You’ve been feeling a lot of stress and anxiety in your life recently. Maybe it’s because of how busy your schedule is, or there’s a looming concern in your life. Regardless of what’s causing it, you know you’d feel better if it’d stop.
Unfortunately, you can’t simply put an end to these feelings. However, you should know that God understands what you’re going through, and He wants to help you. With this in mind, here are a few tips for managing stress and anxiety as a Christian.
Admit to Feeling Stressed and Anxious
AA teaches that the first step to recovery is owning the existence of the problem. To do this, we must be humble. Choosing not to humble ourselves in this way will only make your stress and anxiety worse.
Don’t Allow Yourself to Self-Medicate in Unhealthy Ways
Many people find their own ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, many of these coping techniques (e.g., overeating junk food, drinking alcohol, binge-watching TV) are unhealthy. While you probably already know this, what you may not realize is that when you choose to respond to stress and anxiety, you’re working against your body’s natural ability to fight back healthily. Doing this will create an endless cycle that only makes things worse.
Take Care of Your Physical Well-Being
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1
Taking care of your physical self is a spiritual endeavor. It’s why when you suffer from stress and anxiety, you may feel yourself become physically ill. It’s also why regular exercise can make you feel significantly better.
Be Intentional About What Enters Your Mind
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. – Philippians 4:8
The Bible tells us to meditate on God’s Word. Hebrew meditation isn’t a “new age” concept. While it does consist of emptying your mind, you must then fill it with the right things. What you choose to fill your mind with will significantly impact how you’re feeling.
Take Care of Your Spiritual Well-Being
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. – Genesis 1:27
We’re spiritual beings who live in a warring world. While God wants us to flourish here, Satan would love nothing more than to see us suffer. It’s why he whispers lies in your ear. We must elevate ourselves so that we can see these for what they are. To do so, we need to engage in prayer, Bible study, and communing with other Christians regularly.
Embrace the Blessing of Brokenness
For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:8-10
None of us like the lows of depression, but we should be thankful that these lows teach us how dependent on God we truly are. These lows teach us to cling to Him tightly through prayer. They also teach us some things about God that we might not otherwise learn. It’s something Paul learned and wrote about in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.
Overcoming Stress and Anxiety
And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. – Mark 3:25
There’s no reason for stress and anxiety to rule your life as a Christian. We’re called to serve God, and He wants us to know that we can’t have two masters. He also wants us to know that there are some things we can do to allow Him to help us feel better. Won’t you take these steps to feel closer to Him today?
