Anxiety has damaging effects.
Sometimes, even if we know that something is wrong, it can take a bit to see the ugly side. Like anything else that Scripture warns us about, anxiety also has some very damaging effects. The New Testament word for anxiety, 'merimna', is also translated as “care” or “worry.” Because anxiety is real and prevalent in our world, so is the impact. And while anxiety may come from imagined scenarios, real and present issues, or a sense of impending doom, a life of perpetual anxiety makes it impossible to love God and neighbor as we should. Regardless of the cause or source, anxiety disrupts life on multiple levels. PHYSICAL EFFECTS There is a reason that Jesus asked, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matt. 6:27). We all know that anxiety is not the key to healthy longevity. Feeling scared, feeling down, and losing sleep is just the beginning. While conditions such as chronic pain, disability, or long-term illness can spawn anxiety, things