Is it a sin to be anxious?
By Jon Noto, MA, LCPC
If Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about your life,” (Matthew 6:25) does that mean it’s a sin to be anxious?
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
In responding to questions like this I often say, “That’s more of a conversation than an answer.” Getting a yes or no to that question is an ending point to a dialogue rather than a starting point. If you’re asking a question like this, there’s a reason. It’s something you have struggled with and tried to tackle – you want to do it the right way. For that reason, it’s worth some further investigation.
In the broadest possible sense, willful disobedience to a command of Jesus that is backed up by other writers in Scripture (Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 5:6-7) is sin. Consider when Paul says, “whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). This definition of sin reminds us that any time we act apart from God it is sin.
At the same time, it is important to remember we are made in God’s image and that emotions and feelings are part of that image. Frequently in the Bible we see God’s emotion, and in the gospels we see Jesus sad, angry, and even fearful. So emotions in their purest form cannot be sin or the writers of Scripture would not have been able to reference Jesus having feelings.
A nuanced answer to the above question allows for dialogue. After all, if someone tells you “just stop being anxious,” it’s not much help. Monitor what’s emotion and what’s action and take stock of those.
Here’s how I like to divide it up.
Check your heart
Emotion at its core is reactionary. If someone says something unkind to you, you feel hurt. If you are peering out an airplane hatch ready to skydive you’ll feel fear and excitement.
As long as you are human, you cannot live without the emotion of fear. However, it is our work to continually check what we do with that fear and how much we trust that fear. Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust.” Is that true of you more often than not?
I like to ask my clients, “Are you putting more of your trust, guidance, and commitment into the fear you experience or in trusting God for his provision, protection, and direction?” It can be a tough question to answer, but asking it creates space for God to speak back to your anxiety.
Bethel Music has a song called No Longer Slaves. The main lyrics are, “I’m no longer a slave to fear I am a child of God.” Each of us can sway between these two extremes.
But what can we do proactively to break the bondage of slavery if it exists? One option is to say no to fear with our actions.
Check your actions
Have you ever done a trust fall? The idea is to fall backwards and be caught by all your teammates. Why is this such a ubiquitous activity? Because it is a simple way to demonstrate what trust really is.
You can remind your heart that you really do trust something or someone by acting in spite of fear. Let’s use some of the examples from Matthew 6 above. If you were anxious about food or clothing your heart may be more focused on self-reliance, independence, or gratification than following Jesus.
How can your actions change your heart? If food and self-reliance are your concerns, try fasting and give up food in exchange for focus on the Lord. If clothing is your focus and looking good is your concern, try dressing modestly or giving up makeup for a period of time.
The ultimate Biblical trust fall is Peter stepping out of the boat and onto the water. Everything in his perception and his training as a professional fisherman told him to stay in the boat. It was his faith and trust that compelled those steps toward Jesus. Did he stop feeling fear before he stepped out? The Bible does not say, but I would find that extremely unlikely. It’s more likely that he stepped out of the boat because his trust for the Lord was more than his fear for his situation.
Why can’t I just stop?
If you feel frustrated at how slow change can feel, remember that painful moments always feel longer than comfortable moments. There are countless factors that play into anxiety or any long-term struggle.
Remember the words of Paul in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” We are all works in progress saved only by the grace of God. Keep at it and get the support that you need.