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In his letter to the church in Philippi Paul says, “Don’t be anxious about anything…” (Philippians 4:6-7). But in my experience, Christians are just as anxious as anyone else. And we make things worse by piling on the phony guilt, “If I were a better Christian I wouldn’t worry so much”.
But why would God allow a child of God be prone to anxiety and what do we say to those who are? Let’s start by taking a closer look at the man who wrote Philippians.
Paul speaks openly about his own anxieties in his second letter to the Corinthians. He had written a very critical letter to that church and couldn’t stop worrying if he had gone too far. He was too anxious to settle, despite finding Troas wide open to the gospel, he left to look for news of the church’s response. Have you ever lost sleep over an email you wished you hadn’t sent? That is how Paul felt. (see 2 Corinthians 2:12-13)
Paul is equally honest about an incident elsewhere in the Roman province of Asia (modern Turkey). He doesn’t say exactly what happened, except that it was terrifying (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). He tells us that he and his team were in fear of losing their lives, “We despaired of life”, he writes.
By contrast, when Paul wrote Philippians, he felt super confident, even though he knew he might be facing death. So here’s the truth about the Christian and anxiety: even ‘super Christians’ like Paul go through times when they are very vulnerable, this is not unspiritual, it is part of the normal Christian life.
In 2 Corinthians Paul reflects on why God lets this happen and he gives us three reasons.
First, experiences like his in Asia sensitise us to the struggle others have. Experience of anxiety gives you a superpower – empathy for others (2 Corinthians 1:4).
Second, anxious times can deepen our trust in God. Anxiety is not just switched off by prayer, it is a process. As we pray and trust God, we learn to deal with it and grow through it (2 Corinthians 1:9-10). We learn resilience through adversity.
Here’s the third thing, read 2 Corinthians right through and you see Paul working through the fact that he is not a ‘super Christian’ (unlike some in Corinth who were pretending to be!). “God’s strength”, he says, “Is made perfect in our weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
It is worth saying at this point that there are two kinds of anxiety. The first is a natural response to scary circumstances. The anxious feelings are part of our biology – they help us run away, fight, or perform to the best of our ability. This is normal anxiety, and it is very useful.
The second kind is not useful, an out-of-all-proportion response to not-very-threatening things. It lasts for ages and has a negative impact on our lives, we avoid the things that make us anxious, and our lives shrink around our anxiety. This is an anxiety disorder, and we need professional help to get through it. Seriously, we need to go and talk to our GP.
It was too long ago and too far away to tell which of these kinds of anxiety we see in Paul. Though you do occasionally see the second kind in the Psalms. But whatever kind of anxiety we face, the way to manage it is through connection. Four connections are essential.
First, connect with God – worship, meditation and prayer are all deeply therapeutic. Tell God exactly how you feel, tell him what you are afraid of. Above all, trust him, he won’t let you down. Holding on to the Lord in the dark times gets us through.
Second, connect with others – invest time in your friendships, and especially in one or two people you can be honest with. You need both superficial friendships (mates) and deep ones (real friends). Spend time with the people you love and trust.
Third, connect with the natural world – get out and enjoy the open spaces near you, get a couple of house plants and keep them on your desk, stop and enjoy the scenery. You are built to be a part of nature. Remember too that every living thing on the earth is built for a 24-hour rhythm – you are no exception, get some sleep!
Finally, connect with yourself – remember what you are, the dust of the earth animated by the breath of God (Genesis 2:7). Look after your body and your mind. Get some exercise and push some boundaries to flex your brain. Learn to be still. Oh, and give yourself something to look forward to at the end of each day!