The Anatomy of Anxiety
Part 30: When Anxiety Strikes, Strike Back!
Note: For previous posts in this blog mini-series, visit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29.
Big Idea: Does worry, doubt, or fear get the best of you sometimes? Do you wonder where anxiety comes from and how to defeat it in your life and the lives of those you love? Then we need a biblical anatomy of anxiety. We need God’s prescription for victory over anxiety.
Three Strikes and Worry Is Out!
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-7, Paul exhorts us to take every thought captive. We do so by putting on a new, peace-filled, courageous mindset. Renewing our minds for victory over anxiety includes:
1. Strike One: Expose Erroneous Beliefs (2 Corinthians 10:3-7)
Begin by taking a “worry history.” Before you can put on new thinking you have to identify past unhealthy thinking. So ask, “When did the worry and fear begin? When are they the worst? The least? What have you tried?”
Continue by specifying the worry. When Paul says “be anxious for nothing,” the word means nervous solicitude, harassing care, being full of care, brooding, meditating over too much. So ask yourself, “What am I brooding over? What are the themes or patterns of my worry?” Describe and identify your fear to defeat your fear.
2. Strike Two: Demolish Sinful Thoughts with Scriptural Thoughts
Worriers carry their worries to extremes—they develop them toxically. Such as, “My daughter’s five minutes late and the roads are icy; I know she was killed in an accident.” Demolish lies by recognizing them as false, deceitful, misinformed, inaccurate, unhealthy, extreme, and untrustworthy.
Decatasrophize your worry by bringing truth to bear on your worry. “Would a stranger see it this way? Have I always seen it this way? Am I ever less concerned about this? How and when was I recruited into seeing it this way?”
Examine “what if” contingencies to expose the lies. “What if I failed in the business interview? Then what? What would the worst case scenario be? And if that happened, then what?”
Engage in scriptural explorations and spiritual conversations. Bring truth to bear on your fearful thinking. Review and apply to your fears and anxieties specific principles of scriptural exploration and spiritual conversations found in part 25, part 26, part 27, and part 28.
3. Strike Three: Take Control of Your Thought Life (Philippians 4:8)
Change your thinking. We can make up our minds before hand not to worry about self-protection because of our trust in God’s protection (Luke 21:14-15). Thoughts are a rehearsal for life. That’s why Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7 to guard and control what we premeditate upon. It’s why he tells us what to think about in Philippians 4:8. “Think” means to take an inventory.” When anxiety strikes, strike back with a mental inventory of what you allow yourself to focus on.
Paul is very practical (as is all of God’s Word). He suggests specific categories of what to think on. In fact, Philippians 4:8 is a command with a tense suggesting that we develop healthy habits of thinking—godly mindsets. So when worry strikes, strike worry out by thinking on these things:
a. Whatever Is Nobel:
This is truth aligned with God-reality. Ask yourself, “How can I replace the lies of worry (which always eliminate or minimize God) with the truth of Who God is and who I am in Christ?”
b. Whatever Is Right:
“Right” means worthy, holy, august, serious, valuable, honorable, majestic and awe-inspiring. “How can I replace the lies of shrinking thinking with the truth of God’s larger story, infinite power, and grace-love?”
c. Whatever Is Just:
This is right, righteous. Ask, “How can I align my thoughts about life, self, others, God, my past, present, and future with what is righteous and true according to God-reality?”
d. Whatever is Pure:
“Pure” means modest, morally clean, chaste. “How can I keep my thoughts about this situation pure so that they demonstrate a chaste commitment to trust in Christ alone, and remain faithful only to Christ?”
e. Whatever Is Lovely:
This is beautiful, pleasing, winsome, amiable, agreeable, endearing. “What way of thinking about this situation would please Christ; would bring Christ joy?”
f. Whatever Is Admirable:
“Admirable” means well spoken of, attractive, of good report, of excellent reputation. Greek word scholars Abbott and Smith even summarize this as “good omen words!” In other words, “Based upon Who Christ is and upon His promises, what positive mindsets should and could I have about my future?”
g. Whatever Is Excellent:
This means with valor, chivalry, virtue, good qualities, mental excellence. “As anxiety attacks, how can I attack back as a sentinel with valor?”
h. Whatever Is Praiseworthy:
This pictures whatever makes you want to applaud, to give a standing ovation, to stand up and shout. “As I counter these lies, what mental focus would result in God giving my thinking a standing ovation?”
Keeping It Real
1. Which of the three “strikeout principles” best applies to your life? How could you apply it today?
2. Which of the eight mindsets from Philippians 4:8 can you apply today?
The Rest of the Story
How do you master your thought life biblically? That’s our next post—see you then.
Join the Conversation
With so much practical biblical truth to defeat anxiety, why do we insist on looking to secular solutions for help?
