Anxiety and Sin: Stop the Accusations

Anxiety is such a hot topic today. I’m thoroughly vexed over the well-intended remarks that the church throws around in an effort to band-aid those who suffer from their anxious states. This is a HUGE problem.

The first issue that I want to address surrounding this constant war over an overwhelmingly anxious church is the SIN issue.

The difference between sin and not sin is always trusting God. Trusting God is only capable through obedience to Him empowered by His indwelling Holy Spirit. For it is only in faith in Christ and abiding in him through that Spirit that we please God and hit the mark. All other self-imposed efforts miss the mark.

Furthermore, if we are trusting God, we can then obey His commandments.

Worry from fear of uncontrollable circumstances resulting in dividing what you know in your heart and mind from what you are to obey God in = sin

Anxiety from dangerous, threatening circumstances resulting in trusting God to be in control and obeying him in what he has already told you to do, or not do = not sin

Case in point: The Israelites failed to inherit the promised land based on fear-induced worry-based SIN resulting in disobedience…

… whereas, Jesus the son of God inherited Everything of the Father based on anxiety-induced trust-based OBEDIENCE in the Garden of Gethsemane leading up to his crucifixion… Paul and company were fearfully anxious for their lives when persecuted but were obediently following Christ.

Be careful to point your fingers at ANYONE WHO IS ANXIOUS. God may be pleased with their ACTIONS because of the posture of their HEART and GOD ALONE JUDGES THAT.

Let’s take from the pages of the official playbook: Don’t confuse SIN/FEAR-BASED disobedient fretting with NATURALLY (illness included) OCCURRING anxiety that is no fault of the person the anxieties befall.

Church, we MUST be careful to attend to this chasm of misunderstanding we’ve become entrenched in. In the case of sin, we must address this wisely as serpents and innocent as doves lest we rub our righteous salt in the weak’s wounds.

The second issue is for those suffering with anxiety:

When someone says, “Just trust God, because you’re anxious and that means you are sinning ..”

pause and apply antidotes to the SIN and the SYMPTOMS:

1.consult with God himself, let him examine you and reveal to you through his Word + Holy Spirit conviction

2.Repent if you are fearfully fretting

3.Agree with God and ask him to help you obey

and if you are living in anxiety after you have done the above and there’s still no relief:

Get help for the symptoms through applied healing of treatment in modes of therapy + medication

Remember, YOU are LOVED whether or not you are sinning. God does NOT condemn you, and if you are sinning? Go and sin no more (with His help)