The Anxious Christian: Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good?

So... Many... Choices... Can't... Make... The... Wrong... One...Where should I go to college? Whom should I marry? Where should I look for work? What will my friends think? What if my marriage is falling apart? What if I'm drowning in debt? In our journey of faith there are particular moments that produce a certain amount of anxiety. Often anxiety and/or worry has been looked upon as an "un-Christian" feeling to have. But The Anxious Christian conveys the message that anxiety can actually be helpful in our spiritual formation, and that God can use anxiety as a catalyst to move people forward in their life of faith. In that movement, anxiety's gift is that it allows us to face our resistance and fears, understand where those fears come from, and then make intentional choices about important issues such as career, marriage, money, and our spiritual lives. It's time to get unstuck. It is quite common in the Christian life that when someone mentions they are experiencing anxiety, they are often dismissed and devalued by what are often well-intentioned Christian platitudes and Bible quoting. But this dismissal of anxiety often produces shame in the individual, driving their anxiety into hiding where it can do more damage. Let's re-think our shame in this area by planting the seed that anxiety in our lives can be a catalyst for growth that moves us closer to who God created us to be.