When life feels out of control, anxiety usually gets louder.
Not always panic. Not always fear in the dramatic sense. Sometimes it’s just the constant mental pressure of not knowing what’s going to happen next.
What if this falls apart?
What if I make the wrong decision?
What if things don’t work out?
What if I can’t handle what’s coming?
Most of us don’t actually struggle because we want control over everything. We struggle because uncertainty feels vulnerable. And when life feels unstable, our minds start searching for something solid to hold onto.
I know that feeling well.
There have been seasons of my life where almost nothing felt certain.
When I Had No Idea How Things Would Work Out
Years ago, I became a single mom with two young children and no real financial stability. I didn’t know how I was going to support us. I didn’t know what the future would look like. I just knew I had responsibilities that felt bigger than my resources.
That season forced me into a level of dependence on God I never would have chosen voluntarily.
And honestly? I didn’t always handle it gracefully.
There were many moments of fear. Moments of overthinking. Moments where I wanted guarantees God simply didn’t give me.
But over time, I also watched Him provide in ways I could never have orchestrated myself. People showed up with generosity at exactly the right moments. Doors opened for work opportunities that gave me flexibility with my children. Somehow, one step at a time, we made it through.
Not because I had control. But because God was faithful in the middle of uncertainty.
Trusting God With the Unknown
Another moment that tested my trust deeply was becoming a living kidney donor.
There are always unknowns with surgery. Risks. Complications. Long-term questions no one can fully answer. And if you’re someone who tends to overthink, your brain can become very creative with worst-case scenarios.
But there comes a point where you realize that trying to mentally control every possible outcome doesn’t actually create peace.
It just creates exhaustion.
That surgery was nine years ago now, and I’m thankful to say I’m in excellent health. But the bigger lesson for me wasn’t physical—it was spiritual.
Trusting God does not mean you have all the answers.
Sometimes it simply means moving forward faithfully without demanding certainty first.
(If you want to read more about that experience, you can find my kidney donor journey series here: Living Kidney Donor Journey)
Leaving Security Behind
More recently, my husband left a successful executive career to step fully into ministry work.
From the outside, that probably sounds inspiring and faith-filled. And sometimes it is.
Other times? It’s just uncertain.
There’s a different kind of pressure that comes when you willingly walk away from stability and predictable income. Every day can feel like an unknown adventure. There are moments when I want a five-year plan, guaranteed outcomes, and a detailed explanation from God about how everything is going to work.
That hasn’t happened yet.
But what has happened is this: over and over again, God has proven Himself trustworthy in seasons where certainty was unavailable.
And maybe that’s where real trust is actually built.
The Real Battle With Control
Most anxiety around uncertainty comes from the same place: we desperately want to feel safe.
So we:
- overanalyze
- overprepare
- mentally rehearse scenarios
- try to predict outcomes
- search for guarantees
But eventually, we hit the limit of what control can actually provide.
Because control is not the same thing as peace.
You can control every detail possible and still feel anxious.
Real peace comes from knowing that even when life feels uncertain, God is not.
Scripture for When Life Feels Uncertain
These are some of the verses I return to when my thoughts start spiraling around fear, uncertainty, and control:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV)
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
“Nothing… will be able to separate us from the love of God.”
Romans 8:38–39 (NIV)
These verses don’t promise a perfectly predictable life.
They remind us who God is in the middle of an unpredictable one.
What Helped Me Most
One of the biggest shifts in my own battle with anxiety happened when I stopped waiting to feel certain before moving forward.
I started learning how to:
- identify the thoughts driving my anxiety
- interrupt mental spirals earlier
- replace fear with truth
- respond differently in real time
Not perfectly. But consistently.
That process eventually became the foundation for a book I’ve been working on called Take Captive Your Thoughts: Stop Letting Anxiety, Worry and Fear Control Your Mind.
It’s practical, honest, and written for people who are tired of feeling trapped in cycles of anxiety, overthinking, fear, and mental spirals.
I’m currently putting together a small group of early readers before the official launch.
If this post resonated with you, I’d love to invite you to be part of it. 👉 Take Captive Your Thoughts Early Readers