Combating Worry and Anxiety

If someone were to ask me what is the leading cause for stress I would have to say it is worrying.  We all know people that seem to go through life with less stress than others.  If we look closely at these people we tend to notice that they don’t seem to get flustered, uptight or freak-out as much as the rest of us.  In short, they don’t worry as much.

Obviously life is not necessarily easier for them; they just frame their experiences differently than those of us that chronically fret.  The good news here is that our stress level does not have to be influenced by how our day goes or what the world throws at us. These “low stress” people show us that we have the power to defuse stress by changing the way we react to daily situations, responsibilities and other people.

It is important to remember that worrying is something we do from the inside- out.  Most often those things we worry about turn out to be insignificant.  How many times have we worried about something that never even came to pass?  If you struggle with worrying I would encourage you to stop and ask yourself where all this pressure is coming from or who is really is pressuring you.

Our Christian Faith can help us with worry and anxiety.  As Christians we are not alone, left to work out our own salvation through perfection (John 14:16).  Through God’s love we can live our daily lives with a sense of peace not worry (Eph 6:23).  Living out of grace not only allows us to accept the imperfections of others it also helps us accept our own shortcomings.

Our relationship with Christ guarantees our value.  Our value does not come from others or from this world. In Rom 8:31-34, Paul tells us that with God on our side we cannot fail.  This is the kind of confidence that can overcome worry and anxiety.  

Greg Smith M.Div., LPC
EAP Counselor
Employee Assistance Program
City of Auburn

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