- I can’t believe I did that. I’m so stupid!
- My stomach hurts. My head hurts.
- I need to make a phone call, but I know I’m going to make a fool of myself.
- I think I will curl up in a ball and stay here forever.
- Why do I feel short of breath? Why is my heart beating so fast? Maybe I’m having a heart attack!
If you can relate to any of these, then I’m sorry, but you are one of the millions of people who suffer from anxiety. I don’t use that word, “suffer,” lightly. Anxiety sucks out your energy and enjoyment of life, leaving you feeling worthless and helpless, and it causes a long list of nasty health problems.
Are you depressed yet? You don’t need to be. Just as dark clouds have silver linings, believe it or not, angst has some advantages.
7 benefits of anxiety
- It motivates you to put extra effort into school, work, making a good impression, or moving towards your goals. You will have more success in life. How can you use your anxiety to inspire your growth and self-improvement?
- It makes you more forgiving, empathetic and compassionate with other people. People can trust you not to hurt them. That makes you a better friend and a better person. You will not be that toxic person that others want out of their life.
- It helps you make fewer mistakes. There was a scientific study that showed that anxious people have fewer car accidents. Wouldn’t it be nice if car insurance companies would lower their rates?
- It motivates you to prepare for problems or emergencies and to know how to deal with them. You won’t be caught unware like other people. You have probably already googled what to do in case of wildfire, flood, hurricane or whatever other local disasters your region might have. And you probably have a house key hidden somewhere, just in case.
- It makes you a better problem solver. Because you worry about what can go wrong, you will look at all your options so you can pick the best one. And mostly, you WILL pick the best one. (Of course, since you’re a worrier, you will probably think you picked the wrong one.)
- It teaches you to lean on God, not on yourself. You know you can’t do it without Him. Tough times amplify your awareness of Him. Your anxiety might just be what keeps you walking with God.
- When this world is so full of stress, it makes you not hold onto it too tightly. Your gaze looks ahead further to the bigger picture and what is beyond this life.
Let’s look at #7 for a couple of minutes. It’s a basic truth that life is hard most of the time. Problems are inescapable, woven into the fabric of this fallen world. Anxiety drives the pain of life deeper into your soul.
But what happens when life ends? The Bible describes heaven, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4, NKJV) That means no anxiety. No depression. No panic attacks. No stress.
I like how The Message Bible paraphrases Paul’s words, “…we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not handmade… Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.” (2 Cor. 5:1-5)
When you feel like anxiety is trying to suck every ounce of joy out of your life, look up. Trust God. Trust His Word. Things might not look the greatest now, but you KNOW that in the end, all will be well.
