When Anxiety Speaks
When Anxiety Speaks
Today’s blog post comes from this message about anxiety: https://youtu.be/r53X5vzPs-I?si=r0hCcbWEK9lemCQ1
I once heard someone say, “Hey—just because you’re depressed or you’re dealing with anxiety doesn’t mean you’re broken.” I’d want to gently push back and say: yes — in one sense you are broken… but here’s the good news: we’re all broken, and we need to come to the Healer who heals and makes whole.
That’s the heart of our journey this Advent season. For those unfamiliar, Advent is from the Latin meaning “arrival” — it points us toward the coming of Christ: both His first arrival at Christmas and His promised return. Over these next few weeks, we’re preparing our hearts: setting our minds not on earthly things, but on heavenly things. Each week we light a candle: last week we lit the candle of Hope. In this series we’re also looking at mental health: what the Word of God says about our inner life, and how setting our hearts on things above brings healing not just to our spirit, but to our soul.
Last week we focused on hope for those battling depression. We reminded you: what you’re feeling is valid, but what you’re feeling is not permanent. That’s where hope lives. This week we turn our attention to anxiety. And though anxiety and depression are distinct, they are deeply intertwined: many say untreated anxiety becomes a precursor to depression.
And you might be surprised how much the Bible addresses these issues. For context: anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health concerns in America today. Roughly 19.1% of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year. Mental Health America+3National Institute of Mental Health+3NAMI+3 To put that into more familiar numbers: over 40 million American adults live with an anxiety disorder. NAMI+1
If you walked into a large crowd today and felt anxious, you are not alone. There is hope. There is peace. There is healing found through God’s Spirit.
Why the Church Matters in the Anxiety Journey
Here’s how I’m framing this: We’re created with three parts — body, soul, and spirit.
Body: our physical being, our brain chemistry, our health.
Soul: our emotions, will, mind, feelings.
Spirit: the part of us designed to connect with God, to be renewed, to receive healing and transformation.
We wholeheartedly support counseling. We recognise that sometimes medications are needed — yes, the brain has chemicals, and sometimes they aren’t functioning rightly. We encourage you to pursue them where needed. The analogy I’ve used: when you get a flat tire on the road, you’re thankful for the spare (the “donut”) to get you going. But you wouldn’t want to stay on that spare forever — it’s temporary, not meant for long-term. Meds and therapy may be a needed pit stop, but the long journey home, the complete healing, comes when all three parts — body, soul, and spirit — are engaged.
As a pastor, my particular voice in this conversation is about the spirit. I believe the spiritual dimension is just as valid as medical science. Again: body, soul, spirit. Our medicine cabinet might include a doctor, a counselor, a spiritual guide. And the Healer who addresses the deepest brokenness: Jesus.
As the Scripture says: “The reason he came…” He came to bring good news to the poor in spirit, to heal the broken-hearted, to set the captives free. He didn’t come merely to make us functional — He came to bring healing to brokenness. So when someone tells you, “you’re not broken,” I’d say: you are broken — but so is everyone else. That’s why you need the Healer. That’s why the Church matters.
Practical Steps for Finding Peace in the Church
Here are some practical ways the Church — as the body of Christ — can help you press through anxiety and find healing.
1. Stay connected
In the story of Elijah (see 1 Kings 18–19) we find a man at the height of victory and then suddenly in despair. He does great things, yet when fear comes (via a threatening message) he runs, isolates, and sits alone under a broom‐tree, praying that he might die. He has disconnected himself. That’s one of the first mistakes in dealing with anxiety and depression: isolation.
When you struggle, you are not meant to do this alone. We are designed for community. Our scripture reminds us: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” And: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another.” The Church is the bride of Christ; connection to His body matters. If you’re going through anxiety, allow yourself to lean into the community. Invite someone in. Share your story. Let someone ask, “How are you doing?” And let your Church say: “I’ve got you.”
2. Rest the body
Continuing Elijah’s story: after he laid down under the tree and asked to die, an angel touched him and said: “Get up and eat.” He ate bread baked on hot coals and drank water. He rested. Then he journeyed for 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. (1 Kings 19). What I draw from this: your body needs rest. Your schedule, your habits, your health matter.
If your brain chemistry is off, your body is exhausted, you’re eating poorly, living on caffeine and late nights, you’re stacking the deck for anxiety. The scriptural rhythm is sabbath, rest, restoration. Exodus 20:11 says: “Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” When you rest, peace has space to work. So in your anxiety-journey: ask yourself — am I ignoring my body? Am I giving it what it needs: restful sleep, healthy nourishment, less scrolling, more stillness, presence with God and people.
3. Encounter God
Connecting and resting lead to this: encountering God. The woman in Jesus’s day who had suffered for 20 years said: “If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I know I’ll be healed.” That story (Mark 5) illustrates how even in our hopelessness we can reach for the Healer. No gimmicks — just faith. I want to encourage you: when you feel like you can’t even get up, when simple decisions are heavy and you’ve given up, fight for a little “touch”. Reach. Pray. Open your heart. Say: “Jesus, I know my answer is in You.” Because it is.
And Jesus said in John 14 27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” This week of Advent is the week of Peace. He is the Prince of Peace. He doesn’t give what the world gives. He gives what the world cannot give. So if you have been seeking peace — in med-cation only, therapy alone, scrolling social media, addiction, distraction — know this: you can find the kind of peace that surpasses all understanding, but only in Him.
What the Data Reminds Us
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that about 19.1% of U.S. adults had any anxiety disorder in the past year. National Institute of Mental Health+1
Lifetime prevalence (i.e., some time during life) is around 31% of U.S. adults. National Institute of Mental Health+1
Estimates show over 40 million American adults live with an anxiety disorder. NAMI+1
Recent data show that adults experiencing any symptoms of anxiety in the past 2 weeks (in 2022) were 18.2%, up from 15.6% in 2019. CDC
These kinds of numbers remind us: anxiety is widespread. It’s not just “someone else’s problem”. It’s likely somebody you know, maybe it’s you. We’re in this together — and the Church has a vital role.
How the Church Can Be the Best Source for Recovery
Why the Church? Here are some key reasons:
Jesus meets brokenness — not just the “already fixed”. The Church is full of imperfect people. The Bible is full of messy people, people with fear, people with anxiety. God uses them. That means you don’t need to pretend you’re fine when you’re not.
Holistic attention — faith communities can address body, soul, and spirit: offering prayer/support (spirit), community/connection (soul), and encouragement toward healthy living (body).
Safe space to be real — Too often anxiety is hidden. The Church can create a safe environment where confession and authenticity are valued more than perfection.
Hope anchored in the eternal — While therapy and meds are important tools, the Church points beyond the here-and-now to the One who holds tomorrow. When you know your story isn’t just about symptom-management but about resurrection and renewal, hope pulses differently.
Shared journey — As members of the body of Christ, we carry one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). If someone in your church is anxious, you can be part of their healing network: check-in, invite them, pray for them, help them rest, help them connect.
A Word to You If You’re Struggling
You are feeling something real. Your anxiety is valid.
You are not the final word on yourself. What you feel is not the full story of your identity. In Christ you are loved, known, and not alone.
You can get help. Reach out — to a pastor, a counselor, a friend. Let your church walk with you.
You can change habits: allow your body to rest, your soul to connect, your spirit to receive.
You can encounter Jesus — and find a peace that the world cannot offer.
If you’re here today and you’re saying: “I don’t know if my heart is right with God,” then know this: He is not mad at you. He wants a relationship with you. In fact He has drawn you here. The question is: Is my heart right with God? If your answer is, “I hope so,” or “I think so,” then today could be your moment. You can surrender: “Jesus, I want You. I surrender all.” If you do, you’re part of the family of faith. You’re part of the Bride. You’re included. You belong.
Closing Prayer & Invitation
Father, we pray Your Shalom — Your peace — to be over this place, over every heart that is weighed down. We repent of the striving that tells us we must fix ourselves. We release the burden of having to do it all on our own. Lord, today we choose to rest in You. We choose to live connected. We choose to be open to Your healing. For anyone reading this who is wrestling with anxiety — we come to You on their behalf. Touch them, renew them, give them hope and peace and a community to lean into.
If you are reading this and you are anxious, reach out. Talk with someone. Let the Church be present for you. You do not have to walk this alone.
And for those reading who are in the place of strength — let the Church be the hands and feet of Jesus for someone else: invite, check in, pray, connect.
Next week in our Advent series: we’ll look at Joy. How to walk in His Joy even in the midst of trial. And then we’ll finish with Christmas Eve, where we’ll reflect on God’s unfailing love.
May you know — you are not alone; you are loved; you are being healed; hope is alive.
Amen.