Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
By Mike Chaffin
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; Philippians 4:6
When we think of anxiety, we often use this word in place of worry, an emotion about which we have previously talked. However, there are real differences between the two. The Henry Ford Health website states succinctly, “Worry is temporary. Worry prods you to use problem-solving skills to address your concerns. Anxiety is persistent, even when concerns are unrealistic. It often compromises your ability to function.”
Psychology Today’s website lists ten differences.
- We tend to experience worry in our heads and anxiety in our bodies.
- Worry tends to be specific while anxiety is more diffuse.
- Worry is verbally focused while anxiety includes verbal thoughts and mental imagery.
- Worry often triggers problem solving but anxiety does not.
- Worry creates mild emotional distress, anxiety can create severe emotional distress.
- Worry is caused by more realistic concerns than anxiety.
- Worry tends to be controllable, anxiety much less so.
- Worry tends to be a temporary state but anxiety can linger.
- Worry doesn’t impact our professional and personal functioning; anxiety does.
- Worry is considered a normative psychological state while anxiety is not.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201603/10-crucial-differences-between-worry-and-anxiety
Doctors have produced a treatment for anxiety called the 3-3-3 method. Notice our key verse. There are three things we as Christians can do to calm anxiety: prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.
Prayer is talking to God. Just talking to God about our fears and worries helps calm the spirit.
Supplication is much more specific. In a humble spirit we recognize we are about to come unraveled, and we ask for the cause of the anxiety to be lifted. If we need help and prayers from a friend, this is a supplication. It is recognizing we are in trouble and can’t fix ourselves. Ask for help.
Thanksgiving is when we end our prayer for help and lift-up adoration for our loving and caring God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Do this as singing and or praise prayers.
As we learned in the previous study on worry, it isn’t a sin until it becomes anxiety to the point we give up on God. Anxiety has that ability if we let it get too far.
A great wisdom proverb says,
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25
Proverbs 3:5-6 is often quoted as how we should live to keep balance in our life. But that isn’t the end of the promises. Anxiety melts away when we practice these verses.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8).
Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to be anxious about nothing. When anxiety sets in, I toss and turn and lose sleep, it disrupts clear thoughts, and freezes my actions. Lord fill me with your wisdom and peace to overcome anxiety. In Jesus’ name, amen.
