Have you ever caught yourself thinking something about you that you would never, ever say to another human being? “You’re not good enough.” “You can’t do this.” “Everyone else is better.” I have. Many times. And if I’m honest, there have been seasons where what others said became louder than what God said about me. Just like Julia Roberts said in Pretty Woman: “The bad stuff is easier to believe.” But friend—that was never the truth. Words matter.

Anxiety has a way of lying to us. It whispers, “You’re stuck. You’ll never be yourself again. You’ll always feel this way.” But the Word of God speaks a greater truth: “Fear not, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10)

Ever wake up and just feel like the world has its hands on its hips, staring you down and saying, “Really? You again?” Yeah. That was me today. I don’t even know why. Nothing catastrophic happened. I didn’t trip and fall in public or accidentally like someone’s photo from 2009 while Facebook stalking (though, honestly, give me time). It was just one of those weird heavy days—the kind where your heart feels a little wrinkled and your brain starts asking dramatic questions l