Anxiety is rampant. Ever since 2020, those of us in the mental health field have seen a significant increase in the incidence of depression and anxiety. On a recent episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective podcast, I chatted with Courtney Devich about Anxiety in Motherhood [👈listen or watch here]. For moms juggling the demands of motherhood while struggling with anxiety, the weight of worry, overwhelm, fear and doubt can rob you of the joy of motherhood.

In the following post, Courtney shares more of her experience and the wisdom she has gleaned through her journey to encourage you in yours! If you’re a mom struggling with anxiety, these biblical truths will help you cope so you can find joy through God’s comfort, find hope in Him because He cares for you, and put your trust in God to get you through to the other side.

Be sure to read to the end for a book giveaway!

3 Bible Verses for the Mama Struggling with Anxiety
By Courtney Devich

Moms are dealing with a lot these days. There’s pressure. There’s comparison from an overload of too much information being thrown at us. There are the opinions of others. There are hard days when we just want a break for ourselves; not even to do something for ourselves, but just to take a mental break from it all.

It’s overwhelming. It’s hard. Plain and simple.

Then you add on living with an anxiety disorder on top of being a mother—that takes it to a whole new level. The racing mind and obsessive thoughts. The irritability and snappy at your kids when your fight or flight response kicks in. The lack of sleep from all of the worrying. It’s hard as a mom, and it’s stealing your joy as well. That’s where God comes in.

Here are three biblical truths for the mom struggling with an anxiety disorder:

1. Psalm 94:19 which reads, “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy” (NIV). Other translations of this verse, such as the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) and New Living Translation (NLT) use the word “comfort” instead of “consolation” and that’s exactly what we need as we’re struggling with anxiety. What I love most about this verse is that it’s not saying we’ll never be anxious. Anxiety, in and of itself, is an emotion and every person gets anxious from time to time. We’re all wired with that fight or flight response, it’s just some of us have an imbalance in our brains, and that response triggers anxiety more often than not. So, when we are anxious, we can take it to the Lord and He will strengthen us. He will comfort us and that comfort will bring us joy.
2. Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (NIV). The Greek word here for “cast” is epiriptó and it means “to throw upon, place upon”. * We’re not just taking our anxiety and worries to Him; we’re throwing them upon Him so He can take them on for us. We’re casting them to Him so He can take care of them for us. Why? Because He cares for us. Your cares are His cares. He’s not sitting up there, shaking His head at you because you’re worrying about something. No. He wants you to take it to Him because He cares for you.
3. In Psalm 56:3, we read, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (NIV). Simple and easy, right? Doesn’t say we’ll never fear, it says that when we are afraid, we need to put our trust in Him. And yes, God does tell us not to fear hundreds of times in His Word. However, He usually will say, “Do not fear, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10, emphasis mine) or “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9, emphasis mine). He is with us. He will never leave you or forsake you. So, when you are afraid, just remember He’s not going anywhere. And put your trust in Him. He’ll see you through to the other side of that fear.

If you’re a mom who has struggled with anxiety, what has been helpful to you to combat it? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

*Lexicon:: Strong’s G1977 – epiriptō, Blue Letter Bible, accessed August, 28, 2023

About Courtney Devich

Courtney Devich is a mama relying on Jesus and reheated coffee every day. Using humor, honesty, and relatability, she writes with a heart for the mom struggling with anxiety or depression. Courtney is a former human resources professional, using her leadership skills to manage kids as a stay-at-home mom. You can find her in the Starbucks line at her local Target, binge-watching TV with her husband, or chasing after a kid (or two) at her home in Michigan.

Connect with Courtney: Website / Facebook / Instagram

Book Giveaway

In conjunction with this post and the podcast interview, Courtney is giving away a free copy of her book, Mama’s Got Anxiety: But It’s Not Going to Steal Her Joy.

Leave a comment below sharing with us one thing you learned about the hope available for moms struggling with anxiety and you will be entered into the contest for your chance to win a copy of his book.

You could also share this blog post on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter then comment here to tell us where you shared it and you’ll also be entered into the drawing.

The winner will be selected at random and announced next Monday, March 25, 2024. Continental United States only.