By Amy Thornton
After spending 11 years in the classroom and the past 10 years as a high school counselor, I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside hundreds of students and families. My husband, Matthew, and I have been married for 28 years and have raised three children of our own. Over the years, one thing has become impossible to ignore: Anxiety has steadily increased — not just in teenagers, but in their parents as well.
Students worry about grades, friendships, sports, college admissions, and living up to expectations. Parents carry concerns about finances, work, marriage, raising children, aging parents, and the uncertainty of the future.
As Christians, we sometimes believe we shouldn’t struggle with anxiety. Yet scripture paints a different picture. Some of God’s most faithful servants experienced fear, discouragement, and deep emotional distress. The difference was that they continually brought their struggles to the Lord.
While anxiety can have physical, emotional, and medical causes that deserve proper care, I believe our spiritual health profoundly affects how we respond to life’s burdens. Just as our bodies need nourishment and rest, our souls need them, too.
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Those words seem almost countercultural today. We have become experts at staying busy but beginners at being still.
Scripture tells us that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray and spend time with His Father before important decisions, after long days of ministry, and in moments of grief. If Jesus needed those quiet moments, perhaps we do too.
Taking care of yourself is not selfish — it is faithful stewardship. Rest, healthy relationships, exercise, time in God’s Word, and moments of quiet prayer are not luxuries; they are gifts from God that strengthen our minds and spirits. Sometimes caring for ourselves also means reaching out to a physician, counselor, or trusted pastor. Seeking help is not a sign of weak faith. Often, it is one of the ways God provides healing.
Philippians 4 doesn’t promise a life without anxiety. Instead, it invites us to bring every worry to God through prayer, thanksgiving, and trust. The promise is not that every circumstance will change overnight, but that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Perhaps today, before checking one more email or crossing off one more task, we should pause. Open God’s Word. Take a deep breath. Sit quietly in His presence. When our spirit is rooted in Christ, we discover that peace isn’t found in having control over every circumstance. It is found in knowing the One who is always in control.
Amy Thornton is a wife of 28 years and a mother of three. She has earned a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi Christian University and a Master’s of Education in School and Vocational Counseling. After graduate study and brief work in mental health, Amy taught elementary school for 11 years before becoming a school counselor. She is now in her sixth year as a counselor at Hartfield Academy.
