Worry and anxiety are a common part of everyday life for most of us. “Uneasiness of mind, feeling anxious about something and fretting about that thing” is the first dictionary definition of worry. It’s something we can readily relate to.
Here are some additional definitions of worry:
2] To pull or tear at something with the teeth.
3] To advance or manage despite trials or difficulties. We
say we “worry along” or “worry through” a thing.
4] To cause to feel uneasy in the mind, to trouble.
5] To mangle or kill by biting, shaking or tearing with the
teeth.
Anxiety is “a
disturbance of mind regarding some uncertain event, a misgiving or worry; the
subjectively unpleasant feelings of dread over anticipated events.”
Some of these definitions (like #1, 3 & 4) perfectly
describe our mental state when we are worried. Others refer more accurately to
the action of animals like a dog when it plays with a bone (#2) or a
carnivorous beast when it attacks its prey (#5). But even in these meanings
there are truths about mental worry. Who of us hasn’t gone back to a concern
over and over, digging it up like a dog digs up a bone and gnawing at it one
way and another. Or perhaps we’ve been so consumed by worry and anxiety we have
felt as if we were in some kind of fight to the death. These aren’t pleasant
feelings!
However, worry and anxiety aren’t the root problem. Rather,
they are symptoms of a deeper condition like a fever is a symptom of an
underlying illness. And what is the “illness” that worry and anxiety are
symptoms of?
It’s the condition of fear (not so much definition #1 below – where fear may be a healthy
survival response, but definitions #2 & 4).
Fear: 1] An agitated feeling aroused by awareness of actual or
threatening danger, trouble etc.,
2] An uneasy feeling that something may happen contrary to
one’s desires.
3] A feeling of deep , reverential awe and dread: the fear
of God.
4] A continuing state or attitude of fright, dread, or
alarmed concern: to live in fear.
An Insight for Living
article does a good job of describing the relationship of worry, anxiety and
fear:
“Fear is what we feel when we're aware of a real or imaginary danger or a threat. When that continues into a more general, sustained, long-term uneasy state of mind that is Anxiety. Anxiety is distracting care. While there are legitimate daily concerns about things like health, safety, and relationships, anxiety is a state of mind where our thoughts are continually pulled to dwell on circumstances. This activity of bringing fears to mind, chewing them over, and creating mental worst-case scenarios like we do is called Worry” – read entire...
The Bible has a lot to say about worry, anxiety and fear.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments it uses:
- at least five different words for the word worry and its derivatives (worried, worries,
worrying).
- at least twelve different words for anxiety (anxious, anxiously).
- at least twenty different words for fear.
In the coming weeks we’re going to explore some of what the
Bible says about worry, anxiety and fear to discover God’s perspective on them.
We can learn a lot about how to deal with our worries, anxieties, and fears
from Bible advice and characters.
Fear—an intimidating giant
The setting is two armies—the Philistines and
Israelites—facing each other on adjoining mountainsides.
1. How do the Philistines intimidate the Israelites (1
Samuel 17:4-10)?
2. What is the response of King Saul and his Israelite army
(1 Samuel 17:11, 24)?
3. Young David, sent by his father to inquire about how his
older brothers are doing, comes on the scene. What does David see on his
arrival (1 Samuel 17:22-24)?
4. What is his reaction (1 Samuel 17:26)?
5. David’s older brother Eliab scorns his courageous
words. How does David respond to
Eliab (1 Samuel 17:28-30)?
6. What does David volunteer to do? (1 Samuel 17:32)?
7. On what does he base his confidence? (1 Samuel 17:34-37)?
8. How does David approach the Philistine (1 Samuel
17:38-40)?
9. How does David handle Goliath’s attempt to intimidate him
(1 Samuel 17:42-47)
10. What does he tell Goliath his victory will prove (1
Samuel 17:46-47)?
11. What is the outcome (1 Samuel 17:49-53)?
What defies you?
Let's look at the characters in this story for good and
bad examples of how to handle our anxieties and fears.
Goliath would be our fear in living color. Consider the
description of this nine-foot, nine-inch man. His metal armor weighs as much as
a person (about 126 lbs.). He carries a bronze javelin between his shoulders
and an iron spear with a 16-lb. head. He walks behind a shield that takes
another soldier to carry it. He reminds us of the superhero action figures of
kids’ TV shows or video games. Only, he is no cartoon, but real and
heart-stoppingly scary as his voice booms out, above the clinking and clanging
of his armor: “I defy the armies of Israel...” To the Israelites he is the
embodiment of perhaps the most basic fear—the fear of death.
His cry reminds us of some of the other fears in our lives
that shout “I defy you...”: our child’s problems in school, issues with a neighbor, too much month left at the end of the
money, longstanding family
quarrels, a scary diagnosis... These things easily bring out the “dismayed and
greatly afraid” feelings in us that Goliath evokes in Saul’s soldiers.
Saul and his army react to the threats and intimidation of
the Philistine and their champion from an entirely human place. They act a lot
like we do when we look at things without God in the picture: paralyzed by
fear, fleeing whenever Goliath makes an appearance. They are also quick to
spread that fear to visitors like David.
David, when he arrives, brings an entirely different
outlook. He bases his confidence on God’s existence, his experience of God’s
help in the past, and God’s very
attributes. He is full of faith
and has a can-do attitude, not because he is so great or powerful but because
he trusts in a great and powerful God who has been there for him in the past. He even turns down Saul’s
offer of armor, choosing to fight light instead of taking with him anything
that would smack of human intervention and ability (but knowing God is on his
side).
His older brother Eliab tries to discourage him with
belittling sarcasm and scorn. He’s like some people we know (or maybe even like
the voice we hear in our own heads) re-asserting human realism and downplaying
faith.
David’s confrontation of Goliath grows out of a deep desire
to see God honored and respected. He wants the victory so that God’s reputation
(not his own) will be advanced.
David’s defeat of Goliath inspires the entire army and is
the beginning of a successful Philistine rout .
Nine things we learn about conquering
our fears:
1. With God we can conquer even our biggest, strongest, most
Goliath-like fears.
2. Someone from the outside may bring a fresh, faith-based
perspective to a situation that fills us with fear and anxiety.
3. It is good to let ourselves be stirred by situations
that need God’s help (in our lives and the lives of others). David felt outrage
when he saw how Goliath was insulting God and Israel’s army and it moved him to
do something.
4. We need to base our confidence on God: who He is, what He
promises in His word, and how He has helped us in the past.
5. We don’t spend a lot of time answering the arguments of
nay-sayers. David listened to his brother, answered him, and then turned away
and carried on with his plan to confront Goliath.
6. We don’t trust in human-devised strategies and
maneuverings, but like David declined Saul’s armor, we put our confidence in
God alone.
7. We envision victory and speak in line with our faith.
8. We finish
the job. David didn’t just fell Goliath, but completed the whole gory business.
When we take what David did to Goliath as a picture of us dealing with our
fears, this may mean getting insights into what caused the fears in the first
place and dealing with underlying issues of childhood experience, memories,
past sins, unbelief, etc.
9. We realize that bondage to fear may be holding back
others around us. When we defeat our fears like David defeated Goliath, family
members, friends and onlookers may be inspired to trust God more and look to
Him for similar victory.
Questions:
1. List some of the things that defy you. What fears
underlie those anxieties and worries?
2. List ways God has come through for you in the past. Make
another list of what you have heard or read about Him and His abilities and
attributes.
3. What does David’s response to the sarcastic, belittling
words of his brother suggest about how we might respond to people who focus on
our inadequacies and discourage our faith?
4. How do our words (in thought and speech) help or
hinder us in overcoming fears and anxieties?
5. What affect did David’s victory have on the rest of the
army? How may those we live with
or who know us well be impacted when we conquer our fears?
More resources:
Did you know there are 366 “Fear not”s in the Bible. Jeff Kusner has put together a book called Fearful to Fearless. It has a “Fear Not” reading for each
day of the year, along with a short devotional thought. If you are working on overcoming fears, it might be a great little
addition to your quiet time—a daily reminder that God has you covered; you
don’t have to fear!
