4 Lies Anxiety Leads You to Believe
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- Published Jul 13, 2023
How loudly does anxiety speak to you? How often? Are there moments when anxiety sounds like a constant whisper? Or does anxiety yell at you sporadically? Depending on the person, anxiety takes on different appearances and frequencies, but the beast causes us all the same problems.
We doubt. We fear. We lose heart.
Even when we realize anxiety is a problem, realizing doesn’t solve the issue. We have to take active steps toward taming the beast within our minds. This requires a lot of work and commitment. We have to decide that anxiety won’t control our minds anymore, and then take steps to ensure that is the case.
One way to do that is to fight the anxious thoughts with truth. Why truth? Anxiety speaks to us, whether quietly or loudly, with lies. We fear a certain outcome because of real or imagined evidence. Yet, anxiety, 99.9% of the time has planted an idea in our heads that does not come to pass.
I repeat, 99.9% of the time, anxiety has planted an idea in our heads that do not come to pass. Something similar may occur, but hardly ever as bad as we imagine.
Despite this truth, we just about 99.9% of the time find ourselves beholden to the all-consuming thoughts, the fears, the what-ifs. We’re trapped, enslaved, and so very worried.
Yet, much like darkness breaks at the sign of light, lies fall apart when confronted with the truth.
Here are four lies anxiety leads you to believe, and four truths you need to remember.
The Lie: “I am unloved.”
The Truth: “I am loved.”
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
One of the most common anxious lies we believe is that we are unloved.
Circumstances and people can leave us dwelling on this thought. Examples include bullying, rejection, divorce, being fired from a job. And the things that happen to us can lead us from thinking others don’t love us to believing God shares the same sentiment.
Sometimes our reasoning for thinking we’re unloved has nothing to do with external factors at all. We conclude that we aren’t loved because of our own failings and shortcomings.
No matter how we come to the false conclusion, Scripture says just the opposite. We are indeed loved by God, despite our sin, and despite those who have sinned against us. God’s love is not tied to our circumstances. His love transcends them.
The Lie: “I am unworthy.”
The Truth: “I am worthy.”
“For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)
Another common lie we tell ourselves relates to our worth as people. Minor questioning of our worth affects self-esteem, but at worst, believing ourselves unworthy can lead to suicide.
What’s the truth of the matter? We are worthy.
Our worth is not tied to social status, wealth, relationships, work, and other material things as so many people believe. Instead, we find our worth in the Lord. He designed each of us in our mother’s womb and with purpose. He knew the story of our lives before we started living.
If God has given such intricate attention to our lives, then our worth should not come into question.
The Lie: “I will never change.”
The Truth: “I’m free.”
“So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.” (John 8:36)
Those of us who struggle with bad habits and addiction are familiar with the lie that we will never and can never change. When the habit calls, we want to answer, and there’s just nothing we can do about that. Wrong.
When we seek God for change, He helps us do just that. Sometimes the desire for a particular sin is gone forever. Other times, we struggle. But in both scenarios, God works with us to set us free from the thing that would otherwise bring us down.
If God sets us free, then we are indeed free. Believe that and watch change unfold before your eyes.
The Lie: “I’m not enough.”
The Truth: “I’m enough when I’m with God.”
“I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
Failure, especially repeated failure, can make us think that we are far from enough. Depending on the situation, sometimes we actually are not enough. We can’t control every person or situation to act in our favor. However, we don’t need to be enough, whatever that is, when going through life.
That’s because God is more than enough for us to be content.
Whether you're looking for a job, a spouse, or something else, when we trade the lie in for the truth, we let go of trying to be what we are not. We learn instead to surrender our lives to God.
Conclusion
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
Prayer is one way to find godly peace within our hearts and minds. Sometimes though, praying doesn't provide the remedy we seek. While there’s no doubt, God is willing to help us, sometimes we are also given the opportunity to help ourselves. Reminding ourselves of God’s truth is our way of finding His peace.
Whether anxiety speaks to you again today, tomorrow, or is bothering you right now, take the time to remind yourself of the truth. Share the truth with a friend. Talk to God about what you know to be true. The beast we know as anxiety is strong, but as David proved with Goliath, we can slay any giant with God by our side.
Photo Credit: ©iStockGettyImagesPlustadamichi
Video Photo Credit: Unsplash, Soundstripe
Get in touch with him at aarondanthony.com and check out his debut short story anthology Honey Dreams on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
