What's the difference between worry and an anxiety disorder?

Most of the times, applying God’s Word to an issue is just what we need. One of my favorite quotes is from a Puritan, “One word of God can do more to our souls than a thousand from me.” We have all had times when we hear the Word preached, counseled by a friend, or read in our own time and the Spirit of God drives it home in our hearts. It’s as if the electricity is suddenly restored after a power outage—poof!

Sometimes it’s one and done, but usually it is something we have to keep coming back to. The Bible is sufficient to address anxiety, fear, anger, and a multitude of other issues in our daily lives. But—being anxious is not a mental illness, neither is having negative thoughts or lacking motivation. These are all symptoms of living in a sin-stained world. Jesus said, “In this life you will have trouble.” So responding to stressors in this world are not the same as experiencing mental illness.

Anxiety, being sad, losing hope, not wanting to get out of bed, elevated mood, etc. are not mental illness. Mental illness is when several of these symptoms are compounded at the same time and prevent us from normal daily functions.

For example, we’ll talk about anxiety during the sermon. Being anxious and worrying are common human experiences. Living with an anxiety disorder is not.

Mental illness involves more than our souls. Mental illness involves the negative interaction of several components: emotions, mind, body, and soul. The mind has been disrupted, the body has been affected, and our emotions are in turmoil in such a way that we are unable to manage everyday life stressors.