Redefining Anxiety.
Frederic Edwin Church, El Rio de Luz (The River of Light), 1877, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA.
Dear Asher,
It’s no secret that I’ve struggled with anxiety for most of my life. When you were eight years old, I was diagnosed with multiple anxiety disorders. During that season, I tried everything. I tried therapy, medication, books, prayer, nutrition, exercise, and nothing seemed to help. In fact, the more I tried to fix it, the worse the anxiety felt.
I viewed anxiety as my enemy. It was something I needed to overcome. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t win. So I surrendered and wore the label like a crown, believing I would never be free.
And Asher, I knew the verses.
I memorized them. I studied them.
Philippians 4:6–7
1 Peter 5:7
Matthew 6:34
Isaiah 41:10
Psalm 94:19
John 14:27
Psalm 55:22
Yes, they helped me center my heart. They reminded me to keep my eyes on Jesus.
But they didn’t magically take the anxiety away.
Everything started to shift when the Lord led me to the work of Dr. John Delony. I want to share what I’ve learned because I know you struggle with anxiety, too. You worry a lot, Buddy, and I want you to have tools that help you navigate it with hope and clarity.
Dr. Delony reframes anxiety in a powerful way. In his book Redefining Anxiety, he describes anxiety as “an alarm.” It is not a character flaw, nor a disease, and not something broken inside you, but a signal from your body that something is amiss.
Anxiety, he says, isn’t the problem. It’s a symptom pointing to deeper issues that need attention. That idea was freeing for me.
I am not my anxiety.
I am not a hopeless case.
Every time I felt anxious, I started asking: “What is this alarm trying to tell me?”
When I felt anxious before a difficult conversation, I recognized that this anxiety stemmed from a fear of rejection. So, I brought that fear to God. He reminded me that He loves me with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3) and that He’s called me to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
When I felt anxious about a test or project, it was often due to the fear of not being good enough. If I failed, I believed it meant I was a failure. However, if I prepared, did my best, and anchored myself in God’s truth, I could remember that He made me “very good” (Genesis 1:31) and that I never have to prove my worth to Him.
This way of thinking may help you, too, especially as life grows more complex.
In both Redefining Anxiety and Building a Non-Anxious Life, Dr. Delony outlines a few key truths:
Anxiety is your body’s way of saying something’s wrong, whether it’s disconnection from people, a lack of safety, poor health habits, unresolved pain, or simply living a frantic, fast-paced life.
Instead of trying to “get rid of” anxiety, we can listen to it. It’s pointing us toward what needs healing, rhythm, or restoration.
In Dr. Delony’s words: “Anxiety is not the problem. The problem is that we are unsafe, disconnected, unhealthy . . . “.
Asher, I pray you’ll remember this:
Anxiety doesn’t define you.
It’s not your identity, your destiny, or your forever struggle.
It’s an invitation to pause, to listen, and to walk with God into healing.
This series by Dr. Delony may be helpful to you.
Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.
Click here for Part 3.
You’re not alone in this, Buddy, and you never will be.