Psa 56:3 When I am afraid I will trust in You. (MKJV)
The word for fear in the original Hebrew may also be translated as dread, anxiety, apprehension, foreboding, panic (as in panic attacks) and alarm to name but a few. Anxiety comes clothed in many different styles such as PTSD, social phobia's, Avoidant Personality Disorder, or through a medical condition such as hyper/hypothyroidism; as well as other expressions. Two ways of viewing anxiety are State and Trait anxiety. In common terms, State anxiety is a person’s reaction to a perceived threat from environmental influences such as job loss, major illness, terrorist attack, or some other external event. Trait anxiety is a personality trait that may cause an individual to perceive danger when danger is not present. Trait anxiety can be the result of schizophrenia or a traumatic event in childhood that has a continuing and pervasive influence on a person's decision-making processes. This influence is often buried in memories or the subconscious and can be triggered by an activating event as simple as the smell that reminds us of the traumatic event.
I watched a documentary about a neurological experiment in which scientists were trying to understand how memory worked. The doctors cut away part of the skull of the volunteer and began touching certain parts of the brain that had electrodes connected in order to trigger memories. Amazing to me was that the volunteer was conscious during this whole process because the researchers wanted verbal feedback from her. While the researchers could not access the hippocampus, which is deep within the brain, they could access other parts of the brain to trigger memories, such as the Frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex, and temporal lobe if I remember correctly. When a researcher touched one of the electrodes the volunteer would exclaim that they could smell (smell is also connected to memory) food from their mother cooking in the kitchen. Another time they could see the colors of the kitchen, recalled friends they had not thought about in years. Obviously not all memories stored in our subconscious are pleasant; consequently, the volunteer also recalled painful and frightening events when certain electrodes were touched. The point is that Trait anxiety is stored via traumatic memory, the result of a Personality disorder, or due to a neurological disorder.
State anxiety is a common occurrence in many people because there are so many stressors associated with modern living. This scripture above is describing a situation in which King David was experiencing State anxiety. In verses one and two, David describes the external or environmental factors that were causing him dread or anxiety.
(Psa 56:1,2) Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting daily, he presses me down. My watchers panted for me daily; for many are they who proudly fight against me.
King Saul and the Philistines wanted to kill David and David was in fear of his life. If you have ever faced the possibility of death two things may happen, 1) a sense of dread that causes us to feel as if our stomach is about to fall down to our feet; followed by 2) either peace from acceptance or anger from denial or resistance. David was essentially trapped with his back against the wall. In this stressful situation David chose to trust in the Lord. "What time I am full of anxiety, I will trust in you", was his declaration. He did not have an immediate answer but he knew that faith in his Good Shepherd would see him through. David was actually practicing something called "Cognitive Behavior /Mindfulness Therapy " on himself. No, the scripture does not say that specifically, but to those who are aware of various counseling therapies, it's obvious that this is exactly what David was doing. At its basic, CBT asserts that our perception of self and of the world (environment) can lead to mental health issues unless corrected. Let’s break down what David did in his thought processes to help manage this environmental stress and State anxiety.
1) He assessed his situation and did not deny the severity of it or his state of mind. (If we deny there are problems or that we are afraid, it often makes things worse). David said that he had external stressors (people trying to kill him). Verses 5-6 "Enemies spend the whole day finding fault with me; all they think about is how to do me harm. They attack from ambush, watching my every step and hoping to kill me".
2) He caught his thoughts of anxiety. In Verse 1, He said that he was afraid.
3) He checked his thoughts, in other words, he asked himself if his enemies were truly greater than God and his Promises. He reassessed his situation in light of Gods promises
4) He changed his thought patterns and beliefs, about his environment, and recalled Gods promises and compassion.
Psa 56:4 - 6 I praise your promises! I trust you and am not afraid. No one can harm me.
Psa 56:8 You have kept record of my days of wandering. You have stored my tears in your bottle and counted each of them.
How can we apply this to our life today? We may not face people trying to kill us, as David, yet still face numerous external stressors that are creating State Anxiety. Remember that anxiety is a feeling of dread or foreboding that something is out of your control and that something bad is going to happen. Trait Anxiety is a pervasive anxiety stemming from trauma or personality disorders while State Anxiety is the result of external or environmental influences. Trait anxiety is a state of mind in which an individual has a dread of danger or bad event happening when no actual danger exists in the present. State Anxiety is the result of real danger or threatening circumstances that may cause harm, but this type of anxiety is more easily manageable through proper techniques.
What are some scenarios in which we can apply this to our life? Perhaps you are facing the loss of a job and afraid of losing your house or car as a result. Perhaps you are facing a serious illness, which causes a fear of dying. Perhaps a once dear friend has betrayed you and is now attempting to destroy your reputation. Perhaps all of these events are happening to you at the same time. Job experienced State Anxiety when he lost everything in one day except his nagging wife and faultfinding friends. Job seemed to express anxiety about his relationship with God and thought that God was displeased with him. It is sad and curious how many times a Christian faces environmental stressors in their life and wonder if God is angry with them over their sins, thus creating more anxiety. When we are faced with overwhelming or even mild State Anxiety, we need to follow David’s example; because this is one type of anxiety that can be treated without drugs. State Anxiety can be treated by simply changing our beliefs about the external world and our self-perception in relationship to Christ. The idea is to manage our stress-related anxiety so that we can regain control of our problem solving processes and regain a proper belief system concerning the world around us in relationship to the love and power of Christ.
If you are born again, your relationship with Christ is forever settled in heaven. Your Father in heaven is not seeking to harm you but to help you, so any thought of God punishing you for your sins is to be addressed; Catch it, Check it, and Change it! Follow those steps every time you feel stressed about your current condition, Catch it, check it, and change it!
Catch those thoughts (usually automatic thoughts) that you're going to lose everything. Check it by questioning your beliefs or assumptions. For example, suppose you do lose everything and have to start over. Is it impossible with God to restore your life? If you are faced with losing everything, does that mean you absolutely will lose everything? Do you have proof? Can God restore everything if you do lose it all? (Job 42:10-17). Is God able to give you another job? Has God given the skills to find another job in your field? Does getting sick and hospitalized mean you are absolutely going to die? When going to a party, are those fears that you will be rejected true? What if you do embarrass yourself, does that mean you are undesirable as a friend? Check and question those assumptions because false beliefs and assumptions are at the core of State (situational) anxiety.
Finally, Change your thoughts as David did. David said that the compassion and promises of God were greater than his State Anxiety (What time I am afraid I will trust in thee). David verbally acknowledged that God knew about his days of trouble and had seen him weeping; and that God would not forget David but would keep his promises. Likewise, God has not forgotten you, he has seen your tears, counted your sorrows, and felt your fears. David’s conclusion, and ultimately your conclusion, is that Christ will restore your life and give you the wisdom, resources, ability, and will empower you to overcome and resolve the external stressors in your life.
Father, I thank you that all things will work together for my good. I am facing trouble, and I am afraid, but I will trust in your eternal love and compassion for me. I will trust in your loving provision to sustain me. I will trust in your infinite wisdom to guide me through my troubles. Amen
Author: Dan Dickerson, 2017
Facebook: Christ and Psychology
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