Biblical Insight On To Take Total Victory Over Anxiety

Total Victory Over Anxiety

Scripture 

Matthew 6:25‭-‬34 GW

“So I tell you to stop worrying about what you will eat, drink, or wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? “Look at the birds. They don’t plant, harvest, or gather the harvest into barns. Yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? “Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying? “And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes. But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers. That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. So how much more will he clothe you people who have so little faith? “Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you. “So don’t ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Proverbs 12:25 GW

A person’s anxiety will weigh him down, but an encouraging word makes him joyful.

1 Samuel 18:6‭-‬9 GW

As they arrived, David was returning from a campaign against the Philistines. Women from all of Israel’s cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced, accompanied by tambourines, joyful music, and triangles. The women who were celebrating sang, “Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands!” Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. “To David they credit tens of thousands,” he said, “but to me they credit ⌊only⌋ a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom.” From that day on Saul kept an eye on David.

Anxiety is said to be one of the normal response to the uncertainties of and as a result a lot of people still don't know what it entails, so sit up and enjoy this soul refreshing & detailed article

Anxiety: What It Is

What is anxiety? If you’ve ever experienced it in your own life, you know first-hand that defining the wide range of thoughts and feelings associated with this emotion can be quite difficult. So before we go any further, I want to define anxiety for you because I think people need to understand what it truly means. 

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines anxiety as:

An apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness, usually over an impending or anticipated ill; an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear, often marked by physical signs (such as tension, sweating, and increased pulse rate), by doubt concerning the reality and nature of a threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.

When we think in terms of anxiety, we’re really thinking in terms of feeling dread, apprehension, and uncertainty about things. And as I’ve found there are three main areas where this uncertainty comes into play in our lives:

When we’re uncertain about something that’s currently going on in our lives.When we’re uncertain about things that happened in our past and why they keep bothering us.When we’re uncertain about the future.

The bottom line about all of our feelings of dread, apprehension, and uncertainty comes down to one thing:The fear of not being in control. If there’s something beyond our control and we feel uncertain about the outcome, that’s going to create anxiety within us. In the New Testament, the word anxiety meansdistracted or pulled apart ... the opposite of peace. That “distraction”—that “pulling apart”—is going to create stress within us. And that stress, whether we realize it or not, is going to have a profound effect on our lives.

Emotions

Our emotions are a gift from God, and they carry a lot of influence in our lives. Sometimes we express them toward others with joy, happiness, peace, kindness, and goodness. Other times, our emotional expressions are brutal, caustic, harsh, and hurtful. As our emotions ebb and flow through the ups and downs of life, we must always remember that the Father gave us emotions so that we could enjoy life and express our inner being to others. The problem, however, arises when our emotions control us instead of us controlling them. 

Throughout Scripture, we see many people expressing their emotions. Saul was jealous of David (1 Sam.18:6-9). Hannah expressed great sadness and cried out to God (1 Sam. 1:10). Elijah, supposedly a powerful man of great faith and courage, confessed numerous times in Scripture that he was afraid (1 Kings 19:2-4). And when you look at the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shares three different times with those gathered to listen, “Don’t be anxious … don’t be anxious … don’t be anxious" (Matt. 6:25-34).

Not long ago, I took an informal survey seeking to find what emotion was the most prominent in people’s thinking. By far, anxiety was number one. People were anxious about their jobs, health, financial situations, families, schooling, relationships, and national direction and leadership, just to name a few. There’s no doubt we live in an anxious and uncertain time. And “uncertainty” is the key word when it comes to anxiety. When we’re struggling with anxiety, we’re uncertain about what’s going on in the present moment, uncertain about how life will play out in the future, or uncertain about the impact of the past in each of our lives.

I want you to understand that anxiety can and will affect your entire body. It will make you physically ill. It will divide your mind. And where your mind goes, the overall health of your body will eventually follow. That’s why recognizing what it is and learning to deal with the all-encompassing emotion of anxiety is of paramount importance in your life.

Anxiety in itself is not a sin. It’s a normal response to the uncertainty we face in the situations that play out before us in everyday life. The issue is what we do with those anxieties and how long we allow them to live within us. Gaining control of this destructive emotion is key to living the life God intended for us to live. And in the days ahead, I’m going to show you how you can gain the upper hand on anxiety and enjoy a victorious, faith-filled life.

1.) The Source of Anxiety

2 Timothy 1:7 GW

God didn’t give us a cowardly spirit but a spirit of power, love, and good judgment

What is the source of anxiety? Is it something we create deep within us? Or does it originate with God? 

It’s important to understand that anxiety is not from God … He didn’t create it (2 Tim. 1:7). So if God didn’t create anxiety, where does it come from? 

To begin with, there are untold things in life that can cause anxiety. There are just some distressful things in life that are naturally going to create anxiety. Awaiting test results from your doctor, losing your job and source of income, or your spouse filing for divorce (to name a few) are all legitimate reasons for feeling anxious.

Second, there are times anxiety originates with wrong thinking in our minds, not trusting fully in God and His Word, and not taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). 

Third, there are times when anxiety originates from something we don’t even realize. That’s right: We can become anxious about something and not even know what it is. There have been times in my life when I knew God was speaking directly to me and trying to show me something, but I couldn’t figure out right away what it was He was trying to reveal. It seemed the harder I tried to figure out His will, the more I didn’t understand. So for a brief period of time, I would become a bit anxious, asking: “Lord, what are You trying to tell me? What are you trying to show me?” I didn’t want to miss His will. And because I was uncertain as I awaited His leading, I battled the same anxious thoughts you do when faced with uncertainty. 

But I didn’t let that anxiety take up residence in my life. And neither should you.

Regardless of anxiety’s source, dealing with it head-on is of utmost importance. While the emotion of anxiety itself is not a sin, it shouldn’t last. It shouldn’t continue. It shouldn’t have a negative effect. We must be willing to face up to and deal with our anxious thoughts and feelings. Anxiety is simply a reaction to some circumstance in your life. And when God tries to reveal truth to you regarding that circumstance or situation, that’s your number one priority. When God sees something going on in your life that needs instruction or correction, you need to give Him your undivided attention. Otherwise, you’ll be assured to live a life filled with anxiety and doubt.

There are countless sources for anxiety—anything can cause it. While the emotion in and of itself is not a sin, not dealing with it in a proper fashion is. And tomorrow, we'll take a look at some important reasons we should deal with our anxiety as soon as it arises and do our best to avoid it altogether.

2.) Reasons to Avoid Anxiety

There are many reasons we should avoid anxiety. 

First, anxiety goes against Scripture. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus says three times in this one passage, “Do not be anxious, do not be anxious, do not be anxious.” For those of us who are believers, we affirm that we believe in God and His Son, Jesus; that He loves us unconditionally and has made promises to meet our needs; and that He’s a God who keeps His Word. So if all of this is true, then living a life filled with anxiety doesn’t fit who we are as a child of God. And we must deal with anxiety because it will breed all sorts of discouragement and defeat in our lives.

Second, anxiety will have a negative effect on every area of our lives. There are countless ways anxiety has a negative effect on our lives. Understanding these will help you to better understand the stresses of your life and will allow you to help others overcome theirs. 

Anxiety divides your mind.Anxiety is a distraction. Its aim is to pull you in many different directions so that you can’t concentrate or focus. And whatever divides your mind diverts your attention from important matters and clouds your focus.Anxiety slows your productivity. Whatever you’re doing, if you’re anxious about it, it will slow you down. If your mind is divided and preoccupied by anxiety, you can’t give your full attention and energy to what you should be focusing on.Anxiety affects your personal relationship with other people.We all know people who are anxiety-ridden. Every time you see these individuals, they unload the things in their lives that they’re anxious or concerned about, never really dealing with them. Their ongoing anxiety affects their relationship with everyone around them—including you. Anxiety leads to unwise decisions. When a person is anxious, they have a tendency to jump ahead: “If I don’t do it now, I may miss it;” “If I don’t marry him now, I’m going to miss out.” People make unwise decisions because they’re anxious about an uncertain future and missing out on opportunities that may not come again. And there are always consequences when living in this way.Anxiety steals your peace and joy. You can’t have joy and be full of anxiety. You can’t have peace and be full of anxiety. To have peace means to be “bound together,” whereas anxiety means to be “pulled apart.” So you can either have one or the other—but you can’t experience both.Anxiety is a terrible waste of time and energy. When you’re frustrated, anxious, and uncertain about things, you can’t do your best. You won’t feel your best. And this will lead to consequences you really and truly don’t want in your life.

God doesn’t want us living our lives filled with anxiety. When I think about all of the things that I just mentioned, I can’t imagine living my life in that manner. Anxiety divides your mind, diverts your attention, slows your productivity, affects your personal relationships, leads to unwise decisions, steals your joy and peace, and proves to be a waste of time and energy. Friend, anything that does that to me, I don’t want it in my life. 

And I promise, you don’t want it in yours.

3.) Anxiety’s Devastating Effect on Your Health

Jeremiah 30:17 GW

I’ll restore your health and heal your wounds,” declares the Lord . “People call you an outcast: Zion, no one cares for you.

John 10:10 GW

A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.

Anxiety can have a devastating effect upon your health. Imagine you’re a psychiatrist or psychologist. You spend eight or more hours of every workday listening to people pour out their heartaches, problems, and burdens. You listen to the same people share the same thing week after week. And no matter how wise or well-trained you are in your diagnoses and treatments, removing the anxiety isn’t going to happen without God’s help and intervention (Jer. 30:17a).

Today’s medical doctors give you something you can take to quiet down. But God created us to live an abundant life filled with joy, peace, and activity—not quieted all the time.

For the person who is continually troubled with anxiety, it becomes a real disorder in his or her life. Cardiovascular disease, heart disease, hypertension, most headaches, colitis, ulcers, skin disease, psoriasis, eczema, acne, and weakened immune response can all open a person to more serious illness. I can hear you asking, “You mean to tell me that anxiety can cause that?” That’s what the medical profession says. That’s what people who deal with anxiety day in and day out have to say. 

And there are many books in print from godly men and women who’ll tell you about people they’ve counseled and the things that have happened to them physically. So much of it can be traced back to this matter of anxiety. When anxiety clears up, physical things begin to clear up. That’s the way God created our bodies. He made this body to function properly. And when I’m not thinking right and am full of uncertainty, dread, fear, and frustration, it’s going to affect my body.

People are physically sick because of their anxiety. They won’t deal with it, or they don’t know how to deal with it. Therefore, they ignore it. Or they run to the doctor and get prescription after prescription in the hopes these will numb their anxious thoughts and feelings. But I’ve found in my own life that there’s something much easier than that: Find out what God has to say in His Word about anxiety and how He instructs us to think and deal with anxiety, then just put that into practice.

For many people, that’s a lot easier said than done. There are many who’ve given in to anxiety. And as long as they can go to a doctor and get something to calm them down and take the edge off, they’ll stick with that. Before they know it, they’re hooked on it, locked into it, then find themselves dependent upon some other human being to give them something synthetic to help them get through life. That’s absolutely, totally opposite of the kind of life God wants a believer to live (John 10:10). That’s not who we are. There’s not a single verse in Scripture that in any way agrees with that. In His Word, God gives us the solution for anxiety. And tomorrow, we’ll dive in to discover how God wants us to deal with it once and for all.

4.) Dealing With Anxiety

Now that we’ve talked about what anxiety is, why we should avoid it, and the devastating effects it can have on our health, let me ask you a few questions: How are you dealing with your anxiety? Is there something you take or some relationship you depend on to get you through? Or are you just ignoring your anxious thoughts and feelings, hoping they’ll go away on their own?

Many people I meet choose to fret continually about their troubles instead of turning their attention to the provision of God. They remain uneasy about the future and are unable to think about anything other than the difficult challenges before them. Their fears are overpowering and often feel insurmountable. Consequently, the incessant focus on their problems makes them feel as if their lives will never improve. 

If any of this sounds familiar to you, let me assure you the continual nervousness you feel is not from God (2 Tim. 1:7). The Lord never intended for you to endure a relentless onslaught of anxiety. Instead, He wants you to deal with your worries and fears, trusting Him in every aspect of your life. 

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus teaches us about worry and God’s provision for us. He didn’t deny that anxiety exists but pointed out two significant truths that are important for us to note:

1. Fear achieves nothing of value.

2. Trust in God diminishes fear.

There was a time in my life when I faced a terrible impediment to my faith. I couldn’t understand why I was struggling or why I was so agitated—everything else in my life seemed to be going well. I recall repeatedly praying for the Lord to help me trust Him more. But for whatever reason, I couldn’t break through the impossible wall keeping me from relying on Him fully.

Finally, I asked some wise friends who loved God for help. I knew they’d give me excellent counsel. They committed to staying with me—praying and discussing the events of my life—until the Father showed us what was going on and where my underlying anxiety was coming from.

We met and talked over the course of a few days. I recounted everything I could recall about my personal history. I was determined to not run away from the problem but instead face it head on, dealing with it once and for all. I told my trusted friends everything I knew to tell them and held nothing back. 

Then one of my friends asked me a question I’ll never forget: “Imagine that your father just picked you up in his arms and held you. What do you feel?” He went straight to the core of my problem, and I burst into tears. I couldn’t stop weeping for quite a while. 

My father had passed away when I was only nine months old. Losing him at such a young age created a profound area of emptiness, fear, and uncertainty within me that I didn’t even realize was there. When I settled down, my friend asked again, “What do you feel, Charles?” I thought for a moment, then responded: “I feel warm, secure, and accepted. I feel loved.” For the first time I understood that God loved me—that I could have a real, personal relationship with Him beyond salvation. Please realize, I’d been preaching about the Lord’s unconditional love all of my life. I believed it with my mind, but I’d never experienced it deep within my spirit until that day. 

Had I ever told myself the Lord didn’t really love me? No. Did I ever doubt God’s love? No. So what was it within me that created that inability to experience the Father’s love in a meaningful way?

It was the need a little boy had for his earthly father that was never met. My mind learned to block out the pain, do without his physical presence, and survive. No one was at fault. But I needed my father, and that affected how my mind processed information about the Lord. The most amazing thing of all was that I had absolutely no idea those self-protective thought patterns and underlying anxieties even existed until they were exposed.

Imagining God holding me as an earthly father holds his little boy was just what I needed in order to overcome the roadblock. Suddenly, my struggle with God made sense, and I finally felt close to Him. Recognizing His presence in such an intensely tangible way opened the floodgates of profound relief and joy—and completely changed my entire life and ministry.

Friend, you don’t know what you don’t know about yourself. None of us do. Uncovering the hidden wounds and anxieties of our lives requires the work of the Holy Spirit, who is able to examine and minister to us in extraordinary ways (Rom. 8:26-27). Trust Him to reveal those secret places of pain in you, and deal with your anxiety once and for all.

5.) God’s Solution for Anxiety

Philippians 4:5‭-‬7 GW

Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.

The apostle Paul knew a lot about anxiety. He dealt with difficulties, hardships, trials, imprisonments, beatings, sufferings, and persecutions—just to name a few. But listen to what he has to say in Philippians 4:4-7: 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

You can look to this passage penned by Paul and inspired by the Holy Spirit to find God’s solution for any anxiety or worry you face.

1. You must acknowledge what you’re anxious, worried, or concerned about. You have to be willing to get honest with yourself and admit that you’re struggling with anxiety. As long as you ignore your anxiety, it’s going to poison you, taking a toll on your life. Be willing to find the courage to face your anxieties and worries head on.

2. Bring your concerns to the Father in the spirit of thanksgiving. Remember that the Lord is always near. Come before Him with thanksgiving, expressing gratitude to Him for being your God, loving you unconditionally, hearing your prayers, understanding exactly where you are, and being willing and ready to help you. 

3. Let your request be made known to God. Tell God everything that concerns you. Share with him your anxieties, worries, fears, and uncertainties, then ask Him to help you overcome them once and for all. 

4. Believe that He loves you, hears your prayers, and promises to help you. Be fully convinced that not only does God love you and hear your prayers, but He has promised to help you overcome and defeat any difficulty you face.

5. Trust that He has the power and provision to accomplish what you ask. Remember your all-powerful, all-knowing, omniscient, omnipresent God has provided all you will need to overcome the anxieties and worries consuming you. By the might of His Spirit, His power is not only available to you, but resides within you to help you overcome and to work all things together for your good.

6. Rest in the peace and knowledge that God will give you the victory. The peace of God will garrison you about, which means that the Father will exchange your anxiety for His peace. He will cover you and protect you with it, building an impenetrable wall of protection around you. It’s a matter of simply giving your concerns to Him. 

Anxious thoughts and situations will always present themselves in this life, but how long you hold on to the anxiety—that’s the key. Whatever you’re going through, I promise that if you’ll take the passage from Philippians mentioned above and meditate upon it, asking God to work in your heart, He promises He will give you a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). I’ve watched Him do it time and again in my own life, and I know He will do it for you. 

Friend, you don’t have to live in anxiety unless you choose to. I pray the Father will help you overcome your anxiety and lead you to victory once and for all. If you’re willing to trust Him, He will set you free.

If you feel blessed by this please share with friends so they can partake in tg blessings of the Good Lord