Physical Address
Towne Church
3722 Towne Blvd.
Middletown, OH 45005
By nature, I am an anxious person. Most people do not believe that I am an anxious person because I seem laid-back, and I speak more slowly than most. I was born in Oklahoma but raised in the foothills of Eastern Kentucky, which contributes to my façade. My true nature was exposed when my son was born.
Growing up on a farm exposed me to many experiences that most children miss. We raised about every animal and crop one could imagine. Burley tobacco was our primary cash crop, while pork was our primary livestock. Raising pigs on a low-budget farm meant that we often lacked the means for veterinary care, so we became resourceful to provide the medical attention needed to our own livestock. This level of care required unimaginable actions that most would shy away from – details are unnecessary.
Several years forward comes the birth of my son. I was so nervous and anxious. All the questions were streaming through my mind. Will I be a good father? Will I love him unconditionally? Will he love Jesus? Will he be successful? The ultimate question was, will I remain composed through his birth? The answer to the last question is no. I was asked to hold my wife while the anesthesiologist inserted the epidural into her spine. That may sound a bit dramatic, but my reaction became dramatic. The prequel to this was that I experienced everything birth-related as a child growing up on a farm. But I quickly learned that when it comes to my own family, I become so anxious that I cannot perform the same as I can with pigs. I nearly passed out. I had to leave the delivery room to recompose myself and to drink orange juice. I came back just in time to support my wife through the birth of my son. When asked if I wanted to “cut the cord,” I immediately declined. With the birth of my second child, I clearly understood my limitations.
David faced many trials that induced some anxiety in his life. As was common for many shepherds, at a young age, David was left alone to watch over the family flock. He was chosen over all his older brothers, surely this source of tension created some anxiety for David (1 Samual 16:13). David faced the giant, Goliath (1 Samual 17:50) (including and presumably his brothers of Gath), who no other Israelite would face. David endured Saul’s oppression while maintaining his intimate friendship with the king’s son, Jonathan (1 Samuel 19:1). David fled from Saul into the hands of his own enemies (1 Samuel 21). David suffered in his own sin when he committed adultery and murdered Uriah (2 Samuel 11:4-5, 17). David suffered the loss of his son (2 Samuel 12:19). Through all of David’s struggles, he remained faithful to God. His faithfulness is represented in Psalm 139, as he acknowledges his humanness and dependence on God. And through all of David’s struggles, God sustained him.
Regardless of whether a person has inherit tendencies to experience anxiety, no one is beyond feelings of anxiety. It is an inner conflict that is a part of the human experience in a broken world. Floyd writes, “Clients are greatly relieved to know that what they’re experiencing is not unusual, and, in fact, that it seems to be how God designed us.” Understanding that feelings of anxiety are a part of the human experience.
There are some indicators to warn an individual of generalized anxiety. Feelings that create tension or restlessness, tiredness, inability to concentrate, mood swings, muscle tension, and sleeplessness. Ignoring symptoms of generalized anxiety can lead into other disorders such as stress disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, phobias, and obsessive disorders. Why we experience these emotions is a normal part of the human experience, but how we react and respond to them can alter our ability to work through these experiences.
Jesus experienced emotions and he experienced anxiety. Jesus experienced an emotional moment when he entered the temple courtyard in Jerusalem and observed the extortion in motion with those exchanging money and selling sacrificial offerings (Mark 11:15). Jesus also experienced emotional moments when he challenged his deceiver to move quickly (John 13:27). When Jesus requested from the Father that the cup be passed from him (Matthew 26:39), Jesus’s intimate moment with the Father in the garden of Gethsemane was likely his most significant moment of anxiety and despair because the pain and suffering that he knew was coming – he knew it must be done. What we know about anxiety is that it is a human experience and that Jesus also experienced anxiety. In the midst of anxiety, we can also claim this promise in Philippians as Paul writes, “Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 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 4:5-7, CSB).” God never promises that the causes of worry and anxiety will ever subside, but he does promise the strength to endure – even until the end.
