Scriptures about Worry: Helping You Deal with Anxiety

One thing is for sure – people will always be people. No matter our differences across cultures, gender, age, or any other differences you could think of, some things cause us to worry. Over thousands of years, people have worried about their children, about their future, about whether they will have enough when they need it, about their health or that of their loved ones, and so on. So, when we turn to the Bible and Scriptures about worry, we know that it is speaking about the human condition, our condition.

Most people are afflicted by worries of one sort or another. These are quite often legitimate. When Scripture tells us to not worry, it’s not trivializing things like food, security, relationships, our futures, and much else that forms the substance of our concerns. Rather, it’s inviting us into a posture of trust that God will meet us in our places and times of need.

Having said that, there are times when anxiety and worry are overwhelming, and they prevent you from doing what you need to or enjoying life. In such cases, approaching a mental health professional to get a diagnosis and see if you or a loved one have an anxiety disorder is a step in the right direction.

Scriptures about Worry: Helping You Deal with Anxiety

Here are a few Scriptures about worry that can help you as you deal with anxiety.

Psalm 91 is one of those passages that encourage us to trust God amid challenging circumstances. Because of who God is, we can have the confidence to face hard things. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings, you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday” (Psalm 91: 4-6).

When it says God is a refuge, it means that God is a safe place – like a baby bird finds that the safest place is under its mother’s wings, the safest place we can find ourselves is under God’s protection. There’s a lot that is scary out there in the world, much that can cause us to worry. But as this verse encourages us, and as other scriptures remind us, God is a place of safety, and he has our best interests at heart.

Jeremiah, though he is called ‘the weeping prophet’, has much encouragement for God’s people. One of the more famous verses is in chapter 29:11, which reads “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

When the future seems uncertain, and we don’t know how things will pan out, it should give us comfort that the God who runs the universe God won’t harm you and instead has plans for your flourishing. That doesn’t mean we won’t go through tough times, but we go through them with the strength God provides and with the assurance that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

In another place, Jeremiah reminds us, “…blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. they will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. it has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8).

Jesus reminds his followers in many places in Scripture not to worry. Our worrying often revolves around the questions of money and necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. These are important things, one and all. God knows that we need these things. But Jesus asks his followers to pursue life through a different lens and to prioritize our creative and other energy in a different direction from the things that usually consume us.

Instead of worrying about our bodies, what we shall eat and what we shall wear, and where we’ll sleep, Jesus says, “…your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:32-34).

Worrying takes our eyes off God and latches onto our circumstances. It’s a never-ending task because we can never worry enough. To save us from this thankless and endless labor, Jesus urges people to pursue God, and entrust ourselves to his loving care.

From the rest of the Bible, we know that this doesn’t mean we then sit with our hands in our laps. We work, we pray, we act to meet our needs in the strength God provides. We simply don’t get consumed by worrying about it.

Echoing the previous verses, Hebrews 13:5,6 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So, we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” People aren’t in love with pieces of paper or the zeros and ones that represent our bank balance.

What concerns us and why we’re attracted to money is the control, power, and access that it can provide. We use it to try and insulate ourselves from hardship in life. And to be sure, money does come in handy in many circumstances, which is why it is a powerful rival to our trust in God (there’s a reason Jesus spoke about money more than a lot of other subjects).

The problem is when we trust in money to do God’s job; that’s when we worry because we feel unsafe and vulnerable without it. Rather than trusting what we have, which leads to worry because we’re eager to get and keep it, remembering God’s ever-present help and resting in contentment is the better path.

Contentment is a tough sell in our age of constant advertising and low-cost consumer goods with free 2-day shipping. But contentment has been difficult in any age – Paul said that he had learned the secret of being content in every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want.

It is through the strength God provides, not something self-generated. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6,7). Entrusting ourselves to God and living in a posture of gratitude are a significant help toward contentment and addressing our worries and anxieties.

When you’re tackling a problem, it’s good to know if there’s someone on your team who’s cracked the code or has the resources to get the job done. There is nothing beyond Jesus’ power to save. In a challenging verse, he says, “I have told you these things (hardships to come), so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Trouble will come. That much is certain. But Jesus has overcome the world, and so we know that in him we too will overcome the world. He says all this so that we will have peace. To deal with our worries and fears, Jesus asks us to face them squarely but to recognize that he has overcome all that the world will throw our way.

Death could not defeat Jesus, and he asks us to trust that in his power and according to his timing, he will intervene and overturn what at first seems like resounding defeat and loss. We can face even the most difficult of circumstances with confidence instead of worry.

If you find that you worry and are anxious to the point where your daily functioning is impaired, consider seeing a mental health professional for a diagnosis. Your treatment plan, if you have an anxiety disorder, may include therapy; medication; and if you use a Christian therapist, Scripture, and prayer as valuable resources to restore your sense of joy and peace.