you do not believe God loves you and can help you, provide for your needs and protect you.
Today, God wants you to know that He always loves you and is always with you, even when you think He has ignored your cry for help or abandoned you. He understands your situation and your pain. Come to Him! Bring your anxieties to Him and believe everything will be all right by His grace because He makes everything beautiful in His time.
