Finding Peace in a World of High Anxiety

The film “High Anxiety,” Mel Brooks’ comedic spoof of Alfred Hitchcock-style suspense mysteries, was released in 1977. Without going into what the film was about, it occurs to me that high anxiety might be a good way of describing many people today, nearly 50 years later.

 

Ever feel like you're approaching a waterfall,
about to go over the edge?

Every day it seems we encounter more and more reasons for feeling anxious and nervous about our everyday lives and society in general. According to one online source, high anxiety can result from the complex interaction of many factors, some of genetic, environmental, and
psychological origin. Stressful life events and many kinds of trauma also can trigger high levels of anxiety. 

 

As I’ve mentioned before, just a daily dose of broadcast news is sufficient to put our teeth on edge. Frankly, I think that’s the newscasters’ goal. You know the mantra, “If it bleeds, it leads”?

 

Anxiety is something I’ve dealt with a lot over the course of my life. Sometimes I couldn’t even trace the source of my anxious state of mind; some days I still wake up with troubling thoughts coursing through my mind. It might involve family matters, finances, making difficult decisions regarding the future, or a variety of other things.

 

When those moments arise, I’ve concluded I have two choices: I can continue to dwell on them, fretting and worrying about things that for the most part I can’t control. Or I can pray, entrusting my concerns to the Lord, since He’s fully capable of handling them. He doesn’t need my help.

 

Several Bible verses serve as reminders of the benefits of letting go of my anxieties and allowing God to deal with them instead. One of my favorites is 1 Peter 5:7, which says we’re to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” When circumstances seem overwhelming, this enables me to pray, ‘Here You are, Lord. I’ll let You wrestle with this. Thank you.”

 

Another powerful passage is found in the fourth chapter of Philippians. After being admonished to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” we’re given this assurance: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4,6-7).

 

Rejoicing – and giving thanks. Those are two activities that seem foreign to many of us when we’re struggling with trials and challenges that have reduced us to bundles of nerves. But they’re important, because doing so means acknowledging our trust in the Lord and His sovereign control of even the most difficult times in our lives.

 

I just finished reading The Hiding Place, written by Corrie ten Boom. It’s about her experiences in Nazi concentration camps after she and her family had harbored Jewish fugitives in their home in the Netherlands during World War II. Even though the events she describes occurred more than 80 years ago, they still seem unbelievable. How could humans be so inhumane?

 

At one point Corrie and her sister, Betsie, were assigned to a huge dormitory jammed with women who also had been arrested and sentenced to grueling labor and horrific living conditions. On top of everything, they discovered their beds – if they could be called that – were infested with fleas.

 

How could things get worse? Corrie wondered. However, her sister encouraged her to be thankful even for the fleas. Corrie found this incomprehensible – until they discovered that the dormitory was the only place they were free from the hateful watch of the Nazi guards. The reason? Because the guards didn’t want to be anywhere near the fleas.

 

The Psalms are replete with declarations about how we can find peace with the Lord even in the most difficult, anxiety-causing circumstances. One I often call to mind is Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” That is not a ‘hope-so’ statement but one of confident assurance, the earnest expectation that the Lord will always do as He has promised.

 

I could cite many more examples, but here’s one that King David, during one of the many times of fierce opposition that he faced during his reign, wrote: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

 

Whether I wake up in the morning with anxious thoughts filling my mind, or something distressing happens during the day, I try to remind myself to rest in promises like these. Even in the troubling 21^st century, we can choose either to endure high anxiety, or to trust in the Lord and cast our fears and concerns upon Him.

Linking Stress, Health – and Faith

In Adrenalin and Stress, Dr. Archibald Hart discusses the link between stress and physical well-being. A series of high-stress events – including good stress, like getting married, the birth of a child, moving into a new house – as well as negative occurrences, such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, or dealing with financial setbacks, can have a cumulative effect on one’s health.

A couple weeks ago I experienced this. Over the span of days, in addition to my usual writing and editing routine, I faced an unusually demanding schedule of mostly good things: numerous lengthy business meetings, five long-distance phone interviews, two family birthday parties, church activities, a small group gathering, and an intense, four-hour consultation with the staff of a small company. Leading up to this, my car was hit by an SUV as I was entering a grocery store parking lot, prompting numerous phone calls to insurance companies and a visit to the auto body shop.

Individuals that relish constant human interaction and non-stop activity would see such a schedule as delightful. Not me. As an “extroverted-introvert,” I enjoy people and activities – in small doses. As experience has shown me, overdoses of people and activity tend to move me into stress mode.

This flurry of meetings and events left me mentally, emotionally and physically depleted. According to stress tables in Dr. Hart’s book, I had unintentionally put myself into stress overload, making an adverse physical reaction highly predictable.

The prophet Elijah understood well
the toll excess stress could take.
(Illustration by Paul Moses)

I share this not to evoke sympathy, but to introduce a favorite biblical character who’s often wrongly accused of lacking in faith. I call him the “maxed-out, pooped-out prophet.” Elijah, according to 1 Kings 18 and 19, also had a stressful series of events. While mine amounted to a flurry, his was the equivalent of an avalanche.

Elijah had prophesied a drought in Israel – and it had not rained for 3½ years. One day he confronted 450 prophets of the false god, Baal. (Maybe the very first prophet-making organization.) He suggested an unusual duel: Both sides would carve up a bull, lay it on an altar of wood, then summon their respective deities to consume the sacrifice. Outnumbered 450-to-1, Elijah graciously said, “You guys go first.”

Their false god did absolutely nothing, despite the prophets dancing, screaming and mutilating themselves to evoke a response.

When his turn came, Elijah built an altar of 12 stones with wood on the top, then dug a trench around it, filling it with water. Placing the sacrificial bull upon the altar, he decided to leave nothing to chance in proving his point. He had the sacrifice, wood and altar thoroughly drenched with water three times. Then he prayed.

Immediately the Lord sent fire that consumed the sacrifice, wood, stones, soil, even the water in the trench. Witnesses, including Israel’s king Ahab, knew without a doubt who served the true God.

Next, at God’s direction, Elijah commanded all the prophets of Baal be executed. Finally, after more than 1,250 consecutive days with no rain, the prophet forecast the drought would end – suddenly. Despite much skepticism, soon a torrential downpour sent everyone scrambling for cover.

After all this, one might have thought Elijah was on an emotional high, but when someone informed him evil queen Jezebel was out for revenge, he fled.

On this point, preachers and writers have chastised Elijah for not having strong enough faith. Balderdash! He had participated in a series of miraculous events, and even though God had performed them, the prophet’s stress hormones must have been maxed out. His energy depleted in every way, Elijah wasn’t up for another clash. So he ran.

How do we know this wasn’t due to disobedience or weak faith? Because God sent a ministering angel that caringly provided Elijah with food and allowed him to rest for many days before He gave him the next assignment. There was no word of rebuke during this recuperation period.

Moral of the story: We’re spiritual beings, and as followers of Jesus have new life through Him. But we’re also physical beings, and at times we encounter more than we can handle. We require renewal and refreshment. Even Jesus would withdraw at times by Himself to rest after miraculous demonstrations.

God gives us the privilege of joining in what He’s doing. But when we’re felling tapped out, that our physical, mental and emotional resources have been used up, the Lord understands. He says, “Take a break!” It may mean heading for the coffee shop, taking a day off, going on vacation, or even spending a day or two in bed.

Then, after we’ve had time to recharge, God says, as He instructed Elijah, “Okay, now get back into the fray!” 

Joy in Knowing Victory’s Already Won

For Ohio State fans, watch a replay of the Buckeyes' College Football
Championship victory is far less stressful than it was watching it live.

“I can’t stand the suspense!” How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said that yourself?

We do this with page-turning novels that keep us guessing until the last paragraph. Movie thrillers keep us squirming in our seats, wondering how the good guys are going to prevail. And season finale cliff-hangers on TV sometimes ratchet our suspense to extremes.

But this matter of suspense isn’t limited to the make-believe world. It’s a big deal in real life, too. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could be certain of the outcome for things important to us, and could know well in advance? It sure would save us a lot of anxiety, stress and worry, don’t you think?

For instance, how would you feel if your favorite team was playing in the championship game and someone were able to provide an ironclad, no-doubt-about-it guarantee that they would win the contest? (For the sake of discussion, let’s just assume this assurance was on the up-and-up. No game-fixing.) How do you think that would affect your tension level as the game unfolded?

Or maybe you’re one of those rabid fans – as I am – that records the game while watching it live, so if your team wins you can replay it and revel in the victory again. After the game, when you know the outcome, doesn’t that enable you to relax and enjoy it more the second time around? No need for gnashing teeth every time your team makes a mistake or the other team scores. Victory is certain!

Consider a different scenario: You’ve just been diagnosed with a very serious disease and the first physician you consult with offers a dire prognosis. But then you pursue the oft-recommended second opinion and the specialist, upon reviewing your test results, assures you the outlook is far more hopeful than you’d been told. In fact, the doctor advises you not to worry at all, that you’ll undoubtedly be cured; the earlier diagnosis was incorrect. How would you feel then? You might be angry about the first evaluation, and a bit concerned about the course of treatment, but with faith in the medical expert’s promise, you’d feel confident that after going through it you would be good to go.

How about a friend or loved one going through an extremely difficult time, leaving you feeling helpless. Wouldn’t it be great at such times if someone could tell you with unwavering certainty, “It’s going to be OK. I promise”?

Unfortunately, living in a sin-scarred, broken world, the fairy tale endings of “happily ever after” don’t always translate into everyday life. And yet, as we read the Bible, we find God does offer assurances and guarantees, even for the toughest circumstances.

Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to His chosen people, God stated, “For I know the plans I have for you…plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). Although addressed specifically to the nation of Israel, this is a declaration He makes for all of His children. The end result, the Lord promises, will be a good one.

Knowing His crucifixion was looming in the near future, Jesus offered similar assurances to His followers when He said, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have (perfect) peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer (take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted)! For I have overcome the world. (I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.)” – John 16:33 (Amplified translation).

Confronting not only our personal problems but also frightening events in the world around us, it’s easy to despair and lose heart. But we don’t have to - we can trust in the “guarantee” God provides, being reassured as Jesus said, “I have overcome the world.” That’s what “victory in Jesus” is all about.

The Elijah Syndrome - and Each One of Us

This archival photo shows a wringer
washing machine, perhaps the
origin of the phrase, "Going
through the wringer."

Are you old enough to remember wringer washing machines? I’m talking about the kind with an agitator to jiggle the clothes around as they were washing, and a wringer to squeeze out moisture so the clothes wouldn’t be soaking wet hanging from the clothesline.

The clothesline? Really? Yes, but that’s fodder for another post. My mom had a wringer washer. She’d remove just-washed items from the basin and run them through the wringer to remove most of the water. (Not a good place for fingers.)

I wonder: Have you ever had a time in your life when because of work demands, or life in general, you felt like you’d been dragged through a wringer like this?

Recently a friend mentioned feeling mentally, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. I’ve been there a couple of times. During one particularly stressful period at work, I had pushed the so-called envelope as far as it would go. Physically depleted, I wound up with an illness that required heavy-duty medication and physician’s instructions to stay home and rest.

I did as advised, determining to salvage the time by catching up on reading I’d been putting off. For several days I’d sit down with a book, read a paragraph or two, and promptly fall asleep for a couple of hours. During those days I didn’t read nearly as much as I’d hoped, but got much-needed rest so I felt renewed and recharged when I returned to work.

Thinking about mental and spiritual exhaustion, I love the biblical account of Elijah in 1 Kings 18-19. In case you’re not familiar with the story, feisty prophet Elijah singlehandedly confronts hundreds of false prophets to a showdown. Elijah and the imposters prepare sacrifices on altars and then call upon their respective deities to consume the sacrifices by fire.

Despite elaborate demonstrations and even self-mutilations, the false prophets’ “gods” fail to respond. Elijah, after demanding to have his sacrifice and altar drenched with water three times for emphasis, calls upon Jehovah God and sees the entire offering instantly consumed – even the water in a trench around the altar. The false prophets, deceptions exposed, are then executed.

Next Elijah accurately predicts a torrential rain ending a three-and-a-half year drought. Quite an amazing day for the lonely ambassador for truth. A great demonstration of faith. But right after the downpour, someone informs Elijah evil Queen Jezebel has ordered his death.

That is the proverbial straw that breaks Elijah’s back mentally and spiritually, and he takes off running. He’s reached his limit. “He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, Lord,’ he said. ‘Take my life. I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep” (1 Kings 19:4-5).

However, rather than chastising Elijah for having weak faith (as many preachers have accused him in their renditions of this story), God sends angels to minister to him, feeding him and letting him rest. “All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’… He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time…and said, ‘Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you’… (1 Kings 19:5-8).

So why, after defeating hundreds of false prophets and predicting a miraculous shift in weather, does Elijah head for the hills at the news of Jezebel’s threat?

For starters he was human. Years ago Dr. Archibald Hart, in his book, Adrenalin and Stress, explained during major events in life – good and bad – the body’s stress hormones are activated. Enough stress, regardless of whether it comes from positive events like marriage, getting a job promotion, buying a house or becoming a parent, or negative events like financial hardship, the death of a loved one or losing a job, and we can become tapped out physiologically. It happens.

Elijah also must have felt as one of his successors, John the Baptist, would feel centuries later – like a lone voice crying out in the wilderness. He said, “’I have been very zealous for the Lord God almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me’” (1 Kings 19:14). Honestly, can you blame Elijah for reaching the end of his rope?

The good news is God did not denounce or discipline him. He understood the prophet’s physical limitations, letting him rest and feeding him. Then, when the prophet was restored, God said in essence, “Okay, Elijah, get back into the fray. And contrary to your opinion, you’re not alone!”

So while he might have fully depleted his physical, emotional and spiritual reserves, Elijah hardly lacked for faith in his God. If anything, the prophet displayed more faith than most of us could ever imagine. We often collapse even under minor burdens, while Elijah repeatedly put his own life on the line, trusting God to come through. Which He always did.

So Elijah offers a simple yet important lesson. When the press of life has taken away everything you’ve got, take a break. Then regroup, restore, and re-engage!