I suffer from anxiety and don't feel saved or have peace. What can I do?

Hi Rob,

I am sorry to hear that you have had long standing anxiety and sometimes depression. My mother had a full nervous breakdown in the early 2000's with full-on panic attacks and a complete shutdown of her ability to cope with any input. Even things like the radio were too much for her. Her nervous system was just shot after decades of trying to cope with my Dad (another story!) She was just bedridden for months. So I, along with my brother and sister, had to help nurse her through that. And there is so much anxiety around in this day. I even had a time of being unwell and getting panic attacks myself so I know a little about it and know how hard and debilitating it can be. 

In cases like these there are often medical needs as well as spiritual. So yes, it does make it difficult. But God can make use of even the long periods of difficulty in our life and work things out for good. And He will be. Even if you don't see it yet. Apart from the time of panic attacks and nervous system related issues that I had, leading up to that I had a good 10 years of ill health. It was hard. No doubt about it, with lots of crying out to God. No doctor could help me or say what was going on, though I went to various places and tried many things. But God did use it, He brought me through it, and He will bring you through it as well. And I should say that He brought my Mum through it as well : )

Getting feelings in their right place...

You said that due to your anxiety you don't 'feel' saved. The 'thing' with feelings is that they are just 'responders' to what we are putting into our minds. They don't actually know if something is real or not. For example, go to a scary movie and you can be sitting there, on a comfy chair with your popcorn, yet 'feeling' tense and anxious. Are you in any actual danger? No. But you feel like you are because you have all this tense music and scary scenes being fed into your senses. So feelings are a poor reflection of reality and that is why the Bible doesn't talk about 'feeling saved'. It isn't a feeling. Yes feelings like joy and peace come but you cannot start there. They are responders. That is why in classic passages like the following, it speaks of the peace that comes from feeding on the right, true, thoughts:

Php 4:8-9 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (9) Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Now, I get it. It becomes all the more difficult when a person struggles with anxiety because even smaller issues, that may not bother someone else who has a strong nervous system, can trigger unsettling thoughts. Having been there for a short season I really do get it and I am not saying it is easy... And as I said there are medical and spiritual issues involves here. But in terms of what the Bible tells us to do, it tells us that the battlefield is the mind and that we are to feed on all the good things that come from the Lord. So in terms of someone struggling with salvation, yes, this involves feeding again on the promises of God that are true and available to all that see their need for Him. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing (or reading) the word of God. That is why, when I wrote a study on the believers incredible position in Christ (based on a book by Lewis Sperry Chafer), I quoted Chafer who said:

'These positions are not experienced (and you could say 'felt'), but are facts of the new life out of which precious experiences may grow. For example justification is not experienced but the joy and peace that occurs because of this fact will be.'

Have a read of this study here:

https://jesusplusnothing.com/series/post/positioninchrist

I have also written a few other Q&A's which may help if you haven't read them. Like:

https://jesusplusnothing.com/series/post/what-shall-i-do-if-i-cant-believe-god-for-me

https://jesusplusnothing.com/series/post/how-do-i-know-i-truly-trust-jesus-for-salvation

https://jesusplusnothing.com/series/post/assurance

One of these includes the following illustration of the importance of getting fact, faith, and experience (or feelings) in the correct order. Watchman Nee, in his classic book ‘The Normal Christian Life’  writes

‘You probably know the illustration of Fact, Faith, and Experience walking along the top of a wall. Fact walked steadily on, turning neither to right nor left and never looking behind. Faith followed, and all went well so long as he kept his eyes focused upon Fact; but as soon as he became concerned about Experience and turned to see how he was getting on, he lost his balance and tumbled off the wall, and poor old Experience fell down after him. All temptation is primarily to look within; to take our eyes off the Lord and to take account of appearances. ‘

And did you see that last thing he wrote:

'All temptation is primarily to look within; to take our eyes off the Lord and to take account of appearances.‘

So yes, you may struggle with anxiety and how you 'feel', but keep your eyes on facts - the truth! And then feelings fall into their proper place. As an example, I have an extended family member who is currently dying of cancer (unless the Lord intervenes). From a natural point of view there is cause for great sadness and it is very hard. But she is filling her mind with the truth of salvation and the thoughts of heaven and eternity and is able to find peace through it all. And we all need to practice these things whatever we are facing.

So don't let the enemy tell you that God doesn't care or that He would say 'depart from me' to you. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Your whole email, and especially the fact that you referred to yourself as a 'broken man' tells me 100% you are the latter. 

Isa 66:2 "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

He works for those that are lowly and struggling. As I thought about your story, the following verse came to mind. It was specifically spoken of Jesus, that He fulfilled this passage from Isaiah:

Mat 12:18-21 Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. (19) He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. (20) A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. (21) In his name the nations will put their hope."

Think about this verse - especially the highlighted part. John MacArthur writes on this:

"bruised reed … smoking flax. Shepherds used the reed to fashion a small musical instrument. Once cracked or worn, it was useless. A smoldering wick was also useless for giving light. These represent people deemed useless by the world. But Christ restores and rekindles such people, not "break" or "quench" them. This verse speaks of His tender compassion toward the lowliest of the lost. He came not to gather the strong for a revolution, but to show mercy to the weak. Cf. 1Co_1:26-29."

I will pray for you and I hope that God uses some of this to help you. Feed your mind on what is true and in all things gives thanks to Him.

God Bless,

Iain.