How to Deal with Anxiety

David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
–1 Samuel 17:37

How do you deal with anxiety? Let me give you three steps based in God’s Word.

First of all, repent of known sin. Sin isn’t always the cause of anxiety, but sometimes it is. In Psalm 38:18, David wrote, “I am full of anxiety because of my sin.” Acknowledge any unconfessed sin in your life and make things right between you and God.

Second, remove unnecessary anxiety. Every year, I put off filing my tax return because I’m anxious about what I’m going to owe. Does putting off my responsibility alleviate my anxiety? No, it just means I carry that anxiety around with me for longer. Proverbs 26:13 says a lazy person always looks for a reason not to begin doing what they need to do. The same thing applies to us when we’re anxious—we put off doing what we need to do, and we end up miserable. So here are three words that will help you alleviate unnecessary anxiety: Do it now. Is there a difficult email you need to send or an appointment you need to make? Do it now. Remove that unnecessary anxiety.

Third, remember God’s past faithfulness. There was a time in David’s life when he had a lot to worry about. His son had rebelled, and he faced losing his kingdom. In Psalm 3, David wrote honestly about his worries: “O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. Many are saying of my soul, ‘There is no deliverance for him in God’” (vv. 1–2). At the end of verse 2, we see the word “Selah,” which indicates a pause. Then David continued, “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain” (vv. 3–4). As David’s anxiety level rose, he paused and reflected on God’s faithfulness. He remembered how God had delivered him in the past and realized the same God was capable of delivering him in the present.

As you grow older, instead of becoming more anxious, you ought to have more times you can look back on and remember when God delivered you and protected you. When you’re anxious, remember His past faithfulness.

Today’s devotion is adapted from “Moving from Anxiety to Peace,” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2021.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.