Do you suffer with anxiety, worry, or dread? Do you find yourself fretting over various matters? You’re not alone. “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.” This is according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
As I read the above quote, I couldn’t help but wonder, perhaps part of the reason anxiety goes largely untreated is because of it being referred to as a mental illness. I’m not a doctor of any sort, but I have an opinion about all this. In sort, we are all born mentally and physically ill. To be clear, every human being born since the first man Adam, and the first woman, Eve, has been born diseased. We don’t only suffer mental illness, we suffer body, soul and spirit illness. We are utterly diseased in every element of our being.
As human beings we are made body, soul and spirit. Our bodies are the physical being that houses our non-physical soul and spirit. Our soul is the part of us that consists of our mind, will, intellect, emotions, and unique personality. Our spirit is the part of us that allows us to commune spirit to Spirit. Both our spirit and soul are eternal; whereas our bodies are temporal. Ever since the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, rejected God, the Creator of all that exists, sin entered Creation. Rejecting God is sin, and every human being born since Adam and Eve have inherited this naturally-born sin condition. Sin separates us from God and all that is good.
The world, as God intended, was to be one where humanity, made in His image, enjoyed unhindered communion with Him and one another, free of all illnesses. Sin ushered in the ravages of sickness, disease and death. The entity that influenced humanity to reject God is a fallen heavenly angle known as Satan. Satan, like all God’s created beings was given freewill—that is the choice to receive or reject God. Satan chose to reject God and also influenced nearly one-third of the angels in heaven to do likewise. God banished them from heaven and at that point immediately set a plan in motion to deal with sin—which, again, is the rejection of God.
Every single human being is naturally born with sin. Sin separates us from God and all that is good. Sin means we are deceived about truth—the truth about God, about ourselves and Satan. Satan is known as the Father of Lies and he influenced Adam and Eve to reject God. As a result all humanity is born under his evil and destructive influence. However, God’s love wins out!
God’s love for each of us, created in His image, motivated God in His infinite wisdom and power, to provide a way of escape from sin and all it manifests, for any and all who desire to live in truth and be restored in right relationship with Him. Jesus, the Second Person of the Triune God-head, came to this earth as our Promised Redeemer to provide us a way of escape from the ravages of sin. Anyone who places their faith in Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord, are fully and entirely redeemed from all the effects of sin: body, soul and spirit. This is a spiritual reality that overpowers our physical reality, providing we partner with God learning how to apply redemption from our new-born spirit, through our mind and unto our body.
A person who places their faith in Jesus is miraculously spiritually born-again. Our old natural-born spirit is done away with, and replaced with an entirely new holy Spirit born of God. The spirit and soul of such a person is united with God and destined for heaven for all eternity. In the meantime, as this regenerated individual continues to live on earth, they are now subject to the realities of both heaven and earth. Those who place their faith in Jesus to be redeemed are known as Christians. Christians are said to be in this world but not of it. Christians are commissioned by Jesus to bring God will in heaven to be done on earth. This is accomplished through the renewing of our mind. Our mind is the control center for our body. When we learn how to have our minds completely surrendered to God, by the power of His Holy Spirit influencing our new spirit, we find victory over all matters in this physical world.
Understand, this ability to overcome is not once and done. It is a an on-going awareness and effort that must be continually applied. As we live in a fallen world, we will continuously be influenced by all that sin represents. We must therefore be diligent, alert, and aware so as not to be inadvertently deceived. This truth about our ability to overcome all that sin represents is simple, but far from easy.
I am NOT saying God’s plan for us to overcome, dismisses medical science. God gave humanity intelligence and He has revealed truths, allowing us to discover His universe. Medical science is one of the many tremendous blessings from God to help us successfully live in this fallen world. Even so, without subjecting medical science, or any matter, to the truth of God we can veer off His course.
Faith is the mechanism that redeems us. Fear is what defeats us. The root of all anxiety, worry, and dread is fear. And as the Bible clearly states, fear is of the enemy. With a future Word for Wednesday, I will explore how we can learn to engage in the practical steps of renewing our minds to gain victory over fear.
I welcome your comments as my desire is to post content to help you live the victorious, abundant life Christ died to give us.
Disclaimer:
I began my study on anxiety, out of a deeply held compassion for my loved ones. I wanted to better understand their reality so I could best respond when they experience fear in my presence. I hope to have learned helpful information to post here for them and others to find solutions. I am not a doctor of any kind. Anything written on my blog is strictly opinion and not professional advice of any kind. Readers are expected to do their own due diligence with the hopes that what I write encourages them to do so.
Anxiety, worry and dread, for many people are matters that can be managed and controlled with proper education and practical applications. For others, professional help is needed. If anyone cannot manage the matters on their own, professional help is highly recommended.
Your privacy is always respected and protected.