Running the Race of Life: Struggles with Anxiety

I know I’m not the only one who struggles with anxiety, and I also know it’s a hard battle to fight. Here’s some bible passages that will hopefully encourage you to keep fighting the good fight and to cast all your cares on him!

Even if you’re not a runner, I really hope this encourages you.

Maybe you’re going through a tough time, or maybe you’re just wondering what happens next. The first thing that I’ll say to is you’re not alone.

Maybe you are someone who struggles with anxiety in one form or another. You think you’re the only one that stays up late, thinking about too many things and worrying way more than you should. But you have to realize you’re not! It seems like an easy thing to grasp but I hadn’t really realized this until lately.

Now, I know I’m only 15. Some of you might be thinking, “She’s so young! What does she have to worry about?”

But seriously, I think sometimes my mind tries to find things for me to stress about. I stress before there’s even stress to stress about! Okay that was confusing…

But even if I wasn’t this super uptight-stressed out fifteen-year-old, being a runner is a sport that definitely requires mental toughness. Mental toughness that I’m still trying to work on. It’s hard on your mind! And that’s the main reason why I’ve been struggling lately. Track season ended really rough for me and I can’t seem to get back on my feet from it. The good thing is I’m getting a lot better! The sort of bad news is I’ve got a long way to go. It’s hard to find a love for running again after feeling like you’ve just ‘had to do it’ for so long.

For the past couple weeks as I’ve struggled (and won sometimes!) with the anxiety of meets coming closer and training going quickly, a few bible verses have been going through my mind.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials with various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” – James 1:2

I’ve always loved this verse because it makes me rise above what is going on right now and made me look at the big picture of things. God has given me this trial to help me depend on Christ more and have a stronger faith!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, for all your ways acknowledge him, and he will keep your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5

These two verses I’ve read over and over before cross country and track meets. They’re verses that always remind me that in the race of life, I cannot depend on myself, but God, and because of that I can be strong and courageous.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12: 1-2

This is by far my favorite verse because it has so many good reminders in it! We should be casting ALL our cares on him and realizing we’re free from the ‘sin which clings so closely.’ This race of life is not a sprint, it’s a race of endurance. We need to have faith and trust, looking to Jesus, knowing that the road is long but he is with us all the way. With JOY he endured the cross for our sin, because he loves us so much! If he can have joy in that circumstance, can we not have joy as well?

The more I deal with my struggles with anxiety, the more I realize it’s something that happens to all of us at times. So when I’m starting to worry about meets this season and stay up late wondering if running is even worth it anymore, I’ll remember that I run because I truly DO enjoy it. And that I don’t have to worry about if I’m the fastest on the team. I just have to make sure my heart’s in the right place, and I cast all my cares on him. That’s what you can do, too!

-Maddie