Anxiety Steals Opportunities

2 Corinthians 2:12–13

What is anxiety costing you?
Take a moment and think about this.

Is it costing you your relationship with your spouse?
Is it costing you hours of thought as you ruminate over “what ifs”?
Is it costing you relationships with friends or family because you feel overwhelmed by situations you cannot control?
Is it costing you peace?
Is it costing you rest at night as your mind races with all the things that could—or have—gone wrong?

Paul’s anxiety forced him to leave a ripe mission field. Anxiety is costly.

The first sign that anxiety had become a major issue in my life was sleep. For two months straight, I would wake up each night around 2:00 a.m. and not be able to go back to sleep. My mind would sprint through all the ways I had failed that day and feared I would fail tomorrow. I replayed conversations, ran through my to-do list, and fixated on areas where I wasn’t as perfect as I expected myself to be.

Night after night, I would lie awake for 45–90 minutes, unable to quiet my mind. Not only was I being robbed of rest—I was being robbed of peace. And it didn’t stay contained. It began to bleed into my relationship with Carlin, Cooper, my work, and my friendships.

I resonate deeply with Paul’s words: “my spirit was not at rest.” Every call, text, or email created a sinking feeling—what did I do wrong now? I truly believed that every interaction would bring bad news or disappointment I had caused.

I share this honestly because I know many of you are in a similar place. And I want you to know—it does not have to stay this way. There is help.

Paul had to step away from ministry in that moment. You may need to step back from certain things in your life to focus on becoming healthy. My first step was a telehealth appointment that helped address my sleep. That was just the beginning of a journey that included prayer, counseling, trust, and yes—even a prescription.

While younger generations can sometimes over-diagnose and need to learn perseverance, older generations often under-diagnose anxiety and need to know it is okay to seek help. I want to stand in the middle and say—there is hope, healing, and help.

As Paul wrote to Timothy,
“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)