𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝: 𝐖𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭

    

 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." 

As a Christian who struggles with anxiety, the feeling of my faith never being enough is ever prominent. It’s not just the physical symptoms of anxiety (the racing heart, the tight chest, the mind that won’t stop spinning) it’s the deeper; more spiritual ache. 

Sometimes I read verses like Psalm 34:4 and find myself asking, "Why hasn’t God delivered me yet? Am I not seeking hard enough? Praying the right way? Believing the right things?" That quiet voice of shame tells me that if I were a real Christian, I wouldn't find myself feeling the way I do. 

Being anxious doesn't make me faithless, it draws me closer to God. It makes me human. 

As I continue to grow in the Lord and trust in Him, I'm figuring out that I'm not this horrible faithless person for feeling the way I do. Jesus doesn't say "Come to me all those who are perfect and sinless" He says "Come to me, all those who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." 

He doesn't shame our struggles; He invites us to bring them to Him.

We can trust Him and still tremble. We can believe in His promises and still battle panic attacks. We can be deeply rooted in Scripture and still wake up anxious.                                                              

That doesn’t make you less of a Christian. That makes you real. God is not afraid of the real you.

God is with us in the storm, even when we can't feel it. If He didn't let Peter drown, why would He let you? God sees us in our midst and has clothed us with a sound mind. 

Healing is a journey, don't be ashamed if that journey happens to take longer than others.