A classical definition of "Anxiety" is a fear, usually without a known or unfounded cause, or immediate threat of danger. The term has become popular with modern psychologists who like to dig up past events and speculate on how they relate to present day emotions. There is some truth in this, but discovery is only the first step to freedom.
It is interesting that the KJV of the Bible does not use the term "anxiety". However, we can see by a word and context study the discussion of anxiety in the following verses of Scripture:
(1) Nightmares, (2) Insomnia (sleeplessness), (3) Nervousness, (4) Physical twitches, (5) Overeating, (6) Loss of appetite, (7) Irritability, (8) Anger, (9) Bitterness, (10) Indecisiveness, (11) A feeling a need to stay busy (can't be still), (12) Inability to concentrate, (13) Exhaustion (feeling tired all the time), (14) Talkativeness, (15) Extremely quite, (16) Suspiciousness, (17) Lack of trust in self or others, (18) Rapid pulse, (19) High blood pressure, (20) Intensity of pain, (21) Paranoia, (22) Worry, (23) Hypertension, (24) Chronic upset stomach, (25) Liberal taking of over the counter drugs, (26) Having a critical attitude, (27) Depression.
Usually unresolved mental, emotional, and spiritual issues leads to anxiety. I must insert that certain diseases, improper diet, and drug use, even the use of anti-anxiety drugs may be contributing factors to anxiety.
Anxiety is like a spider's web. It is difficult to isolate one strand of the web from rest of the web. With anxiety, it may be difficult to isolate one cause from other related factors. This illustrates the need for Christian counseling and prayer. In the following discussion, I will give six causes with answers to those causes.
The first cause of anxiety is guilt. We violate our conscience by doing something that we believe is wrong, and this results in feelings of guilt. David said, "When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long" (Psalm 32:3). This is a picture of the effect of guilt resulting in anxiety. Guilt, itself, produces fear of discovery. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they hid themselves. Fear, shame, and embarrassment are often associated with guilt. Another fear associated with guilt is that of rejection. What will others think of me? Will they still be my friends and support me? When a Christian fails morally, he may suddenly drop out of going to church for fear that people will reject him if he returns. Finally, there is a fear of punishment. One may fear physical pain (a spanking), job loss, or even the loss of his freedom. Since guilt does not automatically go away, even over a period of time, the anxiety associated with the guild does not automatically disappear. One may feel anxiety even years after he has removed the event from his conscious mind.
The second cause of anxiety is resentment resulting from mental and emotional wounds. "The words of a talebearer are wound, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly" (Proverbs 18:8). Mental and emotional wounds which are not healed by the Lord are subject to be contaminated by resentment. Resentment may harbor anger, bitterness, hate, and revenge. Resentment often becomes generalized. The woman who hates her stepfather for what he did to her when she was a child, often comes to hate all men. She may become extremely anxious any time she is around a man. When the subject of men arise in a conversation, she may spew out words of distrust and bitterness toward men. Although, the wound may be old, the anxiety may continue. World War III may continue in the heart.
A third source of anxiety is spiritual confusion. Psychology tells us that we think and reason by creating "constructs". We take a basic idea and associate that idea with other ideas. For example, we may associate the idea of "red" with a color, hot, or a fire truck. We understand these to be true constructs. However, if we, by experience, discover that fire trucks are actually green, there would be a mental conflict which might result in anxiety.
Since we live in a world influenced by Satan, the liar and deceiver, we may at times come to accept wrong spiritual constructs. Then as we are exposed to the true constructs, we may experience spiritual confusion. Spiritual confusion with one construct opposing another construct within us may result in anxiety. For example, if one comes to believe that he has to live a perfect life to maintain his salvation, but also realizes that he will not, he will experience a great deal of anxiety. Some sources of spiritual confusion are the acceptance of lies, self deception, false doctrines, and vain imaginations. We should also understand that the conflict may not always be on the conscious level.
The fourth cause of anxiety is worry. We see a problem that we face as a threat to our security and begin to focus our attention and thoughts upon that problem. We look at the greatness of the threat opposed to the lack of strength that we have to protect ourselves. The result is fear of failure or a fear loss of what we believe to be rightfully ours. The result is feelings of anxiety. Often, the greater the fear of loss, the tighter we hold on to what we fear that we may lose. We may even exhibit character traits of selfishness, greed, and impatience.
The fifth cause for anxiety is generational curses. Generational curses are inherited tendencies (iniquity) toward sin that we receive as a result of the sins of our forefathers. "Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me" (Exodus 20:5). Our parents, grandparents, or great grandparents were anxious, and we also have that tendency. Again, this is a spiritually inherited factor. Also, closely associated with this factor is the factor of modeling. As we see our parents being anxious, we model their behavior and also become anxious.
The sixth cause for anxiety is spiritual attack. A spiritual attack comes when Satan's forces of evil come against us to do us harm or tempt us. Satan uses anxiety to wear us down and make us more susceptible to being overcome by temptation, doubt, and even giving up on our faith in God. Of course, habitual sins, drugs, alcohol, idolatry, and any kind of involvement in the occult opens the door to such an attack from Satan. However, God may allow Satan to attack us that we may be tested and grow in our faith. Peter said, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye my be glad also with exceeding joy" (I Peter 4:12-13).
By way of conclusion, we should understand that we may not always recognize the causes for anxiety. Therefore, talking our situation over with a Christian counselor may bring a great amount of help. Moreover, God will reveal the causes as we call upon Him. When God does reveal the causes, He will also provide the grace to resolve the issue. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). Amen.
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