Thoughts that have been on my mind and heart with recent events

I had something completely different topic set for this month’s bible study; however given recent events and the anniversaries of Charlie Kirk’s death and 9/11, I feel I need to talk about something that has been on my mind and heart for a while. It is not that I am afraid of the future because I know who holds the future; it is a conflict between what my head knows and what my heart feels. I often turn to prayer for peace of mind and remind myself that Jesus said, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). However, every now and then, the events of the world weigh on my mind and heart more than usual. I wonder if I have studied the Bible well enough. I have taught my children enough, preparing them for the world they will see outside our door. How do I discuss topics with someone who will argue for the sake of arguing? Who argues with feelings and refuses to listen to facts? These thoughts and questions flooded my mind more recently as I reflected on the anniversaries of this month. 

The amount of hatred and mockery of Christianity on social media has seriously hurt my heart. While I am not surprised as Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” it still hurts. As I have seen the redemptive and transformative power of belief in Jesus Christ can bring to someone and in my own life, I have seen His work in my daily life that it is undeniable to me. Someone denying Christ is not surprising but the venom I see online toward God, Jesus and those who believe in Him, I fear, has turned my heart cold to them. Especially online, I usually roll my eyes and move on without trying to correct them. And I hate that I feel this way. However, without realizing it, as I write this God was listening and recently He put in front of me reminders. Yes, as believers, we are called to share the gospel; however, in Matthew 7:6, Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Meaning? It is useless to try to teach holy concepts to people who don’t want to listen and will only tear apart what we say. If someone comes to me with genuine questions, I have answers and the willingness to look up the answers if I don’t. However, if someone were to come to me with questions in order to belittle me or to attempt to break my faith, I will not entertain such a person.

In the year since Charlie Kirk’s death, I have seen clips of his meetings with skeptics and doubters, and while I was not a fan before his death, I now admire his resolve to bring the truth to as many people as possible. And I am humbled at his passion and resolve. I know I could never be as articulate or knowledgeable as he was, but I hope that I could stand on my faith and the truth as he did. It sickened me as I saw people celebrate his death and still celebrated as the anniversary arrived. There are people in the world I dislike or even despise; however, I would l never celebrate them being sick, ill or even their death. I may not have much sympathy or have no feelings either way for their circumstances; but it feels so wrong and evil to celebrate. While God told us that good would be called evil and evil good, He also proclaimed trouble to those who would do so (Isaiah 5:20), I still struggle with the deep sadness, anger and disgust I feel when I see people celebrating evil. I know Charlie Kirk was aware of the target he put on himself when he chose to stand up, speak out and try to educate others about the lies they have been told. And Christians should also be aware that there is also a target on us as well. Maybe the threat isn’t as strong as Charlie Kirk faced but the day will come when we won’t be able to be as free to worship as we, especially in America, have been. 

I have been a believer for over 30 years and sometimes I still struggle with and feel powerless in the state of the world today. At these moments, I turn to God, to His word and yet, I feel what can little old me do? I am nobody in a world of billions of people. While I know I am somebody to my Lord, to my husband, to my daughters, and my loved ones, I feel like a faceless, powerless nobody. Why would anyone care what I had to say? So I often stay silent and I hate myself when I do. Even as I do these monthly bible studies, I do them for myself and write about what I have learned and post them. I know people read them but do they have any impact in their lives? Does it even matter that I post these at all? As I said at the start, recent events have lit a fire, so to speak, that I want to be different. I want to be prepared to meet any enemy and be prepared to stand up for my faith, even if it means my death. Death?!? Someone might exclaim. Yes, given the state of the world right now and the growing battle against Christ and believers, I believe the day will come when we might be faced with that question and I hope I will be able to say “Yes, I believe in Christ” and lose my life in the process. Because Jesus said that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35). 

In conclusion, I set out to write this blog as an honest disclosure of what I have been feeling and thinking recently. As I started writing this blog, my mind was heavy and as I took a few days to further reflect and came back to writing it, I remember that my struggle is with understanding, an understanding that is beyond me. It is an understanding that God, in his wisdom, is telling me his grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am reminded of the book of Philippians, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is a book of hope which seems odd as Paul wrote it while in prison. In Philippians 4, Paul writes to rejoice in the Lord (verse 4) and to not be anxious about anything and to turn to God with our worries in prayer and petition (verse 6). I may not be able to completely battle the mockery of my faith online or understand the celebration of evil, however, I will commit myself to further and deeper study of the Bible and find peace in Jesus Christ. 

Is anxiety a sin?

I came across a TikTok that made the claim that anxiety is a sin. As someone who has anxious moments from time to time and has experience dealing with anxiety in others, I was concerned as well as curious. Is anxiety really a sin? There are numerous verses in Scripture that tell us not to worry. Jesus talks about not worrying many times throughout the gospels. But is worry the same as anxiety? I have always thought worry and anxiety were somewhat different. Worry is defined as feeling troubled about actual or potential problems. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety is defined as “an emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune.”  Is anxiety a sin? In what context can anxiety be sinful? What do we do with anxiety when we experience it? 

According to John Piper (2014), yes it is as Paul says Philippians 4:11-13 that we must learn contentment in our circumstances and trust in God. He cites Matthew 6:25 in which Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount not to worry about our lives, our food, drink or our body. Jesus concludes this lesson on worry with “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). According to Mr. Piper, “the physical brain and the spiritual soul are interdependent in ways that we cannot fully see” and since the spiritual and the physical are connected, as we grow in faith, the less anxiety we can experience” (2014). Anxious thoughts can trigger the fight or flight stress response in our bodies. And if we are in constant fight or flight mode, the stress can wear down our bodies and can mimic serious conditions like heart attacks and digestive issues. This has been true for me in many aspects; however, I think anxiety goes a bit deeper than that. 

According to Joe Carter (2019) of The Gospel Coalition, if anxiety is a sin depends on the context. Fear and anxiety can have four types. First, it could be a God-given emotional response for our benefit. Anxiety is an emotional response to a real or perceived future threat. A warning system of impending danger for survival. This could not be perceived as a sin. Second, it could be clinical anxiety. Clinical anxiety is a disordered physiological response. A malfunction that can be debilitating and interferes with daily functions such as eating, sleeping and social interactions. This could not be perceived as a sin. Third, anxiety could be the result or natural consequence of sinful behavior. For example, some long term recreational drug use can lead to the development of anxiety disorders. Another example is someone with a gambling addiction and then worries about paying their bills. Lastly, anxiety could be a sinful response to God’s providential care. This anxiety results because an individual has a lack of trust in God. This is what Jesus is referring to in Luke 12:22-30 and Matthew 6:25-34 when he teaches about worry. 

So which type are we dealing with? When we encounter anxiety in other people, we need to be careful how we approach it because we do not know which type someone is dealing with. Proverbs 12:25 says that “an anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” If you come across a person who is dealing with anxiety, speak softly with comforting words. Do not assume someone’s anxiety is due to sin when it could easily not be due to sin. However, when we are dealing with anxiety ourselves, we can have a clearer picture of our circumstances. We should search our hearts and examine our emotions to determine whether our anxiety is stemming from something we cannot control or it is connected to sinful behavior. If the anxiety is due to a psychological stressor, we can learn the various breathing techniques to help relieve the physiological response such as the Box Breathing technique. Box Breathing is inhaling for 4 counts, holding the breath for 4 counts, exhaling for 4 counts and holding again for 4 counts.

In conclusion, a blanket comment that anxiety is a sin can be damaging and simply wrong. Can anxiety be the result of sin? Yes. Is all anxiety sinful? No. It is important to remember to never assume someone’s anxiety is due to sin. So, what can we do? In Philippians 4:6, Paul tells us to “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Simply, turn your anxiety into prayers. Take your concerns to God and open your heart to him about your worries and concerns. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Let God shine a light on where our anxiety can be the result of sin and let him take it away if it is not. 

References

American Psychological Association. Anxiety. https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety. Retrieved January 18, 2026.

Carter, Joe (March 26m 2019). Ask TGC: Is Anxiety a Sin? The Gospel Coalition.  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/ask-tgc-anxiety-sin/. Retrieved January 7, 2026.

Piper, John (February 19, 2014) Anxiety: Sin, Disorder or Both. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/anxiety-sin-disorder-or-both. Retrieved January 7, 2026.