“You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”
–Martin Luther
According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), 40 million American adults are more anxious in 2018 that they were in 2017 (see 2018 study). This study cites safety, health, finances, relationships, and politics as the primary sources of our anxiety. The ADAA also reports that about 18% of the U.S. population has an anxiety disorder. In mid-May, two months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted a survey that revealed that 30% of our nation’s population is currently experiencing anxiety disorder. That’s practically a doubling of the percentages in just two years. In all, 24% of Americans surveyed showed signs of major depressive disorder. That’s one in four U.S. citizens. Whites are one and a half times more likely to suffer from depression than Blacks and Hispanics.
(Click here to take an assessment sponsored by Psychology today to see if you may be suffering from depression: Depression Test)
We all experience anxiety of some sort on a regular basis, even if it may not be of the clinical variety. In fact, it’s our body’s natural response system to the threat of danger. When your brain senses you are in danger, like when you almost step on a snake, it sends out a series of signals to your body that results in a fight-or-flight response. This kind of anxiety is normal and beneficial. God designed us this way for our protection.
In my role as an executive coach and business consultant, I’m beginning to see anxiety and depression raise its ugly head in many of the men and women I work with. Many of these successful individuals could have received the moniker “masters of their universes” pre-COVID, but not so today. The corona virus pandemic and the all the side-affects (economic uncertainty, extreme financial market volatility, fear of a second outbreak, a new strand, etc.) that comes with it, has reminded us of our vulnerability and caused us to admit that we might not be in control as much as we thought.
God didn’t design us to worry about stepping on a snake, catching COVID-19, financial failure, or what might become of our current relationships. These are all creations of our own, along with the unsolicited and unwanted help of our adversary. Anxiety is the intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations – the distress or uneasiness of mind, caused by fear of danger or misfortune. Its byproducts can be devastating to our mental and physical health, causing us to be less than God intended.
Worry is a side effect of anxiety. How much do you worry? How much is it affecting you?
There’s the normal amount of worry that leads to temporary anxiety that doesn’t debilitate us, like when you drop your daughter off at college. You worry a bit that she’ll be able to make it on her own, but your worry soon subsides because you are reminded that you have prepared her for this day, and she’s ready for it. On the other end of the spectrum, there is the worry that takes people to a clinical state of anxiety disorder. This is the debilitating type, unfortunately of which as much as 75% of sufferers seek no help.
In the middle, there’s the “almost anxious.” PhD Luana Marques says, “almost anxious” is, “When the level of anxiety you experience is no longer adaptive or helpful to your performance and becomes a barrier to your enjoyment of life, but does not yet meet the diagnostic threshold for an anxiety disorder. You might find yourself struggling to focus your attention on tasks, distracted by negative thoughts, fear, or unpleasant body sensations. For example, someone who is “almost anxious” may sit at their desk all day, making minimal progress on an assignment due to constant worries and tightness in the stomach. While anxiety did not make it impossible to get to your desk, the level of anxiety experienced is making it hard to function.”
In this fallen world, we are all going to find ourselves in one of the following categories: normal anxiousness, almost anxious, or clinically anxious. Regardless of which category you’re in, the first place you and I should go for help is God’s Word, the owner’s manual for doing life.
Here are ten truths from the Bible about how the Lord can help us with our anxiety, and the corresponding passages that support them. I often go to these when my worry begins to crest, and I feel anxiety creeping in.
- Anxiety will suck the life out of you. (Proverbs 12:25)
- Being anxious doesn’t improve your life or expand your life expectancy. (Matthew 6:25-34)
- God actually wants you to give Him your anxieties. (1 Peter 5:7)
- Your anxiety will subside when you quit relying just on yourself and turn to His infinite wisdom. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- God is on your side so there is no reason to be anxious. (Hebrews 13:6)
- God has a plan for you that can erase your anxieties. (Jeremiah 29:11)
- God will give you peace when you ask Him to help you with your anxiety. (Philippians 4:6-7)
- The peace God offers you is better for dealing with your anxiety than anything the world has to offer. (John 14:7)
- You can face your future with confidence because God is with you everywhere you go. (Joshua 1:9)
- Anxiety will stay away when you keep your mind focused on God and His goodness. (Isaiah 26:3)
Worry and anxiety will always be flying over your head and mine, seeking to build a nest in our hair. A nest in our hair can become a stronghold on our minds, causing us to live a life of unnecessary stress and missing out on our true potential. If you find it hard to function, struggling to focus your attention on tasks, distracted by negative thoughts, fear, or unpleasant sensations, turn your gaze upward to your Heavenly Father and embrace His love for you.
(If you’re looking for some helpful tips to avoid the anxiety and depression trap, tune in tomorrow at 9:30 am eastern to our webinar titled “Filling Tanks in a Draining World” with Dr. Steve Cloud.)
Play to win this week in the game that really counts!
(Note: God’s Word should always be the first place we go for all of life’s questions. There are, however, times when individuals may need to seek additional help from a medical or psychological professional. Mental illness is a disease, just like many other diseases. It can be inherited, brought on by life events, or just a matter of unique brain wiring. The Lord has blessed us with physicians, therapists, and medications that can help us live out our God given potential. Don’t be one of the 75% who seek no help. Don’t let the stigma or shame of your condition keep you from getting the help you need. Here’s a good place to start if you or a loved one needs help: Grace Alliance.)