To remain free from anxiety and fear, we need a mature faith. One that will stand through trials and storms. Rock-solid faith built on a sure, eternal foundation. What if we have placed our hope in something that can be burned up, used up, broken, or removed? Or perhaps, our faith is dependent upon our … Continue reading Step 7: Rebuild Your Identity and Secure Your Faith in Christ
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” This is God’s promise to us! Are you believing and trusting in one moment, and in the next doubting and afraid—still easily knocked down by waves of fear? Maybe you’ve experienced a breakthrough from the grip of anxiety and … Continue reading Step 6: Experience Perfect Peace in God’s Presence
Surrender and breakthrough go hand in hand. First we surrender, then we experience breakthrough. But what if you’ve gone through all the steps, surrendered everything you can think of—and yet true freedom feels just out of reach? I know the struggle feels overwhelming, and you’ve been fighting the good fight. You feel the chains of … Continue reading Step 5: Believe—Jesus is Your Chain Breaker
God uses times of testing to reveal to us what we have yet to surrender to Him. Surrender happens when our fleshly desire, or human will, is broken. When we finally come to the end of ourselves, our hearts, minds, and bodies are ready to fully submit to God’s will, to live for God’s glory … Continue reading Step 4: Surrender Your Life and Live for Christ
I stared at the kitchen counter and sink stacked high with last night’s dirty dishes. Peeking into the dishwasher, I breathed a heavy sigh. It was full of dirty dishes, too! Quickly, I walked away to keep myself from becoming irritated by the mess, but there was no escaping my growing frustration. In the family … Continue reading Step 3: Take Captive Every Thought: Fear Is a Liar
I had a lightbulb moment at the beginning of my quest for the root cause of my struggle with anxiety and fear. “Would anyone like to close us in prayer?” Every week, my small group Bible study leader asked this question—and every week I dreaded it. Her request always made me feel so uncomfortable, as … Continue reading Step 2: Uncover Emotional Triggers By Excavating Your Past
Alone, I sat in the darkness of my bedroom bearing a heaviness I could not shake. Anxiety tightly gripped my chest, and a dark cloud of depression loomed over me. I know I can’t give up, I told myself. But I can’t keep going! Rocking myself on the tattered carpet of my bedroom floor, with … Continue reading Step 1: Call Upon the Lord for Help
My friend texted me Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m., "Silly question—I have extra tickets for the Star Wars Disneyland private event tonight. Would you guys want them for free? It goes until 1:00 a.m." Knowing my son is a Star Wars fanatic, and being it was the eve of May the 4th Be With You … Continue reading Mom, Do You Know You Are Perfectly Loved?
Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, is quoted as saying, "change is the only constant in life." When we consider all the moving parts of our lives—like homes, jobs, physical appearance, numbers on the scale, the amount of money in our bank accounts, the ebb and flow of the stock market, relationships, personal interests, responsibilities and commitments, … Continue reading Learning to Ride Waves of Change
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). As a young twenty-something, I had so much to look forward to. I was a newlywed, and just getting started in what looked … Continue reading Hope in the Midst of a Health Crisis