She lashed out at her kids again. She knows it’s wrong but just feels like she has no control over her tongue. “They just make me so angry!” she says.

…

Another woman is hit with intense temptation again. The weight is almost unbearable. She figures, if she gives in, she’ll at least have some relief. But there’s no relief in a porn addiction.

…

One girl feels panic coming into her heart like a freight train. She spent the day allowing her mind to be filled with fear and worry. As night falls, the anxiety presses upon her and she can’t breathe. She feels paralyzed, all while her body flails from the attack.

What do all these women have in common?

A desperate need for freedom.

Free in Christ

True freedom from sin only comes from genuine faith in Jesus. (Romans 6). Until God saves us, we cannot choose anything other than sin.…

She was like me. Anxiety plagued her.

Not the kind that makes you nervous but the all consuming, paralyzing, depression causing beast that is true anxiety.

We had different views, she and I. I believed the root of anxiety was my sinful distrust in God. She had been told that she suffered a chemical imbalance.

But which diagnosis holds more hope?

I dare say the first one.

The Bondage of Anxiety

In scripture, we only find anxiety referred to as a sin or something to cast off and replace with trust in God. And while I do think it’s possible that a percentage of men and women may experience panic attacks due to an imbalance of some sort, the majority of sufferers may only be tending to the surface wounds of a deeper issue.

If this is so, the medications they use could be the very thing tightening the cuffs on their hands and feet, keeping them chained to the thing they hate most.…

This article was originally written for Broken Beautiful Bold Ministries here.

We are a broken people, am I right?

Each of us come from various backgrounds and upbringings that shape our character and struggles. We have been broken by others, broken by this world and are undeniably broken at the core of our being. For the Christian, we may have trouble reconciling with the “whys” of our heartbreaks.

Why did God allow that?
Why do I struggle against this sin?
Why won’t he just take this pain away?

I, myself, have wrestled (and sometimes still do) with these very questions. At times they have come from my lips in a humble request for understanding. But many times, my “why” has been spoken with tears on my cheeks and anger in my heart.

In my walk with the Lord, I have learned that he uses our brokenness in stunning ways.  He does this not only in our own life, but also in the lives of others and to show the world his Gospel story.…

We came to a halt as we walked on the beach that evening to gaze at the beauty placed before us. How vast was this ocean? How beautiful were the pinks and oranges dazzling against the turquoise water? How intricate was each curling wave? And how amazing is the God who formed it?

The sea is his, for he made it… (Psalm 95:5a ESV)

We had been talking about a fear of mine and my need to trust the Lord. As I looked out as far as I could see, I thought to myself, “Sometimes I think all my fears could fill the ocean.” I thought about all the “unknowns” swimming in the deep dark sea. Some of them scary, while others interesting and exciting to discover. Earlier that day my brother in law informed me of a nearby jellyfish as I stood waist down in the water. You better believe I booked it to the shore as fast as the current would allow (not very fast FYI.) You just don’t know what’s coming until it’s there.…

I saw it and my heart sunk. Immediately, I began to feel panic spring up from my core. Worry consumed me.

What did I see? An article someone had shared on Facebook. I didn’t even click to read it. The title alone was enough to send me into a full fledged panic attack: “Health Officials Warn of Stomach Bug Surge.”

I know what you’re thinking. Wow, that seems dramatic. I understand, and as much as I can be quite the drama queen this is a serious issue in my life. A struggle I once thought I’d never overcome. I have a deep and destructive fear of throwing up. Fear is a tricky thing. In some ways fear is protective. It prompts us to look twice before crossing a road or find shelter in a bad storm. Most often though, fear is a damaging thing. And in my life, I was allowing it to wreak havoc on my soul.…