“Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
I’ll be honest, I struggle to follow Peter’s instructions quoted above.
I don’t want to keep holding on to my anxious thoughts—I want nothing to do with them—but somehow, I can’t seem to let go without picking them right back up again. I have fears, worries, anxieties, and concerns about things that are out of my control.
I read from Luke’s gospel, and Jesus’ words jump off the page: “Do not worry about your life. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:22,25-26). Just like that, an internal war rages in my mind.
I know who my God is. He is ruling all things. He is in control. Nothing will separate his children from him; he holds me in his almighty hands. I believe in him. Despite knowing that, I still struggle with Jesus’ command not to worry about my life—and the lives of my loved ones. Maybe that’s true for you too.
How do we stop the vicious cycle of fear, worry, anxiety, and doubt?
We live in a sin-darkened world, filled with a myriad of very real and understandable reasons to be afraid, worried, anxious, and concerned. The temptation is to fixate on those things until they’re all we can see and hear. In doing so, we drown out the words of our Savior, and we lose sight of what he has done, is doing, and promises to do in our lives.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
No matter what happens in this life, because Jesus has overcome, we overcome. His faith is our faith. His peace is our peace. His home is our home—and one day, we will be with him forever in heaven where all our worries, fears, and anxieties will be no more.
Dear Christian, if you struggle with any degree of anxiety, I encourage you to check out William Woodington’s Whatever Is True: A Christian View of Anxiety.
Woodington struggles with chronic anxiety, so when he shares his personal experiences and what he’s learned from God’s Word about bearing crosses in this life, his words are filled with heartfelt authenticity and honesty.
This isn’t a self-help book that promises you inner peace if you follow ten steps; it’s filled with the comforting truths of God’s Word and reveals the lasting peace that comes only from God. Go on a journey from the spiritual origins of anxiety to true peace and strength in Christ. Along the way, you’ll learn that staying focused on God’s truth leads to acceptance, rejoicing, and perseverance.
Before you pick up your copy, if you’re interested in hearing from William Woodington himself about the nature of anxiety, what it means to trust in God in the midst of it, and how you can reframe your mental health struggles in light of God’s mercy, check out our latest Faith Footnotes podcast episode: Navigating Anxiety With Faith.
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Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.
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