Without fail, every week I get calls indicating, ‘I have anxiety’ or ‘My son has anxiety’ or ‘My daughter has had anxiety since she was in elementary school.’ Anxiety has become a defining struggle of our generation. And, without a doubt, we are conditioned to believe anxiety means something is wrong with us. We are taught anxiety is a medical condition or a pathological disorder needing medication and accommodations.

Yes, student-athletes worry about winning, grades, performing their best, their rank, playing well in front of coaches, parents, teammates, and recruiters. They ‘freak out’ at the uncertainty of tomorrow, the course conditions, the other team, or opponents, and what happens if things don’t go well.

Any media outlet and social media also feeds them an endless stream of reasons to be concerned about things and to compare self with others. Then to top it off, our culture often teaches us to manage anxiety with a pill and by avoiding discomfort rather than learning how to face it and move through it.

There is a different path for managing anxiety

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power and of love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Let’s be clear, anxiety is normal not abnormal. Scripture does not deny the existence of fear. In fact, many of God’s greatest servants experienced it. For example, we know David fled for his life against Saul who wanted him dead. Paul faced imprisonment and incredible persecution. These had to be difficult and anxiety-producing.

Timothy, a young pastor in Ephesus, struggled with anxiety. Paul, writing him from a Roman prison cell just before his death in 68 AD, penned this letter to encourage Timothy who was facing difficulties and trials as Paul himself prepared for the inevitable. Thus, the letter offers valuable information on how to manage our mental and emotional states in the face of challenges.

Fear is real but it is not your identity

Notice what Paul does not say. He does not promise Timothy frightening situations will disappear. Instead, he reminds him fear and timidity is not what God has placed within him for everyday life. This is huge! Fear may visit your mind, this is normal. But Paul reminds Timothy, he has the assets to manage it – power, love, and self-discipline.

This is confirmation God provided three resources for you and me to change fear, manage anxiety, and not allow negative thoughts to sit at our table:

• Power = Holy Spirit supernatural power to act despite fear
• Love = unconditional agape/love shifting our focus away from ourselves
• Self-Discipline = capable of controlled, wise thinking rather than emotional chaos

These tools require intentional practice. As a sports psychotherapist, I often tell athletes they cannot always control the first thought that enters their mind. It might be an ‘automatic negative thought’ (ANT). But, they can decide which thoughts deserve a chair at the table.

Thoughts generate feelings. So, be careful, athletes, about what you think, what your self-talk contains, and which thoughts take up space at your dinner feast. Fear may knock on the door, but you do not have to invite it to sit and stay for the entire meal and conversation.

Train your attention like David

Psalm 27 opens with remarkable confidence or a belief reflecting accurate self-talk: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

David did not write these words from a beach vacation. He wrote them while enemies surrounded him. He wrote them running for his life.

What makes Psalm 27 so powerful is not only David’s circumstances, but his perspective during the circumstances. Throughout the chapter he repeatedly shifts his attention away from his problems and back toward God’s character. This is self-discipline or self-control of the mind.

David’s self-talk is not denial. He acknowledges the difficulty and then regulates his thinking towards what is true, accurate, and more powerful than his feelings.

Negativity Bias back then and now

Let’s be honest, our brains naturally drift toward danger. Neuroscience calls this Negativity Bias, the mental phenomenon where negative experiences or information have a greater impact on an individual’s thoughts and behaviors than positive or neutral experiences of equal intensity. This bias leads us to focus more on negative things, criticism, and failure producing a more pessimistic or anxious perception of life.

Humans used to notice threats because survival once depended upon it. In today’s time, this is not the case. Thus, when Negativity Bias is left unchecked, our minds begin treating every uncertainty as though it were a catastrophe or threatening. We blow up the ‘possible’ into being ‘probable’ when it is NOT!

David shows us how to interrupt fearful thinking. The apostle Paul similarly told anxious Timothy how to interrupt his fear cycle. Instead of rehearsing fearful thoughts, both men guide us to use our superpower of choice in reasoning—admit our thoughts and feelings then discipline our beliefs on God’s faithfulness and character. God consistently redirected the focus of attention while He did not eliminate the difficult circumstances. God pointed His servants towards the power of love and purpose.

Anxiety management begins by overseeing where we place our concentration.

The question becomes now: What story are you repeating to yourself throughout the day? Because whatever receives the most repetition often receives the greatest influence.

Replace worry with prayer

Perhaps no passage on anxiety is more familiar than Philippians 4.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

Notice Paul does not simply tell believers to “stop worrying.” He replaces worry with action. Our behavior also impacts our thoughts and feelings. The actions he recommends calming anxiety:

• Prayer
• Gratitude
• Petition

Then he gives an extraordinary promise these actions yield:

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

The word guard is a military term. Imagine God’s peace standing watch over your thoughts like a soldier protecting a city gate. Imagine the trusted offensive line giving the quarterback all the time needed to make good decisions in the pocket. This peace does not always remove uncertainty. But it does protect your heart while uncertainty remains.

Paul continues by giving believers a practical exercise for the mind in Philippians 4:8:

Think about whatever is true…(according to fact and reality)

Whatever is honorable…(distinction of morally correct and ethical)

Whatever is right…(conformity to truth not the absence of error or fault)

Whatever is pure…(state of being clean, untainted, and free from corruption)

Whatever is lovely…(what is pleasing, beautiful, admirable in physical appearance and character)

Whatever is commendable…(actions or qualities that are praiseworthy and deserving of approval or recognition)

Notice Scripture repeatedly addresses our thinking and actions as a way to regulate negative feelings.

• Our thoughts influence our emotions
• Our emotions influence our actions
• Our actions influence our emotions
• Our pattern in thoughts, emotions, and actions shape our lives

If we continually meditate on worst-case scenarios, anxiety grows stronger. If we continually meditate on God’s truth, our confidence and our peace grow stronger.

Anxiety is not defeated overnight

If you are old enough to remember the Bob Newhart Show, you may have an image of ‘stop it’ come to mind. I wish it were that easy.

I guarantee you, managing anxiety is less like flipping a light switch and more like daily strength training. Every fearful thought becomes an opportunity to practice self-control. It is a daily discipline of the mind. And it requires intentional work.

Every prayer becomes another repetition. Every gratitude journal entry strengthens the heart. Every book you read or personal development podcast you listen to improves your mind. Every devotional feeds the Spirit. Every reminder of God’s faithfulness strengthens trust. Over time, these repetitions begin reshaping the way we respond to uncertainty. Over time, gains are made. You get stronger, less anxious, less fearful, more at peace no matter what your circumstances.

The goal is never experiencing anxiety

The goal is to become someone who consistently responds to fear with truth. When anxiety begins to rise, pause and ask yourself three simple questions:

• What am I telling myself right now?
• Is this thought grounded in God’s truth or in my fear?
• What does God say about this situation?

As you train your mind to answer those questions, remember Paul’s encouragement to Timothy, David’s confidence in Psalm 27, and Paul’s promise in Philippians 4.

God has not abandoned you to your anxiety

You do not have to keep thinking about every stupid, inaccurate thought you have. You can act successful even though you do not believe it. And, for certain, your thoughts do not have to become your identity.

He has equipped you with His power, invited you into His presence, and given you His truth to guide your mind. No pill necessary.

That is where lasting peace begins.