Is Anxiety A Sin?

Understanding Anxiety From a Biblical Perspective

Anxiety in Scripture: Understanding a Biblical Perspective

The First Biblical Account of Anxiety

I think the first time we see an explicit scene of anxiety is in Genesis 4:5. The text tells us that Cain's "face fell" (ESV). This is a Hebrew idiom for anxiety. Now, here's an important question: Does Cain sin because he feels the weight of anxiety? No. In other words, the experience of anxiety itself is NOT sin. However, what we do (or don't do) as a result of unattended anxiety can lead us to sin.

This distinction is crucial for believers today who often conflate emotional distress or doubt with sinfulness. The biblical narrative makes clear that experiencing difficult emotions—even profound anxiety—is part of the human condition due to the fall of mankind, not evidence of spiritual failure.

Jesus Experienced Anxiety

Let's look at a New Testament example. In Luke 22:44, Jesus is in such serious anguish and agony that he sweats blood. The Greek word here ἀγωνίᾳ (agonia) has in mind "distress…