Trauma and Past Hurts

Anxiety is often triggered by past losses or painful experiences. When someone close to us suffers or passes away from sickness, it leaves a mark on how we view the future. A simple phone call from the doctor for follow-up tests can suddenly stir panic. The mind races: What if it is happening again? What if the worst is about to return? Trauma convinces us that what happened before will inevitably happen again.

It can happen in relationships too. A betrayal or rejection from the past may leave you anxious about letting someone get close again. You may overthink their words or second-guess their intentions, not because of what they are doing now but because of what someone else did before. Trauma lingers and anxious feelings rise, even in new and healthy spaces.

Israel experienced this cycle. After their past in slavery and hardship, every new challenge triggered old fears. Instead of remembering God’s deliverance, they let the past dictate their perspective of the present. Trauma clouded their ability to trust Him fully.

Maybe you have felt that too. A loss in the past makes you anxious about small symptoms in the present. A broken trust makes you anxious about whether anyone will stay. These are the echoes of trauma, and they often show up as anxious feelings before we even realize it.

The good news is that God does not leave us in that cycle. He meets us in the moments when anxious feelings rise from old pain. His consolation does not erase the past, but it does remind us that He is greater than it. His presence can quiet the storm inside and bring joy where anxious thoughts once ruled.

Prayer:
Lord, You know how past losses and betrayals still stir anxious feelings in me today. When old fears rise again, remind me that my future is in Your hands. Bring comfort to my heart and replace the weight of anxious thoughts with Your peace.

Daily Challenge:
Think of a time when a past loss or painful memory stirred anxious feelings in a new situation. Write it down and then pray Psalm 94:19 over it, asking God to bring His consolation and joy into that space.