Fear and anxiety is a human condition, part of the fabric of life. How many times in a simple reading of the bible do we come across words or phrases dealing with anxiety and fear. Often it is the Lord Himself who is comforting His people with the words, “Do not be afraid” or “Do not fear,” and often these comforting words come in the context of the Lord reminding His own that He is with them. He told Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” In like manner, the psalmist in Psalm 27 reminds himself, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?”
In the New Testament, Philippians 4:4-9 is one of the most extensive passages on this subject.
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. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Many have read these words and from them have drawn the conclusion that feeling anxious is a sin. They reason, ‘The Lord has given a command to not be anxious; therefore, if I feel anxious I must not be trusting the Lord; I must be sinning.’ But is this true? Tim Keller has rightly said in his podcast The Wounded Spirit that human beings tend to be “reductionists” (both Christians and non Christians alike), over simplifying the conditions of the human heart. He also observes that Christians in particular have a tendency to be “moral reductionists;” that is, they tend to reduce problems of anxiety to a moral cause, discounting the complex realities of the inner life and the human frame. It looks something like this, “If you are anxious, you are sinning.”
I believe the life of Christ is one of the most powerful proofs that feelings of anxiety and fear are not sinful in and of themselves. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we read some profound words regarding how Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane felt as He contemplated His imminent arrest, crucifixion and bearing of the Father’s wrath because of the sins He would carry.
(Jesus) began to be grieved (i.e. sorrowful, denoting both physical and emotional pain) and distressed ... He said..., “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death...” He fell on His face and prayed... (Matthew 26:37-39).
(Jesus) began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said..., “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death...” He... fell to the ground and began to pray... (Mark 14:33-35).
And being in agony (i.e. anguish, anxiety, struggle) He (Jesus) was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground (Luke 22:44).
Jesus, the perfect sinless Son of God, felt deeply grieved, anxious, distressed, and troubled to the point of death, to the point that he began to sweat great drops of blood (which, by the way, is a rare medical condition that occurs when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress - called hematridosis). The only conclusion we can draw, then, is that feelings of anxiety are not sinful. Jesus felt anxious. This realization alone should bring great comfort to those who battle feelings of anxiety and depression. Your Savior understands.
Anxiety and depression are a part of being human. For many, the “ups and downs” of life fall within manageable levels. Feelings of happiness, sadness, and the concerns of life are in proportion to the situation. There are others for whom depression and anxiety are likened to those unwanted visitors who, when they stop by, have a tendency to overstay their welcome. But there are those, yes Christians and non Christians alike, who experience anxiety and depression as lethal enemies. These emotions don’t simply come and overstay their welcome; they come as intruders with weapons in hand intent on destruction. Those in this category often suffer from a definable physiological illness and often need medical intervention. Dear Christian, realizing the need for medical help and acting on it is not a failure to trust; it does not take anything away from the cross of Christ.
The beauty of the the word of God is that for those in all three categories, the promise of God is that “The Lord is near” and the invitation of God is to “Call out to Him for help!” I heard it aptly put this way... When we are in distress and riddled with anxiety...“the Lord does not tell us to ‘calm down,’ He tells us to ‘call out’” (Philippians 4:6). For those who do call out and still experience overwhelming feelings of anxiety, don’t allow your feelings to condemn you; God is near. Continue to entrust yourself to your heavenly Father as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Lord will meet you in that place and minister to you there. For those whose feelings of anxiety and depression have become “as intruders with weapons in hand intent on destruction” and who realize that you need medical attention, take comfort from the fact that trusting God and going to the doctor are not mutually exclusive. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I entrusted myself to God even as I went to the doctor, even as I received treatment for my condition. The God of peace will be with you.
In the New Testament, Philippians 4:4-9 is one of the most extensive passages on this subject.
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. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Many have read these words and from them have drawn the conclusion that feeling anxious is a sin. They reason, ‘The Lord has given a command to not be anxious; therefore, if I feel anxious I must not be trusting the Lord; I must be sinning.’ But is this true? Tim Keller has rightly said in his podcast The Wounded Spirit that human beings tend to be “reductionists” (both Christians and non Christians alike), over simplifying the conditions of the human heart. He also observes that Christians in particular have a tendency to be “moral reductionists;” that is, they tend to reduce problems of anxiety to a moral cause, discounting the complex realities of the inner life and the human frame. It looks something like this, “If you are anxious, you are sinning.”
I believe the life of Christ is one of the most powerful proofs that feelings of anxiety and fear are not sinful in and of themselves. In the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we read some profound words regarding how Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane felt as He contemplated His imminent arrest, crucifixion and bearing of the Father’s wrath because of the sins He would carry.
(Jesus) began to be grieved (i.e. sorrowful, denoting both physical and emotional pain) and distressed ... He said..., “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death...” He fell on His face and prayed... (Matthew 26:37-39).
(Jesus) began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said..., “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death...” He... fell to the ground and began to pray... (Mark 14:33-35).
And being in agony (i.e. anguish, anxiety, struggle) He (Jesus) was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground (Luke 22:44).
Jesus, the perfect sinless Son of God, felt deeply grieved, anxious, distressed, and troubled to the point of death, to the point that he began to sweat great drops of blood (which, by the way, is a rare medical condition that occurs when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress - called hematridosis). The only conclusion we can draw, then, is that feelings of anxiety are not sinful. Jesus felt anxious. This realization alone should bring great comfort to those who battle feelings of anxiety and depression. Your Savior understands.
Anxiety and depression are a part of being human. For many, the “ups and downs” of life fall within manageable levels. Feelings of happiness, sadness, and the concerns of life are in proportion to the situation. There are others for whom depression and anxiety are likened to those unwanted visitors who, when they stop by, have a tendency to overstay their welcome. But there are those, yes Christians and non Christians alike, who experience anxiety and depression as lethal enemies. These emotions don’t simply come and overstay their welcome; they come as intruders with weapons in hand intent on destruction. Those in this category often suffer from a definable physiological illness and often need medical intervention. Dear Christian, realizing the need for medical help and acting on it is not a failure to trust; it does not take anything away from the cross of Christ.
The beauty of the the word of God is that for those in all three categories, the promise of God is that “The Lord is near” and the invitation of God is to “Call out to Him for help!” I heard it aptly put this way... When we are in distress and riddled with anxiety...“the Lord does not tell us to ‘calm down,’ He tells us to ‘call out’” (Philippians 4:6). For those who do call out and still experience overwhelming feelings of anxiety, don’t allow your feelings to condemn you; God is near. Continue to entrust yourself to your heavenly Father as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Lord will meet you in that place and minister to you there. For those whose feelings of anxiety and depression have become “as intruders with weapons in hand intent on destruction” and who realize that you need medical attention, take comfort from the fact that trusting God and going to the doctor are not mutually exclusive. When I was diagnosed with cancer, I entrusted myself to God even as I went to the doctor, even as I received treatment for my condition. The God of peace will be with you.
RSS Feed
