When I learned to fully embrace my anxiety, panic attacks and all, God opened my eyes to a lot of truths that I hadn't yet learned to fully embrace.
One of those truths was my inability compared directly to His ability. When being anxious is the norm, even the easiest tasks suddenly seem impossible. Cooking, studying, and even talking to a friend become tall hurdles in your path instead of part of your daily to-do list. Stress eventually takes over, and, in times like those, my eyes and mind are drawn upward.
A verse that epitomizes the truth of His ability during struggles is found in Paul's letter to the Ephesians: "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us" -Ephesians 3:20
God is able when we're unable. And He isn't just able, He's able to do far more than anything our feeble minds can come up with. Just the first part of that verse sets my soul more on fire for Him and His strength, in light of my weakness. The second part, though, always blows my mind. That power that He holds is also at work within us. Even when we feel so inadequate and broken, He is still working, and especially in those times.
The other truth I've become much more aware of is His divine promise for the future. First of all, Christ is coming back, which should immediately curb all anxiety. But, when that doesn't calm, God already promised and planned a life lived for Him on Earth and eternal life with Him after Earth. This may just be me, but half of my anxiety comes from the unknown or my own lack of control.
When seasons of unrest come, I turn to two different verses. The first is in the Gospel:
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" -Matthew 6:25-27
This verse leaves me breathless every time I read it. God literally tells us not to be anxious, yet we are. We're blatantly disobeying him, and, not just that, but we're not fully trusting Him. And, if that isn't enough to knock you on your knees, He says our worry is nonsense. He sustains the birds, and considers us more valuable than they are, yet we still ignore the fact that He controls not only lives of birds, but our lives, as well. We can't add a single hour to our lives by worrying. God is still in control.
That verse alone puts a lot into perspective for me, but I also flip to another verse, in times of distress. This verse appears in the Old Testemant:
"fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10
This verse is also my life verse. When I first realized my anxious tendencies and constant state of panic wasn't normal, God lead me straight to these words. I memorized this verse, and I still recite it in my head or aloud when I can't breath, think, or move from anxiety. God tells us again not to be anxious or full of fear. He also promises to not only be with us, but to strengthen us, help us, and uphold us. No matter if we're facedown on the ground or standing tall, God is the one holding us up. Every step we take is God's grace. Life is difficult to flesh, but to God this life is nothing compared to the eternal life we'll have with Him. He knows that even a life lived solely for Him isn't perfect because He is the only perfection. That isn't just a truth, that's a relief. Anxiety feeds off of the thought of failure or imperfection, but if we realize that there's no way we can be perfect, we can also realize that He loves us still, and even so. And His abundant love and grace is anxiety's only cure.
