Rezi is 43 now, and something peculiar has been happening to her since she was old enough to remember it. During the wee hours of the morning, just before she’s fully conscious, a rush of ideas flashes through her mind. It’s as if her subconscious takes over, flooding her thoughts with flashes of inspiration, new projects, and creative breakthroughs. Sometimes they are so vivid that she can almost see them in full detail. As a child, she became a collector of beautiful and odd things, certain she’d need them as she tried to bring her visions to life.
Over the years, Rezi has tried many things to capture the dreams and visions she receives. Naturally creative, those who know her have been dazzled by her ingenuity and artistic flair. Yet, after her thirties, her enthusiasm began to wane. Like many of us, life has been no joke for her. Her oldest brother, who she loved deeply, was tragically killed in a car accident, and the grief from that loss has cast a long shadow over her life. Her parents were devastated by the loss of their son. They’ve never fully recovered, and the weight of their ongoing ailments has only deepened Rezi’s own sense of helplessness.
In the years that followed, Rezi found herself sinking deeper into anxiety. The idea of losing another loved one, particularly her son or husband, often keeps her up at all hours of the night. She fears she might not ever feel the peace she once knew, worry seems to hang over her like a dark cloud, one that she can’t seem to shake.
The dreams that were once a source of inspiration and wonder, now feel like distant memories. The creative fire that once burned so brightly has become smothered by the weight of her fears and responsibilities. She feels defeated but keeps it hidden from her family. “Let go and let God.” Those are the words she hears reverberating in her head, but in her heart, she doesn’t think she’ll be able to do it. The trust she once had in His peace and guidance seems so far out of reach now.
In 1 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT), the Apostle Paul said: “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” Paul was speaking about spiritual maturity. It’s the progression that occurs as we grow in understanding and faith. It’s how our understanding and perspective changes as we grow spiritually. Just as we mature physically and emotionally, our relationship with God calls for spiritual maturity. We move beyond the limited thinking of our younger years and embrace a deeper trust in God’s plan for our lives.
Responsibilities change us in ways we don’t fully comprehend. Life teaches us that we can’t think and reason childishly if we want to keep pace. Our problem is that we abandon those parts of us that keep us humbly seeking God. They keep us from depending on Him with unwavering faith in His love and power.
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:3-4 (NLT): “3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” He calls us to embrace humility and trust in our Heavenly Father in the way a little child humbly trusts their parents. We are to approach God with this same simplicity, openness, and dependence that children naturally have. This level of humility is a conscious choice that you and I must make. It’s in us, and we must choose to allow it to rule our hearts and minds rather than allowing fear and doubt to become a lifestyle.
We can become so disconnected from a sense of wonder and enthusiasm about God and His willingness to bless us that we somehow trust worry over joy and fear over hope. The truth is that only we can make the decision to reverse this for ourselves. We must consciously choose to let God’s love win in our hearts and then choose to walk in that victory every moment of each day. As Paul encourages us in Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT): “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” By choosing to place our worries in God’s hands, we can embrace the peace that surpasses all understanding and allow it to guide us toward joy and hope.
Romans 8:37 (NLT) tells us: “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Philippians 4:13 declares that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Putting away childish things means putting away anything that interferes with us being fully persuaded in our privilege and responsibility to trust God with all that we are. We cannot allow ourselves to become slaves to fear and doubt; that is not a mark of the spiritually mature.
Our need to control cannot exceed our requirement to honor God through our faith in Him. True spiritual maturity is found when we move beyond the fears and limitations that once held us back. It’s when we make the choice to trust that God is in control, and He is faithful to care for us. So, we must always remember that His plans for us are greater than anything we can plan for ourselves. We can rest in His safety and walk in peace as we trust His love, His wisdom, and His protection. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“The Journey from Anxiety to Trusting God”, written by Rev. Fran Mack. Edits by Kim Times and K. Lizzie for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.