Sin and Anxiety

One of the primary purposes of my book, Sabbatical of the Mind: The Journey from Anxiety to Peace is to help others move from difficult feelings to inner peace. But when is it good for us to feel some level of anxiety?

Our Compass

The Infinite Creator gave our bodies warning systems. When we stray too close to a hot surface, the heat eventually becomes uncomfortable. When we eat a bunch of fried foods, our bodies may feel rough later that evening. When we are in danger, our brains tell us to run or fight.

Sometimes, these inner compass signals can steer us clear of major trouble. Each of us was born into a depraved world. We see so much bad behavior, we may at times copy it. Our consciences can become desensitized to the wrong, at least outwardly. Inside, the part of us that communicates with the Creator may be telling us that behaviors we are doing or considering doing are going to end in disaster for us.

Alarms Going Off

When our conscience is overridden enough times, our cognitive mind may no longer hear the alarms going off. We may be screaming down the road towards a major consequence, but unable to see our end. That's when our subconscious mind may step in and trigger an anxiety attack. Panic may result telling us of impending doom and manifesting in heightened fear of things that usually don't scare us much. That's the time to take the symptom to our spiritual doctor: Jesus.

Jesus wants us to pray and to listen to His answers in Scripture. So many times, I've prayed and found the exact answer to my question or problem in the Bible. Other times, He has answered my prayer through a doctor who suddenly had the right answer to a baffling medical issue. Whatever the fix, Jesus knows what it is and wants to share it with us.

Conscience Restored

If we discover that the root of our current anxiety is an issue of conscience, there is a simple formula for regaining peace. Understand where we have overridden our conscience. Resolve with God's help to repent of and discontinue behaviors we know are wrong. Travel on with God, walking in His Spirit daily. By doing what we know to be right yields fruit of peaceful living.

Not all stress and anxiety is related to sin or moral misgivings about a situation, but the good news is that God can help there also. Doctor Jesus will show you the answer, whether it be physical (different foods, medications, etc.) or mental (counseling, etc.) We can address our anxiety and that is a very peace-giving thought.