Why We Worry and How to Stop: A Biblical Guide to Breaking the Cycle
Whenever I get anxious, I feel so overwhelmed, like I am drowning. I cry out to God and beg Him to help me; to take away all the fear and anxiety. I am so thankful for the scriptures because they give me comfort.
Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yeah, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”.
The Bible says several times to not be afraid. We have constant reminders in the scriptures to not worry about anything. But why do we still get anxious? Why do we still feel this way?
I believe there are many contributing factors as to why we get anxious, especially as Christians.
- We worry because of our environment (our parents, upbringing, friends, people around
us) - We worry because we are trying to control the situation instead of letting go and giving it
to God - We worry because of the flesh wanting to self-sabotage
- We worry because we care so much (we are empathic)
- And we can feel worried or afraid under spiritual attack from the devil (because,
unfortunately, he knows our weaknesses and tries to use them against us)
But thank God we have the Bible that teaches us how to regulate our nervous system, renew our
mind and calm ourselves down.
But thank God we have the Bible that teaches us how to regulate our nervous system, renew our
mind and calm ourselves down.
A Biblical Guide to Breaking the Cycle of Anxiety:
Spend Time Alone With God
Remove yourself from the situation that has made you feel anxious, and spend some alone time with God. Go to God first, and give everything to Him in prayer. We are not designed to go through this life alone. God is always there for us and will never leave us nor forsake us.
1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you”.
In Matthew 14, Jesus finds out that his cousin, John the Baptist, was murdered. Like us, who would drown in grief over the loss of a loved one, so too, did Jesus feel grieved. What did Jesus do? The first thing He did was leave and find a quiet place alone to spend with God.
Matthew 14:13 – “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart
and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities”.
2. Minister to Others
After Jesus went into a desert place to pray and spend time with God, the multitude followed Him. He didn’t ignore them or told them to go away; He simply ministered to them. Jesus was moved with compassion and ended up performing an amazing miracle. Jesus fed 5000 people with only five loaves and two fish.
Oftentimes when we are feeling anxious and overwhelmed, our minds fixate on our own problems. But when we put those struggles aside, and start to minister to others, the Lord will strengthen us. God’s strength and power is glorified in times of weakness because we are going from relying upon our own selves to solely depending upon the Lord.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.”
3. Cast Down Imaginations
When it comes to anxiety, the thoughts and feelings don’t always go away. You have gone to God in prayer, casting all of your cares upon Him. Unfortunately, the attacks come back, and you’re mentally drowning.
Something that I like to do is to visualize myself physically removing the negative thought or feeling in my mind, and casting it out in the name of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 10:5 – “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ;”
4. Renew Your Mind
2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind.”
Anxiety is a form of fear. Fear is from the devil because God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Thankfully, when we are saved, we have the mind of Christ.
Unfortunately, in the flesh, we can still face constant battles with anxiety. This is why we need to renew our minds.
Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
In Neuroscience, when we experience trauma (including anxiety), the brain will go into survival mode (fight or flight). You need to create new neurological pathways in order for you to renew your mind and change the way you respond to those things that make you feel anxious.
Cast out those negative thoughts and feelings from your mind. Change the way you respond to the things that once made you feel anxious. Keep your eyes upon Jesus and be comforted by His Words.
5. Have a Strong Prayer Life
I have dealt with anxiety almost my entire life. I truly believe it stems from my upbringing. My parents are very anxious people. The way that they deal with things or respond to certain situations comes from a place of fear/anxiety.
But as I have gotten older, I’ve realized that I have the perfect role model to look to and behave like: Jesus Christ.
Dive deep into the Word and emerge yourself with building a life around what the scriptures teach you. Follow in the footsteps of Jesus, not man. Give everything to God in prayer. He loves you and cares for you so much. He doesn’t want us to live a life where we are constantly anxious and bombarded with the stressors of life.
It is intentional and a lot of hard work. But if you are consistent with it, then you will be able to get through the battles you are facing. Take one day at a time, one step at a time, to build up your prayer time with the Lord, and deepen your faith and trust in Him, and only Him.
6. Ask for God to Fill You with His Joy
Anxiety can become quite debilitating. It can rob us of the joy and peace that God promises for us. But you can pray for God to reclaim the peace and joy back into your life.
Nehemiah 8:10(d)- … “for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
This is How you Break the Cycle of Anxiety
God already has the answers for us in His Word. All we have to do is study the scriptures, apply them to our lives and put our complete faith and trust in God alone.
Follow in Jesus’s footsteps. He is our perfect role model on how to break the cycle and live a life free of anxiety.
Stay encouraged,
God Bless.
Leave a Reply