Hypochondria (noun): excessive concern about one’s health especially when accompanied by imagined physical ailments
– Merriam-Webster
I used to be a huge hypochondriac! I still am a little, but it used to be really bad. For example, I got an MRI because I thought I had MS or a brain tumor because of some minor issues I was having, like dizziness and some optical abnormalities, an EKG and heart monitor because of chest pain and heart palpitations, lots of doctor visits from random symptoms, and countless hours of time spent on Google trying to play doctor! You can ask my mom about all the things I was convinced I had… (it’s kinda embarrassing!)
The thing is, there was nothing ever horribly wrong with my physical health. But when you look at my life at the time, it’s actually really simple to diagnose what was going on. A lot of this was happening during a time where I had a lot of stress, in fact I was having panic attacks two or three times a week! The dizziness, chest pain, malaise, lack of appetite, and all the symptoms that I just couldn’t figure out, they were all from anxiety! And the constant worrying over my health only made it worse. It got to a point where the primary source of anxiety and therefore the symptoms was the symptoms themselves!! What a crappy cycle to get stuck in!
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
– Philippians 4:6
Anxiety is a really sticky problem, especially when it’s been the norm in your life for any period of time. Not to mention, the world likes to promote anxiety as something you can’t really do anything about. It protects that lifestyle, and would never be so “insensitive” as to tell you the truth about it.
Good thing we have another option besides listening to the world! Jesus offers us a bit of different advice…
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
– John 14:27
Advice isn’t really the right word, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” sounds a lot more like a command! Could it be because He knows what’s best for you??? There’s a reason it’s not just a suggestion! Often when things aren’t going as well as we’d like them to in our spiritual lives, our natural response is to become worried. Sometimes we give it too much of our attention instead of giving it all to God and humbly asking for things to change and then worry turns into anxiety. Anxiety then turns into things continually going wrong and you start losing touch with God to a degree…you wanna know why?
Anxiety, in the spiritual sense, is really just a fancy word for control issues. When we try to control our spiritual life or rush our sanctification or abstain from sin or any of that from our own will or strength, we’re really just trying to step into God’s office! When has that ever worked for anybody??
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
– Proverbs 19:21
Even when we’re trying to control everything, God is still in control of our lives. Talk about patience, huh? Sometimes a reminder like that is all we need! Who needs any of our control when we have a God who will be with us to strengthen and uphold us (Isaiah 41:10)? Can any of us even kind of do that for ourselves??? I think any of us can say from experience, “NO!!!”
Isn’t that comforting though? And there’s hardly an end to the encouragement available to us if we read the Bible like it was written for us personally. I think we forget about the promises He makes us. How about this one?
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
‘For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 8:35-39
Thank God! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get anxious about the future, thinking that I’m going to make bad decisions or I won’t be able to keep my life together for that long (interesting how that’s not even my job) but apparently not even the future will separate me from God’s love! Phew. What else do we have, then? The past is long gone, even what you did five minutes ago. Right now, you can go to Him as you are, no matter how stuck you are or how stupid you’ve been and just thank Him for everything He’s done for you personally. There’s so much to be thankful for!
Spiritual hypochondria can be a slippery slope, but once you see it for how it is, it’s not so scary! Instead of distracting yourself from it and letting it fester, or trying to handle it by yourself, it’s best to attack it right at the source. Gratitude destroys anxiety! And the more you read about the person of God and see what He has to say about us, His children, the more naturally gratitude comes along!
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
– Romans 8:28-30
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.
– John 15:14-17
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED. ” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR AND TREMBLING.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
– Hebrews 12:18-24
Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.
– Mark 5:34
Love in Christ,
Lily Fredericks