Peace for the Anxious SoulSample

Day 1

WHEN YOUR SOUL IS ANXIOUS

For years I didn’t know that I struggled with anxiety. I thought that if I just prayed more, tried harder, or managed my time better, then Iwould feel better. Eventually I discovered that not only was my anxiety a legitimate diagnosis—worthy of intervention and support just like any physical malady—but in many ways it was also a gift.

How could I possibly consider anxiety a gift? Because it led me to experience more of God’s powerful presence, tangible grace, and practical strength.

An anxious soul is like a tornado of worry and what-ifs swirling at breakneck speed on a highway of destruction. But what if that angsty, knotted-up, restless feeling is there not to shame you but to usher you toward the One you really need?

Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:28–30, NLT).

Come. That’s the invitation. Who does Jesus invite to come? All who are weary and burdened. That’s me. And that’s you. Do you see the freedom here? Jesus expects us to be weary and burdened! He knows that as imperfect people living in a broken world, we are going to be weighed down by worry and anxiety. He doesn’t condemn us for it; he offers to carry the burden with us.

As we accept Jesus’s invitation to come to him, we also learn from him. We can learn how to stop relying on our own faltering strength and start depending on his steadfast care. We can stop trying to control our lives and instead surrender to God and find rest for our anxious souls.

Yes, this gift is real, and you can start experiencing it one day at a time.

Jesus, thank you for meeting me in all my weariness and with all my burdens. Help me remember that I can come to you no matter what and that you will take my load. When my anxiety flares, help me remember that my joy, peace, and strength reside not in my own effort but in your faithful presence. Amen.