Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Favorite Bible Verses On Anxiety

By Casandra Newton


Many people wonder what it would be like to enjoy life without anxiety. Numerous individuals push and shove to get their seats at a concert, tailgate other cars, and race through their days in a frantic manner. In searching for a cure for this painful state of uneasiness, some people choose to explore Bible verses on anxiety. The following are some things God has to say about how humans should deal with anxious feelings.

The book of Psalms, verse 22 of chapter 55, states that believers should cast their cares on the Lord and be sustained by Him. Many theologians state that this essentially means turning over whatever one is anxious about to God. In doing so, many individuals feel less stress concerning their own problems.

In Psalms chapter 42 verse 5, the author asks himself "why is my soul fretful? I must put my hope in God." Religious scholars state that the term soul in the King James version of the Bible was not used interchangeably with the word spirit, but rather it referred to one's emotions and intellect. Most scholars agree that in this verse, the psalmist is speaking to his emotions from his spirit and essentially telling himself not to worry because his hope is in God.

In verse 5 of the 7th chapter of first Peter, another intriguing solution to anxious thoughts is found. Here, the apostle Peter tells those to whom he is writing to turn their anxieties over to Jesus, for He cares for them watchfully and affectionately. Many contemporary ministers claim that according to this verse, asking God for grace to carry one's burdens is not biblical. Rather, Christians are to cast their burdens on God.

Professionals in the field of modern psychology have discovered that anxious individuals usually focus on their problems. In a similar way, those who live in a state of optimism and gratitude rarely experience anxiety. This is explained in another way in Philippians chapter 4 verse 6. The apostle Paul, who is the book's author, tells his parishioners not to be anxious for anything, but rather to pray about their challenges and difficulties.

In subsequent verses, the apostle goes on to tell believers the things on which they should focus. These include things that are true, praiseworthy, beautiful, admirable, and virtuous. He also instructs them to meditate on things that are "of good report", which in modern English means those things that are positive.

This advice is very similar to that given by today's therapists and psychologists, who also instruct individuals to refuse to focus on negative aspects and look for the positive in every situation instead. Therefore, it is possible that many people in the secular world now agree with the aforementioned biblical principles.

Finally, in II Corinthians chapter ten, believers are told to "take each thought into captivity". As previously mentioned, the King James translation of the Bible may obscure the meaning of certain verses for some individuals. However, religious scholars agree that this phrase essentially means to examine one's thoughts and reject the ones that are evil or negative. There are many Bible verses on anxiety, and the references listed above are just a sample. Many people have found significant help from these verses when dealing with anxiety and its negative effects.




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