Can We Avoid Being Anxious?

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

In this world, there are definitely tribulations and problems. Sometimes, these situations can appear to overwhelm us, causing our emotions to feel heightened. The problem we face then seems to become enormous and it can be difficult to see our way through it.

Often, we may be tempted to simply do what we think is best and take care of it, rather than go to our Father who deeply cares for us. Many to most of us, if not frozen by the problems we face, might be motivated to simply deal with it and take care of it one way or another. The difficulty with that method is that we are often simply doing what seems best to us, though that may not be what God wants for us.

In facing trials, tribulations and problems, we need to understand why God allows them into our lives in the first place. What does He want us to do? How does He want us to approach each situation?

First and foremost, when we are faced with a situation that causes us to feel stressed out or anxious, our first move is to submit ourselves to Him in prayer, to seek His will and to know that He, as our Father, has a solution for every problem we face. If we do not do this, we will undoubtedly fail to do what He wants us to do.

This of course is what Jesus did and we are aware of one of His most difficult moments on the night He was betrayed by one of His own; Judas. The Garden of Gethsemane is located at the foot of the Mt. of Olives, the very same mount that our Lord will physically return to when He comes back to this earth. The name means “oil press” and as we see what unfolded for Jesus that night, we can understand the pressure He was under, like the pressure used to create oil.

The Garden of Gethsemane account is provided in each of the four gospels, though slightly varied one from another (Matthew 26:36-56, Mark 14:32-52, Luke 22:40-53 and John 18:1-11). In it, we learn just how much agony our Lord dealt with and yet, without question, He never sinned.

Jesus felt the pressure. He was seriously in anguish. I’m sure His blood pressure went up to the point that His forehead sweated drops of blood. This type of emotional agony is something we can relate to, at least to a degree because we’ve likely all been there. It’s not pleasant. We want to get out from under it, to push it away. We don’t like the way it makes us feel.

I’m sure Jesus did not like the way He felt with the immense pressure He faced ahead of Him. He of course, knew the right path He needed to take. He went to His Father (and ours), asking that if it were possible, please remove the “cup” that lay before Him. Please note Jesus petitioned the Father three times that night until He arrived to the point where He fully embraced what was coming.

In my previous article – Easter Blessings and Death of a Heretic – I linked to an article that went into detail about certain aspects of the crucifixion. I’m linking to another article, which highlights the specifics of just how brutal the punishment was leading up to and including the actual crucifixion.[1] Please be aware that the graphics included in that article are graphic!

Commentators really do not know for certain what the exact “cup” was that Jesus referred to in His prayers. Was it the awful pain of punishment and death He faced? Was it the fact that the Father would turn His back on His Son as He poured out His wrath on Him? Could it be both of those things and other things as well?

What we know though is that Jesus persevered in prayer until He arrived to the point where He had fully accepted all points of the Father’s will. The tremendous anxiety He experienced pushed Him to the Father. This is the model for us as well.

But the problem is that when we experience anxiety over specific situations, while we might go to Him initially, we may not persevere until things are resolved within us. Had Jesus only prayed once then decided what He would do, it could have resulted in sin, most likely. Since He was not able to sin and able not to sin, that was not an option for Him. So He persevered through the tremendous anxiety until He came to the point of fully giving it up and resting in the loving hands of His Father.

Over the years, as I have faced situations that have caused anxiety in me, sometimes, I have submitted myself to the Lord for His keeping and His guidance. On other occasions, I have only half-heartedly done this and it usually resulted in works of the flesh. The problem for me has usually been the fact that I tend to feel as though I’m sinning because the anxiety is getting to me. Doesn’t the Bible tell us that God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is set on Him (Isaiah 26:3)? So when I’m not at peace within, I feel as though I failed. This is wrong. When we are not at peace within, it essentially means that God is trying to get our attention so that we can bring our cares and concerns to Him for Him to deal with for us (1 Peter 5:7).

So the idea that I’m somehow sinning when I experience anxiety over situations is untrue. The Lord wants me to take all my cares and concerns to Him just like Jesus did in the Garden or at any other time throughout His earthly life.

Let’s look at an example or two from Scripture. The Scriptures are filled with the two ways people deal with anxiety. Either they submit themselves and the situation to God or they run out and try to deal with it themselves, bypassing the necessary component of prayer.

King Hezekiah (of Judah) went before the Lord with great anxiety when he realized Assyria meant to destroy Judah (2 Kings 18-19). Though I’m sure he was reeling from the anxiety he felt because of the approaching Assyrian armies, Hezekiah submitted himself to the Lord. That’s where his anxiety pushed him, to humble himself before the Lord and fully rely on God’s provision. Hezekiah could have mustered the troops and tried to take on Assyria, which was an extremely powerful nation at that point in history. It would have been foolhardy.

Because of the fact that Hezekiah approached God with his anxiety and concern, God responded to Hezekiah’s humble prayer through the prophet Isaiah by telling him God would provide the victory. Interestingly enough, King Hezekiah would not even have to raise a finger to physically fight Sennacherib, the king of Assyria. God did it all. That isn’t always the way God worked or works today, but He chose to do that then.

In another example of, this time, what not to do, we have King Saul, the very first king of Israel (then just one nation, not divided into Israel and Judah). King Saul started well, but failed miserably.

Saul became anxious waiting for Samuel to arrive to him, so he jumped ahead and offered the burnt offering and the peace offering to the Lord (1 Samuel 13:9). The problem was that Saul was a king, not a priest. God had deliberately separated these two offices within Israel. Shortly after Saul offered these offerings unlawfully, Samuel arrives and wants to know what Saul had done. Samuel told Saul his decision to offer sacrifices was foolish and it was because of this situation that the Lord eventually removed Saul from being king.

So, without even praying about it or seeking godly council, King Saul made a serious error in judgment that cost him a great deal, including the kingship. Saul simply made the decision that seemed good to him, but was not good at all. Have you ever done that? Have you ever made a decision you thought was a great idea that only turned out to be counterproductive and caused much more harm than any good you imagined it would create? I’ve done it and it never feels good. In fact, the ramifications of it last for some time depending on the situation.

When we come face to face with a situation that ratchets up the anxiety within us, it is often difficult to keep our heads above the noise, to see God at work in the world when there is so much evil and corruption. Experiencing anxiety, pressure or some other negative emotion related to the situation ahead of us is not a sin. If it was a sin, Jesus would have been guilty of sinning in the Garden. Yet, He did not sin and persevered through the emotional onslaught until He had fully accepted the Father’s will for Him, for that night and the next day. Though He was in emotional agony, He could agree that the Father’s will was best and He willingly submitted to that will.

Each situation provides us with a way of escape, doesn’t it? This is what the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (ESV)

The temptation for Jesus in the Garden was to bypass the Father’s will. The pressure to turn His back on the Father’s will must have been absolutely immense. Yet, instead of succumbing to the temptation, Jesus looked it square in the face, continuing to submit Himself to the Father’s will because He knew whatever the Father wanted of Him (Jesus), would be the best solution to the problem He faced.

With each difficult situation, there are only two avenues to take. We can deal with it in the way that seems best to us (like Saul), or we can fully submit to the Father in order that His will – and only His will – takes place (like Jesus and Hezekiah). These are the two options we face with every situation that causes anxiety and fear. How we respond to these situations will either cause us to grow in Christ as we draw closer to Him in humble prayer or we will grow away from Him as we choose to do what we think is best.

To experience fear or anxiety is not a sin. It is an opportunity to submit ourselves to God for our safe keeping and His victory over the trouble(s) that we face.

[1] https://therebelpatient.substack.com/p/on-the-physical-death-of-jesus-christ

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Source: https://studygrowknowblog.com/2025/04/22/can-we-avoid-being-anxious/