What is Really Behind Your Anxiety and Depression?

Pardon my recent lapse from writing. It seems that I can’t devote my energy to two things at once. Lately I have been focused on a lot of Bible reading—like finishing the Bible in 3 months (I’m only 15 days in). It has required reading anywhere from 10-15 chapters per day. This has resulted in some early mornings and/or late nights, but it has been so beneficial and refreshing to my soul. It has really allowed me to see the Bible as one large story instead of a collection of individual stories, and some of the infamously difficult passages are not that intimidating after all (think Numbers 31:17-18). You should try it.

Anyway, I came across this passage this morning in Deuteronomy 28 and I just couldn’t pass up writing about it:

⁶⁵…there the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. ⁶⁶ You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life.

This passage is a warning to Israel of their mental anguish if they choose not to trust the LORD and disobey his commands.

These verses explain everything from the middle school boy who has low grade nervousness in gym class, to the high school girl who cuts herself, to Caitlyn Jenner. On some level, this list of mental distresses grips us all. Our society chalks it up to mental disorders and chemical imbalances. But God teaches us that it’s a result of putting our faith in things that fail us. I’m not dismissing the validity of mental illness and chemical imbalances, but spiritual problems can often lead to physical ailments. We ought not settle for a self-help book, a pill, or gender reassignment to help us feel better. Here is one of the great lies of our culture: Our anxiety, depression, fear, etc. is not a spiritual issue. It is physical in its entirety and should be treated the same as cancer, a broken bone, or the common cold.

*For clarity, I’m not opposed to prescribing medication for depression, anxiety, etc. I am opposed to accepting that medicine is the go-to fix for mental anguish.*

Anxiety; Getting to the Root

Anxiety can be hard to pin down sometimes. Sure, you may get anxious before a job interview. Your heart may beat faster before you make that presentation in front of your classmates. Your palms may sweat when you settle into the crowded seats at the back of an airplane. But is that really the cause?

Anxiety begins in the heart (Philippians 4:7). The situations that precede your anxiety are simply mediums through which your desires must pass. It is then that one of two things happens:

1. The desire is acknowledged and the person remains hopeful that their desire is met but is trusting in the sovereignty and provision of Christ, or
2. The desire is acknowledged and the person demands that their desire is met. They become anxious, insecure and sometimes angry when it is not.

When we desire something (which may be a healthy or an unhealthy desire), we step into an opportunity to fight and quarrel; either internally or externally (James 4:1). We are faced with the decision to look to Christ for our treasure (Hebrews 12:2), or to give in to the idolatrous tendencies of our heart. Dr. Stuart Scott defines an idol as “anything that we consistently make equal to or more important than God in our attention, desire, devotion, and choices.”[1]

And this is where our anxiety comes from. Anxiety is birthed from a desire that has become a demand, a demand that has become an idol and an idol that has not fulfilled what you believed it would. So for the man that is afraid of flying, what is his desire? His desire is likely for safety. Instead of trusting the sovereignty and provision of Christ, his demands for safety are met with the uncertainty that comes from having no control over his demand.

Here are some questions for you to think through that may be helpful as you examine your anxiety and look to uproot idols in your heart.

1. Is there anything in your life right now that makes you anxious? What is it?
2. What is the desire that is at the root of your anxiety? What are your expectations for your situation?
3. Are you willing to sin in order to have this desire met?
4. If the desire is not met, will it lead to sin?
5. Have any idols been exposed in your heart? What are they?

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[1] Stuart Scott, The Exemplary Husband