Monthly Archives: September 2026

When Anxiety Comes Knocking

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Definition of Troubled

The dictionary defines troubled as feeling worried, anxious, or experiencing heavy problems, difficulties, or unrest. Does that feel incredibly familiar today? Worried, anxious, unrest, heavy problems…it feels a lot like what many of us are facing today, doesn’t it? Life weighs us down, and it feels too heavy sometimes.

Jesus knew all of this, and He gave us an answer to this problem. Jesus tells us in John 14 not to be troubled, but to believe instead.

Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

John 14:1 CSB

He follows that up with why we shouldn’t let our hearts be troubled, and that is because this home is not our final destination. Jesus goes on to say these words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” True freedom from fear and anxiety is found in Jesus.

Jesus’ Answer to Anxiety

Later on in the chapter, Jesus says these words.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.

John 14:27 CSB

Jesus gives us the answer to an anxious, worried heart; and the answer is peace. He told His disciples, “I’m leaving you physically, but I’m leaving my peace with you.”

The peace that Jesus gives is different than the peace the world gives. The world gives us peace in the form of a spa day, meditation, a quiet retreat, calming music. While none of these things are bad, Jesus reminds us that His peace is different. His peace lasts. His peace is more encompassing and will carry us through difficult seasons. But it’s a choice. We can choose to be troubled, worried, and anxious; or we can choose peace. It’s a choice we’re not going to make once but over and over and over again. Sometimes, it’s a daily choice; other times, it’s an hourly or minute-by-minute choice.

Choose Peace over Anxiety

Today, when your feet hit the floor, you can choose anxiety, worry, and fear, or you can choose peace. You can start your day with prayer and gratitude and a morning time routine that will set your focus on God for the day. When things get difficult, you can choose peace again. You can stop and pray and ask God for wisdom and for His peace. When you go to bed tonight, and anxiety tries to keep you awake, you can choose to pray and repeat a verse quietly in your mind until you feel God’s peace wrap around your heart.

God’s peace is there for the taking, but we have to choose to take it. This world will only ever give us grief, heartache, disappointment, worry, anxiety, and fear. That’s not going to change. Problems will come into our lives daily; that won’t change either. But we can choose our response. We don’t have to be overcome with so much anxiety, we can’t function. Instead, we can choose God’s peace and give our worries and fears and burdens to Him to carry.

Casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

I Peter 5:7 CSB

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out Max Lucida’s book, Anxious for Nothing. I’m reading this with one of our children, and it’s really good.

Trusting Him in the Middle of the Unknown

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Recently, Matt and I and the kids were driving somewhere. I don’t even remember where, but we were using my phone to follow directions. We had literally no idea where we were, but we kept following the directions step by step. And wouldn’t you know? It brought us right to our destination. If we wouldn’t have followed the phone’s instructions or trusted that the GPS system knew the right way to go, we would have given up. Had we given up, we would have missed our destination.

Following Jesus is a lot like following the map on our phones. We can’t always clearly see the path, but if we trust the One guiding us, we’ll make it to the right destination because God always has a plan.

Jesus’ Plan

I read the familiar story of the loaves and the fishes this past week, and there were a few words that stuck with me.

Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.

John 6:5,6

Did you catch those words? Jesus was testing Philip. He already knew what He was going to do, but He used it as a time to test Philip. Jesus already had a plan.

Trusting in the Unexpected

How many times does something come into our life that’s unexpected, and it completely derails us because we didn’t see it coming. We feel sick, feel like we’re not going to make it through. We question how God could allow this to happen; and yet, He knew it was coming. It’s already part of our story, part of His plan. He knows how He’s going to use it and help us through it. He simply wants to see if we’re going to trust Him through it.

How many times do we fail the test? How many times do we lose our cool, fail to trust Him and see the good? So many of the problems that come into our lives honestly don’t end up being as big of a deal as we think they’re going to be.

Trusting His Plans, Not Ours

When life seems to throw a curveball, don’t forget that God knows exactly what’s going on. Maybe it’s not that big of a problem. Maybe your day derails; maybe you haven’t been able to sleep for several nights now. Perhaps the finances are terrible, and you feel like you’re losing the battle. Maybe it’s that you’re so discouraged, and you can’t seem to shake those thoughts of sadness. Whatever the case is, remember that God knows exactly what you’re going through, and He has a way through for you. He’s going to continue to work in your life and work out His plans for your life. Notice He’s not working out our plans for our lives; there’s a difference.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—

Psalm 138:8 NLT

I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: my plan will take place, and I will do all my will.

Isaiah 46:10

You Are Not Alone

We won’t get through this life problem free. Jesus told us we would have problems or tribulation in this world. And yet, He promises to walk through those problems with us. We will pass through waters that overwhelm us and fires that threaten to destroy us, but He won’t let us be destroyed. He will walk through those waters and fires with us.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you,
and the rivers will not overwhelm you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be scorched,
and the flame will not burn you.

Isaiah 43: 2 CSB

Whatever you’re facing today, remember you’re not alone. Don’t forget, the God who made the universe and mapped out the galaxies, is walking hand in hand with you. He’s working out the plans He has for your life. And let me tell you something…those plans are beautiful and so much greater than anything you could dream of for your own life.

So keep trusting, keep walking in faith, keep believing because the God who created you is the God who is holding you and working out His plans for your life today.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, Trusting God in the Dark. A great Bible study on this topic would be Daily Grace Co’s When Fear Meets Faith.

When You Need Grace Upon Grace

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Do you ever feel like you don’t measure up? Do you ever feel out of place, not enough? This week, I finished reading in the book of Luke and the resurrection story.

The women come to the tomb and encounter the angels that tell them Jesus has risen. They return at once to His disciples and tell them the good news. But the disciples didn’t readily accept their story.

Returning from the tomb, they reported all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them were telling the apostles these things. But these words seemed like nonsense to them, and they did not believe the women.

Luke 24:9-11

Peter was Different

The followers of Jesus didn’t believe the women, but Peter did. He believed them instantly.

 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. When he stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths. So he went away, amazed at what had happened.

Luke 24:12

I love the words written here. Peter, however… Peter was different. While everyone else sat around discussing the situation with doubt and disbelief, Peter took in their words and acted on them. He stood up at once and ran to the tomb. Not only that, but after he saw the tomb, he went away amazed. There was no doubt in his mind what had happened. He remembered Jesus’ words, and he knew Jesus had risen again. He knew Jesus was alive.

Accepting God’s Grace

How is it that the very one who denied Jesus is the one of the first to believe? How is it that the guy who denied even knowing Jesus is now the first to believe?

Because for those of us who have messed up, who have needed God’s grace over and over and over again…sometimes, we see Jesus more often. We see Him showing up in places other people miss or look over. Peter blew it. He denied Jesus. When it counted the most, Peter failed. Peter’s story reminds us that he’s human; we’re human. And that means we’re going to blow it. We’re going to fail at times and really mess things up. But it’s what we do after that failure that counts the most.

Peter didn’t stay down; he got back up again. He chose to accept Jesus’ forgiveness. Because of that, he was able to move forward and be used by God in a great way.

Grace Upon Grace

We have that same choice today. Jesus’ grace is still extended to us. John tells us that we’ve received grace upon grace; I love that phrase.

Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,

John 1:16 CSB

Do you need a little grace today? I know I do. Where do we find that grace? We find it at the feet of Jesus.

 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:16 NLT

At the Feet of Jesus

Do you find yourself in need of that grace today? I know I do. Do you need a little extra grace for mothering today? For loving on hard people? To finish those never-ending tasks? For that hard conversation? To forgive? Let’s find it at the feet of Jesus and allow ourselves to accept it today, to realize that we’re not perfect and we don’t always get it right. But God will help fill in the gaps if we simply let Him.

More Encouragement

For more encouragement, check out my post, The Most Important Thing You’ll Do Today. The Daily Grace Co. has several great Bible studies on grace.