All of us deal with anxiety at some point or another, from the minor anxiety of being scared of the dark, to a full-on anxiety attack. When anxiety hits, it can be hard for us to remember what we know about God. We can get so caught up in our immediate situations, it becomes difficult to step back and see the bigger picture.
When it gets hard to breathe, we have a place to turn to. We can set our focus on God, and remember these truths when anxiety hits:
1. God loves you
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). Can you imagine? The all-powerful, perfect, sinless God, dying on a cross, for our sake? That’s how much He loves us!
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that. Sometimes it’s tempting to ask, “How could God let this happen?” But let’s remember this: He does love us. He loves us so much. And nothing—whether our circumstances or our own personal failures—can separate us from that love (Romans 8:35-39).
2. God is with you
It doesn’t always feel like it. Sometimes—especially when we listen to our mind’s anxious lies—we feel very much alone in our circumstances. Those are times when we have to consciously remind ourselves:
“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
God will not leave us nor forsake us. He is with us every step of the way. Right now, right here—in this very situation—He’s standing with us. He will help us get through.
3. God knows what you’re going through
We might feel like no one knows what we are facing right now—but God does. He knows everything from when we sit and stand (Psalm 139:2), to our innermost thoughts and the thoughts of those around us (Acts 1:24).
More importantly, He knows our weaknesses, our fears, and our uncertainty. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He knows what we’re going through, even when no one else understands.
4. God is in control
There is nothing outside of God’s control. Jesus reminds us that not even a sparrow falls outside of God’s care (Matthew 10:29-31).
There are definitely times when we find it hard to understand why God would allow anxiety in our lives—or mental disorders, cancer, death, and other forms of suffering for that matter. While God doesn’t always give us immediate answers, He does promise that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
When we’re caught in the midst of anxiety, it can be overwhelming. But, we can remind ourselves that even as we face the trial of anxiety, we can consider it “pure joy” because God is working in us to make us “mature and complete” (James 2:4).
5. God does not change
God says in Malachi 3:6, “I the Lord do not change.” James writes that God, the Father of heavenly lights, “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).
God doesn’t change. No matter our circumstances, God is solid like a rock. He is dependable when nothing else is. He has promised to love us, be with us, know us, and watch over us. These are promises that will outlast whatever we’re going through. These are promises we can trust with our very lives.
God might not take away our anxiety immediately. But He will see us through, and be our great comforter in the midst of it (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Let’s hide His Word in our hearts, and be reminded to turn to Him in prayer and cling to His truths whenever anxiety hits!