The Fog of Anxiety

Getting lost in the fog is a bit of a cliche. Heavy fog is the easiest way to manufacture fear and suspense in movies. Even when it is on screen we can pick up on the sense of uncertainty or fear in face of the unknown.

I have driven in fog many times, sometimes in day but more often at night. There is a dark heaviness to driving in fog at night as your lights shine out into the fog creating a bright world that only extends as far as the fog allows. The heavier the fog the smaller that world grows until all your bearings are completely gone.

In the worst of fog you become crippled by the uncertainty that surrounds you. Your car can run well, your lights be in perfect working order, the road straight and true and you can still be brought to a halt fearing an oncoming car, a deer in the road, or a possible curve that could leave you in the ditch.

Anxiety functions in much the same way. As it builds it starts hiding things from view. Things that are real and good and true. Things that bring joy and life and beauty. Things that help you keep your bearings and keep you moving in the right (or any) direction.

As anxiety grows in one’s heart and mind there is a mental and emotional fog that can blind you from all those things. Timidity, uncertainty, and then fear can obstruct the normal processes for seeing and hearing truth. Ultimately you grind to a halt as the anxiety becomes crippling as your brain is overrun by fog.

What the anxious heart and mind needs, what it longs for, is a way to roll back the fog. Medication, counseling, good sleep and exercise are certainly on the list of things that can help with that. On top of that, I've found that consistent and deep drinking from the wells of truth and grace found in scripture are of utmost importance.

Medication, counseling, and other things can help reduce the fog of anxiety. However, removing the fog only does the work of bringing your heart or mind back to some measure of normalcy. This is a good thing but the problem is that our "normal" hearts and minds are still marred by sin. And for that problem and the lingering "fog" that comes with it, only God and the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring healing, redemption, and full restoration.

When the fog of anxiety begins to roll in we need to run to Jesus. With God's help by His Spirit, we can move beyond "normal" to something greater. To do this we need to give ourselves daily and even hourly doses of the good medicine of the gospel. We can live and breathe and eat and drink the Good News of redemption, forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, joy, and freedom. Our hearts and minds can be revived with the glorious hope that comes from knowing our loving Savior.

Experiencing "peace that surpasses understanding" and seeing a "joy set before us" that allows us to persevere and endure during suffering are gifts of God beyond measure of worth. Receiving them and abiding in them are the work of faith and trust and surrender. Part of fighting anxiety involves training our hearts and minds to dwell on the things of God:

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." -Philippians 4:8

I found a book that is tremendously helpful for me in filling my heart and mind with the fog -destroying truth of Jesus. It is called: "A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love" by Milton Vincent. Dripping with scripture and thoughtful application of God's word, it has been an unexpected lifeline in fighting my anxiety. Moreover, it is so practical in its writing that it helps cultivate attitudes and habits that go beyond maintaining "normal" and pushes me to yearn for healing and redemption and growth.

Here is an online PDF version of the book,  and here it is on Amazon. It is worth the 3 or 4 bucks to have a hard copy!