Spiritual Formation in a Time of Chronic Anxiety (Part 1 of 2)

By Ryan Pflum

(6 minute read)

The Way of Jesus and Your Amygdala

A significant percentage of your congregation is about to be attacked by a grizzly. At least, that’s what their brains seem to be telling them. God made our cortex (i.e., the outer part of our brain) to gather sensory data from our experience and then to decide what, exactly, ought to be a cause for concern. It passes this info along to the amygdala, whose job is to trigger our defense mechanisms, e.g., to flee from danger.

God wired us for more straightforward times, where perhaps our primary danger was the animals that saw us as prey. Our amygdala might then tell us, wisely, to stand our ground, flee, or play dead.

However, in the modern world, we worry about myriad dangers and pseudo-dangers. We have co-opted our capacity to anticipate and plan, which is a gift from God, and used it to indulge in various worrisome scenarios. As we focus our attention on the crippling what-ifs in life, our cortex sends danger signals to our amygdala. Our bodies then respond to our imagined scenarios as if they were real life, tangible dangers. It’s like being chased by a grizzly, constantly.

The result is that a tragic number of us live in persistent states that range from subtle agitation to panic. It’s a vicious cycle. Pittman and Young, professors of psychology, tell us, “Frightening thoughts result in frightening bodily reaction, and this produces anxiety and increases the focus on frightening thoughts.”

One in five have a full-blown anxiety disorder. But that’s just the beginning of our mental health story. 43% of us say that we are more anxious in 2024 than we were in 2023. Significant portions of society worry about safety (68%), health (63%), bills (63%), the opioid epidemic (50%), the impact of technology (46%), and, yes, politics (73%). We worry, obsess, and catastrophize. It’s the modern way of life.

Anxiety as a Discipleship Focus

I humbly submit this as a plea to you, leaders. Surely the reality of our mental health epidemic ought to impact how we understand and practice discipleship. On the one hand, discipleship is an ancient practice, forged in a different time and place. We are recipients of the way of Jesus. So, we look to Him and the apostles to discern the practices and strategies we should embrace.

On the other hand, discipleship is also contextual. We are called to reimagine our practices and strategies given the challenges of our time. One of the biggest of these is the mental health crisis.  I want to highlight anxiety specifically. Its clutches impact millions of Americans and a mind-blowing percentage of people in churches.

It is also one of the primary reasons that seekers visit churches. They are looking to ease the stress, worry, and anxiousness endemic to the age. They are ready to try anything.

So, I believe we, as spiritual leaders, are called to contextualize our discipleship by discerning how the way of Jesus gives hope to those who struggle with anxiety. This process must include, but go beyond, the injunction to engage our Bibles and to pray.

People are yearning for a practical understanding of how an encounter with Jesus might make this world seem a bit less dangerous. Even more, in the words of Dallas Willard, how it might become a safe place for us to be. This very moment is an opportunity to rethink the richness of our security in Yahweh and trust in His ways. It is a time to rethink the splendor of the Resurrection and what it means in an anxious world.

It probably goes without saying, but I don’t have all the answers. I am concerned with this topic for two reasons. First, I am a spiritual leader in our city as a pastor at CCCHURCH. We are doing our best, with God’s help, to live out discipleship in a world like ours.

Second, I am a mental health patient who has undergone medication, therapy, and a stay in a psychiatric hospital. This one hits home. So, I would like to share some of the thoughts God has developed in me over time. Rachal Smith, the director of the CDN, has been kind enough to make this a two-part series. So, I will share some preliminary thoughts here with more to come in May.

The Power of Creating a Culture

First, let’s agree to flush the stigma of mental health out of our system. Hopefully, you are part of a community that recognizes the physiological imbalances that can plague our brains. If not, it’s time to shift. Anxiety is a holistic illness, more common than ever, that affects not only our emotions, but also our souls and bodies. If we, as the Church, cannot allow for this reality in our theology of discipleship, we will absolutely stifle many of those we serve. Plain and simple.

However, I don’t think most churches outright stigmatize mental illness. More commonly, we are not spaces where people feel free to lay bare their struggles. This is for several reasons, and not all of them are the fault of churches. Come Sunday, people tend to put their best foot forward. We compare ourselves to others. We curate a façade. We don’t know how to share about mental illness. Will others consider it a sin? Will they think this condition is my own fault?

The only way to make anxiety a discipleship issue (as it must be) is to create spaces of vulnerability and safety. As always, this must first emanate from leadership. Let’s be transparent about our own struggles. Tear down the façade of spiritual perfection. Let people know we are real people with real worries.

I have seen tremendous fruit in our congregation simply by being honest about my own anxiety. People have come out of the shadows and felt seen and heard, often for the first time in a church. Authentic change almost always begins with the senior leadership. If we posture, we will create a culture of posturing. If we are honest and vulnerable, we will see the same begin to happen. We cannot underestimate the power we have as leaders to promote healing by increasing awareness.

Beyond leadership, there are many ways to create spaces of safety and vulnerability. Feature the testimonies of people who suffer from mental illness. Preach a series on depression and anxiety. Recognize mental health awareness month. Provide referrals for counseling and psychiatry and make them readily available. Rent church space to a Christian counselor and make their practice known. Train small group leaders to shepherd those in need to find help. Launch a mental health support group that meets in the church.

These practices will ensure people know they are not being judged or blamed for their condition.

Two Redemptive Outcomes

We cannot overstate the power we have as leaders to promote healing by increasing awareness. When we do so, two redemptive things will happen.

First, people will know they are not alone. Studies show something that is obvious to followers of Jesus. We need other people. Community staves off loneliness. It provides structures of encouragement and accountability. Even more, anxiety sufferers see a tangible improvement in their condition simply by encountering others with the same illness. It’s not good to be alone. Especially when you struggle with mental health.

Second, people will begin to utter a once forbidden sentence, “I struggle with a mental health illness.” Confession is the first step on the road to healing. Experience tells us this, as does the Word of God. When we are free to name our condition (e.g., anxiety or depression), we are free to be imperfect. Then, and only then, can we embark on a road to healing.

So, to sum it up, mental health, and anxiety specifically, must be part of our discipleship focus. If it is not then we are, in effect, ignoring a crucial matter of the mind and heart in people’s lives. We begin as leaders by creating spaces of safety, vulnerability, and visibility. It is key.

Finally, here is a preview of May’s entry. Once we have established a culture that acknowledges mental illness, a plethora of possibilities opens to us. I’d like to explore these by taking a deep dive into a classic passage, so we might pastor well amidst our mental health crisis:

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

This passage suggests powerful habits that, instead of activating the amygdala and its defense systems, instead trains our amygdala to be quiet and calm amidst the journey of life. Stay tuned.