Anxiety is on the rise and we all need to be paying attention to it. Studies have shown that the greatest increase in anxiety is for adults, ages 18-25, who saw their anxiety levels increase from around 8% in 2018 or pre-Covid, to 14.66% in 2023.

Looking at the world we live in, it’s not hard to see the reasons for this increase.

* Social media, the competition for “likes” and so much superficial gratification has distanced personal relationships and created false impressions of ourselves.

* Young women are especially affected by the onslaught of pop and fashion magazines emphasizing “beauty” and social glorification. On a weekly basis, Taylor Swift makes the covers of 11-13 magazines in the checkout lane at Barnes and Noble. I guess that could get into the heads of many young girls.

* More and more young people and old people are living alone. Studies have shown that married couples have less anxiety in their lives.

* Economic instability caused by the not-too-distant Great Recession and recent Covid-19 epidemic has especially impacted many working-age adults and recent college and high school graduates in search of living-wage type jobs. How many generations in the past have progressed to not only reach but exceed the standard of living their parents had? Now we have a generation unable to buy a home due to inflation and the cost of housing.

* Finally, and perhaps the greatest factor in the anxiety explosion, is division and political unrest in our country. And it really is more than what’s happening here. It’s the wars in Ukraine and Israel, and political unrest throughout the world.

Which brings me to the main point of why I’m writing this. We can fight our anxiety on our own through various means, including regular exercise, yoga, medication, and music therapy.

But how about this? How about prayer? Do you believe in God? Do you believe in a Creator?

According to a 2023 survey by Statista, 74% of Americans believe in God. It has slipped over the years (it peaked in the 1950s at 98%) but it’s still a clear majority. Eighty percent of Americans identify as either religious or spiritual so that tells me that faith is alive and well in most of us.

So, what does the Bible have to say about handling anxiety? Its main point is to tell us to get outside of ourselves and place our trust in God. Here’s what the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Phillipi (eastern Macedonia):

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What I find interesting about this passage and also very comforting is that Paul does not say pray to God and God—like Santa Claus—will give you whatever you want. He says praying in the right manner, laying out whatever you’re suffering with, whoever may be hurting you and trusting in God no matter what, will give you PEACE. And really, peace, the true peace of faith, is what we need right now.