Anxiety and Jesus

Anxiety: how did Jesus handle it?

As we have pointed out at several places on this site, when confronted by a new situation which might cause us harm (which may be as innocuous as losing our way on a journey, being late for an appointment, having a deadline at work, or going into a new situation for the first time), the body produces hormones that make it ready for the ‘fight or flight’ response. The body’s chemistry changes slightly to make it ready to respond should the situation indeed be a danger. This is entirely normal. However, as we have seen, the problems only come when we are presented with excessive ‘fight or flight’ situations, which through the chemical changes alter our moods and perceptions, which become an anxiety in themselves, and a negative feedback cycle is entered into.

Christians believe that Jesus was fully human and fully God. He was not God pretending to be a human, putting on a human mask. Neither was He just human, but with an unusual access to God. This presents some interesting conflicts: God is everywhere, yet Jesus could only be in one place at a time. God limited Himself in Jesus, and allowed himself to be vulnerable. However, other aspects of God’s nature were in harmony with being human in Jesus: God is powerful, has control over nature and heals people. Jesus also had power over nature and healed. God knows everything; Jesus too knew at times what people were thinking. God is sinless, pure and holy. So was Jesus. Yet even Jesus had to grow and develop into these things.

Seeing as Jesus was fully human, his body was the same as ours: he got hungry and thirsty, he got tired, he felt the loss of a loved one, and he loved the company of good friends. It is not unreasonable to suggest, therefore, that he had the same reaction of ‘fight or flight’ when presented with new or potentially threatening situations. There were times when the crowd turned against him, or when the religious leaders tried to trick him with a view to arresting him – neither pleasant situations. But there is no evidence that this normal anxiety, this normal ‘fight or flight’ response, ever got out of control. But he must have experienced it.

I would suggest two reasons why Jesus never allowed his normal anxiety to get out of control. The first was his unshakeable trust in God. Whatever was happening – like being on a boat about to sink in a storm – God was in control, and was using the circumstances to further His kingdom. The second was his cultivated habit of going into a place by himself, perhaps early in the morning, and spending a lot of time with God, his father. We don’t find either of these easy! When difficult circumstances come our way, we are more likely to think ‘Heck, things are going wrong’ than ‘How will God use this to bring glory to himself, and how can I co-operate with that?’. And given the choice of seeing what is on TV as opposed to seeing what is on God’s mind……

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

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A simple prayer:

Dear Jesus, I thank you and put my trust in you. Please come into my life. I know that you will always be at my side even when I am at my most anxious; I know that you will never let me down. Forgive me for the times that I have disappointed you. Guide me and teach me, fill me with your power, I pray for healing and peace in the love and assurance that you died and rose again. amen.