The COVID19 pandemic, followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Ukrainian response, the Hamas attacks on the State of Israel and the Israeli response, as well as numerous other areas of unrest and armed conflict in the Mideast has fostered a state of anxiety here in the United States. This has also been exacerbated by concerns over border security and political bickering preceding the upcoming 2024 national election. As a result, a widespread feeling of anxiety is a significant ongoing issue for many in the American public. And this is also true for the populations of other countries directly or indirectly affected by the global unrest.

“Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events…It is a feeling of uneasiness and worry, usually generalized and unfocused as an overreaction to a situation that is only subjectively seen as menacing…Anxiety is closely related to fear, which is a response to a real or perceived immediate threat (fight or flight response); anxiety involves the expectation of future threat including dread.
The emotion of anxiety can persist beyond the developmentally appropriate time-periods in response to specific events, and thus turn into one of the multiple anxiety disorders…The difference between anxiety disorder (as mental disorder) and anxiety (as normal emotion), is that people with an anxiety disorder experience anxiety most of the days during approximately 6 months, or even during shorter time-periods in children. Anxiety disorders are among the most persistent mental problems and often last decades. Besides, strong percepts of anxiety exist within other mental disorders, e.g. obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.” (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The key to understanding both anxiety and fears of the future is that both are responses to perceived or anticipated threats to a person’s well-being. Neither is related to actual current events or extant threats. They involve concern about what could or might happen someday that the individual does not feel they will be able to cope with.

So, what can be done to dissipate the state of anxiety? Since no one can accurately foretell the future, the answer is to focus one’s attention fully on the present and to do what one can do now to resolve (or at least begin to resolve) any current issues. That can go a long way toward preventing future issues which can arise if no attempt has been made to resolve the current ones.

The Bible has some advice regarding anxiety.

Jesus said, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:31-34)

And the Apostle Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6)

As for myself, I am confident that God is still in charge and that he has everything under control, even though I can’t always see how. So, I embrace the mystery and trust that God, who alone knows the future, will provide everything I will need, and will let me know if there is anything I need to do now to be prepared for what is coming in the future. That is why I have no anxiety about current or future events.