Peace in the Chaos: A Christian’s Guide to Anxiety That Actually Helps

A Christian’s Guide to Anxiety That Actually Helps

Anxiety is sneaky.

One minute you’re ordering coffee, driving to work, or lying in bed trying to pray yourself to sleep… and the next your heart is racing, your chest feels tight, and your mind is sprinting in circles. And then—because you love Jesus—you add the extra weight:

“Why am I still anxious? What’s wrong with me? Shouldn’t my faith fix this?”

Let me say this clearly: you’re not broken. And anxiety is not proof that your faith is weak.

Anxiety isn’t a sin… but shame loves to pretend it is

A lot of Christians have read, “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6) and heard it like a scolding. But Paul isn’t shaming you—he’s inviting you into a new rhythm: When anxiety comes (and it will), bring it to God.

Even Paul admitted seasons of being overwhelmed: “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure…”(2 Corinthians 1:8). David wrote raw, desperate prayers. Elijah collapsed under the weight of it all. Jeremiah wept. And Jesus—sinless Jesus—experienced intense anguish in Gethsemane.

So, if anxiety means you’re “failing,” then we’d have to call a lot of faithful people failures. That’s not the story Scripture tells.

Your body’s alarm system isn’t broken—it’s loud.

Anxiety often isn’t your soul being rebellious; it’s your nervous system doing its job—just in overdrive.

God designed your body with a built-in alarm system: fight, flight, or freeze. When your brain senses danger, your body responds fast: heart rate up, breath shallow, muscles tense, thoughts urgent. That system helped humans survive real threats.

The problem is, modern life triggers ancient wiring. Today, the “danger” might be:

• conflict

• deadlines

• finances

• health scares

• social pressure

• trauma reminders

• lack of sleep (sleep deprivation is a big one)

Your body doesn’t always know the difference between a real lion and a perceived one. It just knows, “Something feels off... sound the alarm.”

The spiral: when one thought turns into a whole disaster movie

You’ve been there. It starts small: a symptom, a comment, an email, a tense look from someone you love. Then your mind tries to regain control by thinking harder… and suddenly you’re ten steps ahead, living in the worst-case scenario.

That’s the spiral. And it’s not just “being dramatic.” It’s a pattern.

What you think affects how you feel. How you feel affects what you do. What you do reinforces what you believe.

Psychology calls this the CBT framework (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

So, you think, “I’m not safe” or “I’m going to fail,” you feel anxious, you avoid or shut down, and your brain concludes, “See? We can’t handle this.” The loop tightens.

Here’s the wild part: the Bible has been addressing this for a long time.

Romans 12:2 talks about transformation through the renewing of your mind.2 Corinthians 10:5 talks about learning to take thoughts captive.

That’s not spiritual fluff. That’s strategy.

Two practical tools you can start using now

1) Name it to tame it: identify your triggers

Anxiety often begins with a trigger, something external or internal that your brain associates with danger.

External triggers might be:

• crowded places

• conflict

• financial stress

• medical settings

• loud noises

Internal triggers might be:

• intrusive thoughts

• racing heart or dizziness

• shame and guilt

• exhaustion

• fear of rejection

A simple practice: the next time anxiety spikes, ask:

• What just happened?

• What was I thinking?

• What do I feel in my body?

• What does this remind me of?

Awareness is not self-obsession. It’s the first step to freedom.

2) Calm the body to calm the mind

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do in the moment is help your body stand down.

Two powerful tools:

5–4–3–2–1 Grounding

• 5 things you see

• 4 things you feel

• 3 things you hear

• 2 things you smell

• 1 thing you taste

This pulls you out of “future catastrophe mode” and back into the present.

Box Breathing (4–4–4–4)

• inhale 4

• hold 4

• exhale 4

• hold 4

Slower breathing tells your brain, “We’re safe enough to breathe slowly,” and your nervous system listens.

These aren’t gimmicks. They’re training tools... ways to retrain your system toward steadiness.

Most people don’t need more guilt; they need a clear path

A lot of anxious Christians have tried the same cycle:

• pray harder

• push through

• distract

• avoid

• feel ashamed for still struggling

That might work… until life gets loud again.

What you need is a step-by-step roadmap. Scripture-anchored, psychology-supported, and practical enough to use on a Tuesday afternoon when your chest is tight, and your mind won’t stop.

That’s why I created:

Peace in the Chaos: A Christian’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety

Right now, the cost is only $97. Format: Self-paced video course with worksheets, Scripture meditations, guided exercises, and bonus materials. Length: 6 core lessons + 1 bonus lesson (hours of content)

Available for purchase through my Stan.store

This course is for:

• Christians silently battling anxiety

• people tired of “just pray more” advice

• believers who want practical tools grounded in Scripture and brain science

Inside, we’ll walk through:

• normalizing anxiety (no shame)

• identifying triggers

• stopping the spiral and replacing lies with truth

• building a biblical framework for peace (shalom)

• body-based tools to calm your nervous system

• knowing when it’s time to get outside help

• a bonus 7-day Anxiety Reset Plan to build new rhythms

You don’t have to fake peace. You don’t have to earn calm. You don’t have to clean yourself up before you come to God.

You can start right where you are:“God, I feel anxious. But I’m still here. I still believe You’re with me.”

If you’re ready for a real, hope-filled path forward, check out Peace in the Chaos at joemcginnis.com (also available on Stan.store/joemcginnis).

Here's the first 4 minutes of Lesson One.

Check out the first 4 Minutes of Lesson One

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