By Nancy Virden (c)2025

Within a religious community where the Bible is Holy, inerrant, and authoritative, one may hear a misquote from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. He was addressing a conflict between two women, faithful members who were arguing. He asked for a mediator to help them.

Paul went on to counsel the women to take all their concerns to God. He reminded them that when they pray over the issues, with thanksgiving, they will experience God’s peace in their hearts.

Paul’s aim was to help solve a problem, not condemn everyone who feels anxious.

This is precisely what he wrote, which is so often taken out of context: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

It is a wonderful passage with deep meaning that we can each apply to our spiritual practice. To make it a command to never feel anxious is to deplete it and destroy the message. This is too easy; stigma often is.

People who perhaps look in the Bible for ideas that agree with their preconceived ideas, ignore that Paul himself worried and experienced anxiety! As seen in 2 Corinthians 7:5, ^“For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within ” (italics mine). In his same letter to the Philippian church (2:27-28), Paul mentioned again about his battle with anxiety. Concerning a friend’s illness, he wrote, “But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety” (italics mine).

Peter also did not reprimand people for feeling anxiety. Instead, he said “Cast all your anxiety on him [Jesus] because he cares for you” (brackets mine).

The Psalmists wrote and sang about their experiences with anxiety. David proved God’s faithfulness in times of anxiety. Psalm 31: 21-22 reads, “Praise the Lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack.  In panic I cried out, ‘I am cut off from the Lord!’ But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help” (italics mine).

If we are judging others for experiencing anxiety, Proverbs 12: 25 implies we are not doing well. We are to intercept the anxiety of others with kind, not condemning, words. “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”

Churches have differing atmospheres, more or less taking on the local social order, and often perpetuating the personality of the pastors. Some churches are friendlier, more open, or more compassionate than others. Since we vary in these ways as groups of believers, we cannot judge individuals for their various experiences and reactions to them.

-COMMENTS WELCOME

Today’s Helpful Word

Philippians 4:8-9 -by Paul

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

If you are feeling suicidal or concerned about someone who is, in the U.S., call 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. For a list of international suicide hotlines, go here.

If you are suicidal with a plan, immediately call 911 in the U.S. or go to your nearest emergency room; in the EU, call 112. (For other international emergency numbers, go here.) Hope and help are yours!

Always the Fight Ministries (ATFM) has been displaying compassion for those fighting mental illness, addiction, or abuse since 2012. Nancy is the founder and voice of ATFM and openly shares her emotional resurrection from despair. 

NOTE: Nancy is not a doctor or a mental health professional and speaks only from personal experience and observations. This website is not intended to substitute for professional mental or behavioral health care.

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