The relationship between Christianity and anxiety

JohnClay

Married Mouth-Breather
Supporter
Oct 27, 2006
1,129
186
Australia
Visit site
✟443,319.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Other Religion
Marital Status
Married
One of my church's pastors visited today and was saying he and quite a few other church members have fairly bad anxiety because my wife said she does too.
Is there something about Christianity that allows some Christians to have anxiety? Does it involve them feeling critical of themselves or make them anticipate problems?
On the other hand there are passages like Matthew 6:25-34:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?​

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.​

I guess I could ask the pastor when I see him....
 

cloudyday2

Generic Theist
Supporter
Jul 10, 2012
7,381
2,352
✟568,802.00
Country
United States
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Single
There is scrupulosity. Scrupulosity is somewhat like OCD except that the compulsive behavior involves religion.

However, probably a person with scrupulosity would develop some other form of OCD if he/she was non-Christian. For example that person might wash hands compulsively.

So I don't know if that meets your criteria.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: plugh
Upvote 0

Ophiolite

Recalcitrant Procrastinating Ape
Nov 12, 2008
8,509
9,486
✟236,253.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Private
One of my church's pastors visited today and was saying he and quite a few other church members have fairly bad anxiety because my wife said she does too.
Is there something about Christianity that allows some Christians to have anxiety? Does it involve them feeling critical of themselves or make them anticipate problems?
On the other hand there are passages like Matthew 6:25-34:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?​

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.​

I guess I could ask the pastor when I see him....
In such times as we currently face one might say that anyone who isn't anxious really should be worried.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: zippy2006
Upvote 0

FireDragon76

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Apr 30, 2013
30,473
18,454
Orlando, Florida
✟1,249,087.00
Country
United States
Faith
United Ch. of Christ
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Politics
US-Democrat
Western thinking based on exclusive use of discursive logic, needless abstractions, and an absolutist and extreme religious ideology.

These are all recipes for grief and suffering because they are all rooted in foolishness.

Remember that Jesus was a middle eastern Jew, not a Christian. Christianity is only loosely based on his teachings. Your Bible quotes are less relevant to understanding Christianity's essence. You would do better to study medieval European history and the power dynamics behind it. Europe had no great civilization prior to modernity, and the Church was about as close as you got to cobbling something together. And it did so mostly through violence, not persuasive discourse.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: bèlla
Upvote 0

bèlla

❤️
Supporter
Jan 16, 2019
20,479
17,636
USA
✟933,094.00
Country
United States
Faith
Non-Denom
Marital Status
In Relationship
I don’t suffer from anxiety or any related conditions. Nor do my loved ones. We have a longstanding practice of Christian faith. I think there are other factors that contribute to its presence.

Namely:
  • Stress
  • Genetics
  • Mindset
  • Environment
  • Self-Reproach
  • Negative self-image
  • Guilt
  • Religiosity
Oftentimes their view of God correlates. They focus on punishment and blame and have difficulty embracing grace.

Yours in His Service,

~bella
 
Upvote 0

FireDragon76

Well-Known Member
Supporter
Apr 30, 2013
30,473
18,454
Orlando, Florida
✟1,249,087.00
Country
United States
Faith
United Ch. of Christ
Marital Status
Legal Union (Other)
Politics
US-Democrat
I don’t suffer from anxiety or any related conditions. Nor do my loved ones. We have a longstanding practice of Christian faith. I think there are other factors that contribute to its presence.

Namely:
  • Stress
  • Genetics
  • Mindset
  • Environment
  • Self-Reproach
  • Negative self-image
  • Guilt
  • Religiosity
Oftentimes their view of God correlates. They focus on punishment and blame and have difficulty embracing grace.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

Some people have a perverse need to feel bad as a way of masking other, subconscious impulses that are more threatening or frightening.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: bèlla
Upvote 0

ChetSinger

Well-Known Member
Apr 18, 2006
3,518
650
✟124,958.00
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Married
One of my church's pastors visited today and was saying he and quite a few other church members have fairly bad anxiety because my wife said she does too.
Is there something about Christianity that allows some Christians to have anxiety? Does it involve them feeling critical of themselves or make them anticipate problems?
On the other hand there are passages like Matthew 6:25-34:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?​

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.​

I guess I could ask the pastor when I see him....
I think it's just human to be anxious. There's a lot to be anxious about such as money, relationships, health, and so on.

But anxiousness is no fun. Jesus wants us to be free from it and to trust God to provide for us.
 
Upvote 0

JohnClay

Married Mouth-Breather
Supporter
Oct 27, 2006
1,129
186
Australia
Visit site
✟443,319.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Other Religion
Marital Status
Married
Well tonight's sermon was about Psalm 22. The pastor said he has had anxiety lately and has been on medication for a year but it has helped a lot. In a few weeks the church is hosting an event where a clinical psychologist will talk about anxiety.
 
Upvote 0

Ophiolite

Recalcitrant Procrastinating Ape
Nov 12, 2008
8,509
9,486
✟236,253.00
Country
United Kingdom
Faith
Agnostic
Marital Status
Private
I think it's just human to be anxious. There's a lot to be anxious about such as money, relationships, health, and so on.
Definitely. But anxiety is not a bad thing. It is a good thing. It is an alarm bell to alert us to a potential threat to our wellbeing. Pay heed to it, address the problem and the anxiety is dispelled. Ignore it and the anxiety will grow, sapping your energy and your will.

So, to answer what may have been the implicit question in the OP: Christians are no different to non-Christians in relation to the general causes of anxiety. They potentially have a particular way of dealing with it, but if that does not involve facing its causes head on then they are headed for even more problems.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

JohnClay

Married Mouth-Breather
Supporter
Oct 27, 2006
1,129
186
Australia
Visit site
✟443,319.00
Country
Australia
Faith
Other Religion
Marital Status
Married
It seems to me that Christians worrying a lot are disobeying Jesus....

He says "do not worry" - not "try not to worry".

edit:

only if they are worrying about certain things such as their life, what they will eat or drink or your body, what you wear....

edit:

It ends with:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own

Does that mean not to worry at all about tomorrow? Including things not related to food, drink and clothing?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0