With the University of Illinois and public and Christian school about to crank up, it feels like the anxiety level in Champaign-Urbana has gone up precipitously in the last week. From Archibald Hart’s The Anxiety Cure (Word Publishing, 1999), here are 10 ridiculous things you can say to a person with anxiety (or to yourself, for that matter):
1. “We all get anxious, so just pull yourself together.”
2. “If you would just relax more, your anxiety will go away.”
3. “Have you committed some sin that God is punishing you for?”
4. “You worry too much, and worry never changes anything.”
5. “If you just try harder you wouldn’t feel so stressed out.”
6. “Just ignore your problems and they will go away.”
7. “Anxiety can’t kill you, so just snap out of it.”
8. “If you had more faith, you would stop worrying.”
9. “Take a holiday and all your problems will go away.”
10.”If I can cope with my life, you should be able to cope with yours.”
It’s true that Jesus does condemn worry. I call it worry anxiety. We’ve all been there!
May I encourage you to pray for yourself and others in the hectic days ahead. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.” I Peter 5:7
When I’m buried in stress, or notice that others are, I like to use this gentle benediction from II Corinthians 13:13: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
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