The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as “an emotion characterised by feelings of tension, apprehensive thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.” They add, “Anxiety isn’t similar to fear, but they are sometimes used interchangeably. Anxiety is taken into account a future-oriented, long-acting response broadly focused on a diffuse threat, whereas fear is an appropriate, present-oriented, and short-lived response to a clearly identifiable and specific threat.” Recent data also suggests that anxiety disorders are probably the most common mental illnesses within the U.S. and affect over 40 million adults or 19.1% of the population. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is probably the most common anxiety disorder within the U.S., with 6.8 million adults affected.
The summer release, Inside Out 2, focused much of its plotline on the emotion-character of Anxiety, the way it impacts the following generation, and gave us some beautiful spiritual lessons to contemplate. But anxiety isn’t a latest emotion. Both the Old and New Testaments are full of stories of those that felt anxious, including the prophet Daniel, Martha, the sister of Mary, the disciples, and more. With so many adults and teenagers being impacted by tension, worry, and anxious thoughts throughout history, it’s no wonder the Bible has rather a lot to say about this emotion. If we search God’s Word, we discover powerful, spiritual wisdom regarding what we are able to do once we experience anxiety, what God can do about it, and truths to cling to in our times of anxiousness. Here are eight Bible verses about anxiety. Read them, internalize them, and even use them as a part of your prayers if you feel apprehensive.
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