Devotionals

Some may say that “comparison is the thief of joy,” but I say that anxiety isn’t too far behind. In addition to current events and stressors in my personal life, there is no shortage of triggers for my anxious mind, especially with the internet so readily available at our fingertips. I’ve battled severe anxiety for a large portion of my life, and I must admit that, sometimes, it can be crippling and has caused me to second-guess the gifts that God blessed me with.

What physical sensation do you experience when you worry about something? Is it a sinking feeling in your stomach, or maybe heaviness on your chest? Perhaps it’s jitters in your arms and legs, or tension in your neck and shoulders. Regardless, each of us feels anxious at times, some of us even chronically so. Whether you struggle with anxiety on a clinically diagnosed level or just when stressful situations arise, Jesus understands that worry is both common and exhausting.

The ac went out in your crappy apartment. Your car won’t start. Your bank account is almost zero. A friend canceled plans with you again. You’re about to explode at that frustrating coworker at your internship. And your mom/dad/sister/brother/that family member just won’t let up about your life choices.

In March of 2020, truly the very day the whole country shut down for covid, I traumatically broke my left leg after a dramatic encounter with a pigeon on a ladder. And I’m not talking like a cute little hairline fracture that put me in a fun purple cast making 3rd graders jealous of all the attention I was getting, broken. No, we’re talking tibia and fibula both shattered, emergency surgery, 4 days of antibiotics in the hospital, 4 months of no walking broken. I did still get my purple cast but it was a pandemic so there was no one around to admire it.