“All your sons will be taught of the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.” Isaiah 54:13-14
If you suffer from anxiety, it can be hard to see an end to the fear you struggle with daily. But God has so much more for you, and His will is for you to be free. The fears and cares of this world are nothing compared to the love and power of our Heavenly Father. He created you to be a conqueror and have victory in every area of your life.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27
Where does your identity come from?
When your identity is founded in something external as your source of validation and worth, you will be disappointed. The things of this world are temporary, and they change, transform, or break down—that’s just how things work. But, when you find your source of validation and worth in the love God has for you, you will never be disappointed, because His love for you is based on Who He is, not who you are.
“[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.” Philippians 2:13
Your worth comes from God’s absolute and unchanging love for you, from His Son’s death on the cross for your salvation. Whether you go to college or not, or have good grades or not, or do well in sports or not, you’re still a success and accepted.
So how do you make the change?
To get to that point, you must reject everybody else’s opinion of you except for God’s, even if they are an important person to you. Just because you care about someone doesn’t mean they get to tell you who you are, and if they aren’t giving you Biblical wisdom, you cannot accept the identity they try to restrict you to. Once we realize our identity in God, and how much He loves us, we realize He will take care of us and we don’t have to be afraid anymore. Realizing your worth and value comes from God’s undying love, instead of your own behavior and talents, gives you the key to breaking free from anxiety.
This internal change will yield external results
Meditate on scripture which cites your identity in Christ—speak it over yourself aloud. Do this daily, in the mornings to start your day, in the evenings before you go to sleep, in times of struggle and hurt. Speak it with authority, knowing it is the truth.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
Changing your beliefs will change your actions—if you believe you are God’s precious child wholly loved and accepted no matter what, that is how you will treat yourself and others. People around you will notice this change, they will see your joy and self-acceptance, how you behave more lovingly toward them. You’ll be more confident, and like yourself more. You’ll be able to grow and try new things without fear. You’ll be free.
Scriptures to mediate on
Here are some scriptures about who God created you to be–who you are in Him. Confess them over yourself and let them shape how you see yourself.
- “‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'” Jeremiah 29:11
- “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
- “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” Revelations 5:10
- “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:14
- “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-38
- “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
- “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” Ephesians 1:5-8a
Hannah Fletcher
Writer and Student
Hannah Fletcher is a senior at Oral Roberts University majoring in writing. She is managing editor of the university yearbook, Vice President of the English Club and loves all the puppies of the world.