The False Prophet of Anxiety

Anxiety is the movie in my head that plays things out so that I am prepared for every possible worst-case scenario. The movie that plays is based on very real past experiences that have played out similarly. Some of these experiences may not even be my own, but I have witnessed them. Anxiety tells me that peace is achieved in the rehearsing of pain.

So, I rehearse it. Creating an evidence board that feels historically accurate. If even in my own mind, I chase down leads to catch the culprit of my circumstances.

And I am right where the enemy wants me.

Anxiety is the false prophet of my own making, the idol of my own erecting. When I rehearse my pain, I am appealing to my own understanding; I am essentially praying to my known ability to control and protect myself and my circumstances.

This image of anxiety as a false prophet and an idol help me to reframe the way that I contend with it. If I believe that God created the emotions of the heart, then anxiety is a tool to be used for godliness. However, if I am feeling more of the anxiety itself than I am the wisdom of God that it was created to guide me into — then I have idolized a good, created thing in my heart.

The thing about false prophets is that they give us just enough signs and wonders to tickle our ears. We play out a scenario and it comes to pass, giving us the opportunity to exercise our prepared response. Whew. What a rush! To be able to predict our own future pain so that it won’t feel so painful. I don’t want to get hurt and anxiety tells me that I can avoid it! All I have to do is rehearse, predict, play out; all I have to do is live in a distorted reality that writes other people’s stories, as well as my own, in order to protect myself.

When we read about false prophets in Scripture we conjure up this image of a sleazy, greasy salesman of perversion. We imagine that we would never be duped by his lies and we would be able to see him coming from a mile away.

But Scripture tells us that false prophets creep in unnoticed, disguise themselves as apostles of Christ, keep us from recognizing and repenting of our sin, have the appearance of godliness and even seem to heal us temporarily.

Nestled in the context of the blinding effects of sin and walking the narrow way of salvation, Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 how we can recognize these false prophets:

“You’ll recognize them by their fruit.”

We can vet our anxiety by the fruit it produces in our minds.

Are we feeling more anxiety itself than the peace that it was intended to lead us into? False prophet.

Are we withholding compassion and forgiveness? False prophet.

Are we self-righteously judging others? False prophet.

Are we frustrated and focused on another’s sins? False prophet.

Are we impatient? False prophet.

Are we afraid? False prophet.

Are we neglecting the disciplines of Bible study, prayer and accountability? False prophet.

The fruits of the Spirit spoken of in Galatians 5 can be our litmus test for how we are relating to our anxiety. It could be that the waters of anxiety are stirred by the Holy Spirit because we are tempted to treat someone without patience and gentleness or we need to be faithful to practice self-control and flee a situation.

Anxiety gets a bad rap because we have moved it from the passenger’s seat to the driver’s seat. Anxiety can be a tool for holiness if it is surrendered to the redeeming work of Jesus. It’s when I enthrone my anxiety in the place of Christ that it rules in my heart to lead me astray.

Let’s not write the end of the story. Let’s partner with the Holy Spirit’s work in us and pause the scene right where it is, toss the evidence board and rehearse the Truth over our pain.

The false prophet of anxiety tells me that I am in control, that it’s possible to avoid hurt and trouble. But Truth tells me that I will endure pain and hardship, but I can put anxiety to rest because God has overcome.

I don’t have to strive to accomplish or control a victory that has already been won for me. I don’t have to resist inevitable hardship, I can lean into it and let it produce good fruit in me in faith that victory has already been won for me.