Truth: we [Michelle + Somer] rarely feel “qualified” to talk about anxiety. And not just because it seems to be everywhere, but because there seems to be so much disagreement, even among Christians, about where it comes from + how to deal with it.
That’s why we were so grateful to have Jess Hatton (mental health counselor, seminary grad, mom of three and long-time swHw member) share in class this week, and after some staggering statistics, she addressed the three lies the world tell us about anxiety:
LIE # 1:
Anxiety is purely a spiritual issue/anxiety is purely a mental/emotional issue.
The truth is: it’s both. There are real physiological and practical tools (which Jess also shared!) that can help us overcome our emotions, and we also have an enemy who can manipulate our emotions as a form of spiritual warfare. So it’s okay to need to get help, and it’s definitely okay to pray about your anxiousness too. But you don’t have to choose one or the other to be handling it “seriously.” Both are needed.
LIE # 2:
Uncomfortable emotions are bad and should be avoided at all costs.
No one wants to be sad, lonely, or experience grief. But it’s healthier to deal with those emotions than to pretend them away or dismiss them, which can bring anxiety. Godly men and women in the Bible struggled with the same emotions that we struggle with.
- Hannah (barrenness)
- Moses (God sent Aaron too)
- David (weeping into pillow)
- Elijah (paranoid because Jezebel was trying to kill him)
LIE # 3:
Anxiety is normalized and okay.
We were not created to be anxious beings. We were created to have peace and to trust in our Lord and Savior. Anxiety may be a struggle, but it should not define you. You are settling for less if you claim anxiousness as who you are. Do not see yourself as your struggle or some emotional stigma. The only one who can define you is Jesus.
