By Jessie Henry, MSW

Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” Can anyone say 2020? Anxiety has become a buzzword in our society. I rarely go a day without hearing someone tell me they are anxious. I too have felt the weight of anxiety increase over the last year. As 2021 drew closer, I felt a sense of hope that things would — no, have to — get better. And then 2021 came stripping away that hope. I found myself longing for something to hold onto that would allow me to breathe and not feel the tightness in my chest from anxiety about what the next minute, hour, or day would hold.

I think the opposite of anxiety is contentment. I looked to anything and everything to find contentment except the one and only place it can be found. The biblical definition of contentment is to be satisfied or pleased. When we are anxious, we feel neither satisfied nor do we feel pleased. Contentment isn’t a state of mind but a person. A person named Jesus. Who died on a cross for our sins and rose again so that we may have eternal life. In 2021, despite the chaos and pain we are enduring, we can be content. We do not have to feel anxious because we have a God who is good and who has overcome any and all anxiety we feel.

Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 

Easier said than done, right?

Most biblical scholars agree that Paul wrote this while he was in jail—talk about feeling anxious. Paul is not writing this on a peaceful island where life is grand. He writes this from a dark place. I’ve read this time and time again and thought, well, this is a nice idea. The reality is we allow anxiety to take over.  We can choose to focus on where we are right now, or we can choose to focus on the cross and what it represents: the pain and hurt we feel here on earth is temporary. While it can feel neverending, it is but a glimpse in our life with God. This world and all that it holds is temporary and God continues, despite our questioning, to do good and bring glory to His name.

God is not distant and is not immune to our cries. He sacrificed his only son to save us. He knows pain. He knows the ache and confusion we feel. God is close to us whether we feel him or not. Contentment does not mean ignoring what we feel. Just as David and Job felt pain and cried out to God, we are able to do the same. God can intervene but we often have to invite him in first.

For some, God's intervention might come in the form of a great therapist or the right medication. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent and excessive worry that is challenging to control. GAD affects 3.1% or 6.8 million adults in the U.S with only 43.2% receiving treatment. Whether you have been diagnosed with GAD or have anxiety that ebbs and flows, treatment is available. Finding a trusted clinician to talk through what you are dealing with is a great place to start. Sometimes community and prayer alone are not enough. Praise God for those things but praise him for medication and therapy too! 

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul wrote, “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I don’t know about you, but if there has ever been a season that has made me feel weak, it is right now. The beautiful thing is that despite our weakness God is still good. God still loves, He still cares, He shows grace, He saves, He is on His throne. These are the truths I look to for hope, for it is the only thing that is true.

Are you feeling anxious or running to things that don’t bring contentment? Consider joining a small group or support group at NCC to talk about your feelings, or seek out a counselor who specializes in anxiety.  It is through being known in relationship with others that we find strength.

Tools to Combat Anxiety

1. Community - Get plugged into your local church. Whether they are meeting online or socially distanced in person, connection is vital to our mental and spiritual health. Community also allows for accountability and growth. When we commune with brothers and sisters from different ages and stages of life we are able to learn more about who God is through His creation. If you are interested in joining a small group at NCC click here for more information.

2. Meditate on Scripture - Psalm 1:2-3 says “but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Anxiety creates a chaotic mind that consumes our thoughts with uncertainty. Meditating on scripture is essential to our walk with the Lord. It not only sustains us but refocuses our ever wandering mind on what is true. Can you commit to spending ten minutes in God’s word for two weeks?

3. Prayer - 1 John 5:14 says, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” God is not distant. He knows what we are going through and only asks that we draw closer to him. He desires us to know Him and to run to him during seasons of plenty and seasons of hurt. Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Prayer is not a last resort but should be the first defense against the enemy.

4. Breathe - Deep breathing increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. This system is also known as the rest and digest system, deep breathing promotes a sense of calmness in the system. When you breathe deeply from your stomach signals are sent to your nervous system that help you feel calm. 

For additional resources on anxiety, please visit our COVID-19 Care Resources page.