I had not considered how anxiety betrays an innate idolatry…. That is a helpful insight and something to be aware of in the future. Anxiety, also expressed as “worry”, suggests that we are desiring an outcome that we fear we may not get. That does seem quite contrary to trusting God who is our all-sufficient “I Am.”
There are people who are like pressure cookers of anxiety, emotional instability, depression, confusion, anger, or assorted other distresses or dysfunctions who use God and religion like a pressure release valve…..as often as needed to give themselves relief from their own pain. It’s very sad. It is not a true relationship with Christ. It is just another example of using religion in the same way that such individuals use other people to meet their needs. People-using is a very difficult addiction to overcome, actually harder than overcoming the drugs used to medicate the pain that comes from broken relationships that result from using people. These people are not joyful or at peace in their faith. They are rarely serving others or able to disciple others out of a well-founded faith. They read the Bible compulsively looking for THE answer for their pain. There is little gratitude in their life. They are just surviving. God wants them to thrive in their faith.