Series Introduction

On a late spring morning, before the sun had fully stretched its arms into the sky, a man sat on the edge of his bed. His heart was racing, his chest felt tight, and his thoughts were already ten steps ahead of the day. Nothing was actively wrong, yet everything inside him felt on high alert.

To the outside world, it looked like a normal morning. Inside, it felt like standing in the middle of a storm with no warning and no shelter.

That’s how anxiety often works.

I used to think anxiety was just worry, fear, or a lack of trust. I believed if I prayed harder, thought better thoughts, or had stronger faith, it would simply go away. But anxiety didn’t respond to shame or willpower. And over time, I learned something important: anxiety isn’t a spiritual failure. It’s a human experience that affects the mind, the body, and the soul.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health condition worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of people. In the U.S. alone, nearly one in five adults experiences anxiety in a given year. That tells me something powerful. This struggle isn’t rare, it isn’t weak, and it isn’t something to hide.

Anxiety is complex. It shows up as racing thoughts, physical symptoms, exhaustion, avoidance, and fear that doesn’t always make sense. It lives in the brain’s threat system, the nervous system’s survival responses, and the stories we tell ourselves when our mind is overwhelmed. And for many believers, it also comes wrapped in guilt, confusion, or the quiet question, “Why am I still dealing with this?”

This series exists to answer that question with honesty, science, and faith.

Over the next four parts, I’ll explore anxiety from multiple angles, not to overanalyze it, but to demystify it. We’ll look at what anxiety actually is, why it feels so physical, how our thoughts get stuck in spirals, and how faith, therapy, and practical tools can work together instead of competing with one another.

The Bible talks about renewing the mind. Neuroscience talks about rewiring the brain. Those ideas are not in conflict. They point toward the same truth: change is possible, but it is often gradual, intentional, and rooted in grace.

If you’re anxious, you’re not broken. Your body is not betraying you. Your faith is not failing. You are responding to perceived danger with the systems God designed to protect you, and those systems can learn safety again.

This is not a series about “fixing” yourself. It’s about understanding what’s happening beneath the surface, learning how to respond with compassion, and discovering how peace can exist even when anxiety is present.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in survival mode, overwhelmed by your own thoughts, or unsure how faith fits into mental health, you’re in the right place.

We’ll take this one step at a time.

What’s Coming Next in the Series

• Part 1: Understanding Anxiety, What It Is and What It Isn’t

• Part 2: The Anxious Brain and Body, Why Anxiety Feels So Physical

• Part 3: Renewing the Mind, Thoughts, Spirals, and Spiritual Practice

• Part 4: Anchored in Hope, Tools, Healing, and Forward Momentum