Day 2: I Can’t Turn Off My Mind

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

Psalm 94:19 NIV

One of the most common things I hear from people is: “I just can’t stop thinking. My mind won’t shut off. It’s like a mental treadmill that never stops running, especially at night. Worry. Fear. What-ifs. Guilt. Shame. Regret."

A lot of people confuse fear, anxiety, and worry—they're very different emotions. But here’s how I break it down:

• Fear is usually tied to something real—something immediate.
• Anxiety is what happens when your mind jumps into the future and plays out every worst-case scenario.
• Worry is more like the background noise—it clutters your thinking and steals your calm.

The more we allow ourselves to live in worry, the more it feeds anxiety. And anxiety can spiral into fear—especially if we feel we can’t do anything about it.

These emotions can act like warning lights on your emotional dashboard—reminding you that it’s time to slow down, to pay attention, and to lean in to what God might be saying. Fear in and of itself is not the problem. It’s when it becomes a constant undercurrent that drives our decisions, that it starts to steal our peace.

If you’ve ever thought, What’s wrong with me? I love God—why can’t I just let this go? You may need to hear this and then repeat it out loud: If you're a follower of Christ and you're struggling with anxiety today, that doesn’t mean you're a bad person or you don't love God.

You don’t have to hide your emotions from God.You don’t have to pretend your thoughts are settled when they’re not. God doesn’t wait for your mind to calm down—He meets you in the swirl.

Instead of punishing yourself for how you feel, what if you simply paused long enough to ask yourself: What is this emotion trying to tell me? What do I need from God right now?

Your emotions can actually help lead you toward peace. Let them show you where to invite God in. He’s asking you to trust Him with them.

ONE THING

Can you identify one emotion that has dominated your thoughts lately? Don’t judge it; just name it.

Bring it into the light and ask God, What do You want me to see through this?