Being an anxious mom only takes the joy out of motherhood. It can be hard to focus on the good things when you only see the potential danger or things to worry about. Here are some scriptures to help calm a worried heart!
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I struggle with anxiety. As I get older I realize I likely have high functioning anxiety. This of course is self-diagnosed but it makes sense in terms of the achievements I’ve made in my life versus how I view myself and my accomplishments.
I am my own worst enemy. And Satan knows this. He is adept at feeding into the self-conscious, unrealistically high standards that I set for myself.
I have spent most of motherhood trying to readjust the expectations I have. I constantly remind myself of the person I once was and what I was capable of. That person is still there, she is just fighting the anxieties of motherhood.
I have drawn closer to God through these times and for that I am thankful. It also has opened my eyes to the anxieties moms face and that we need scripture passages to help us navigate these feelings.
These are my favourite Bible verses or passages that have helped me when I start to feel overwhelmed or anxious by something in motherhood.
Read on to discover how these scriptures will help calm a worried heart!
Scriptures to Calm a Worried Heart
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you.
My mom sent me the link to a devotional about this verse explaining the meaning behind the word “cast.” It made a huge difference in the way I approached this passage and helped immensely on those days of struggle.
You see, this verse refers to “cast” not as a gentle throw that we think of when fishing, but rather to hurl, like a pitcher throwing a ball.
The thing is, anxiety does nothing except take the joy out of our motherhood journey. While it can feel inescapable, we don’t have to face day-to-day worries alone. God will always be with us to handle the things that are not ours to bear so we can focus on being mom!
With that image in mind, we can think of the anxieties and worries that we carry and how we shouldn’t gently place them on God. When it is something we don’t need to worry about, when it is a fear or difficulty that we are not meant to carry, we shouldn’t hesitate to thrust it upon the back of God!
Fear and anxiety are not of God. He says this time and time again. So why do we, especially as moms carry the burden? Why do we not toss it to God, the one entity that can handle all of it?
I think it is because if you face anxiety, you likely face the fear of asking for help. Or you are dealing with so much it is easier to manage it yourself than to ask for help. You may have learned this early in your life and it has served you well and thus you continue with that.
The thing is, sometimes some things are bigger than we are. Situations that we can’t handle ourselves, which is why God instructs us not to deal with things alone! He says to give it to Him and not feel bad about giving it to Him! Let Him handle it, you are not burdening Him with it. You are not creating an inconvenience for Him. You are no less a woman, wife, mother, sister or friend for handing to God what you cannot manage.
Matthew 26:38-40
And going a little farther He fell on His face and prayed.
This chapter is well known among Christians, as it is often retold around Easter. I’ve heard it hundreds of times but it didn’t hit home until I was a mom and dealing with terrifying difficulties.
Feeling tired, anxious and worn out, I found myself crying out to God to understand how I was going to care for my children. They needed me, more than anyone had ever needed me before and I was so burnt out I didn’t know how I was going to love them.
Then I read this passage from Matthew and realized Jesus felt these same fears. They were for different reasons, but He understood the weight of anxiety and impending doom. He didn’t stew about it though. He told His friends He was feeling stressed and needed to pray!
He took His worries and talked to God about them. He asked for God to take His situation away from Him, for there to be another way instead of what He had to face. Of course, there was no other option, but the action of giving those worries to God is what makes the difference.
We don’t need to feel bad about taking quiet time to talk to God. Jesus did it, He set the example for what we should do when we feel overwhelmed by anxiety…pray!
Why can’t we as moms do the same thing? Why can’t we say to our spouse or a friend or family member that we need a minute (or 10) to go and pray?
Luke 10:40-42
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.”
I wrote about Mary and Martha in my post about “What is Your Attitude,” because Martha did not have an attitude of joy! She had goodness in her home, quite literally! And instead of seeing the joy in it, she was anxious and upset that her sister wasn’t helping her.
I always connected with how Martha felt until I understood the deeper meaning behind the passage. It is still something I struggle with as I am notorious for worrying about the things I can control. Packing bags for a trip, planning and purchasing food for meals, organizing the little people to go somewhere…if it’s something I can control, I will worry about it. It makes trips incredibly stressful, to the point that I won’t sleep for weeks beforehand.
I have to catch myself when my thoughts start to race and remind myself that God doesn’t give us good things so we can worry about them! He doesn’t have joyful events and happy memories lined up for us so we can worry incessantly about them before they come.
Just as Martha didn’t need to worry about what needed to be done to please Jesus. Instead, she needed to be excited about having Him in her home and happy to serve Him.
God doesn’t give us good things so we can spend time worrying about them. He wants us to be joyful, even in the face of adversity and anxiety.
As moms, we need to do the same. We need to look at the good things we have and be thankful for them. To look at things with joy rather than anxiety.
Is that easy? Certainly not. But if you cast your cares on God, call to Him when you start to feel anxious and ask for His joy, you certainly can find peace of mind in all the chaos.
Free Scripture Cards
Scripture cards for days when you need reminded about God’s rest, peace and strength! Grab this free printable below.
For the full set of scripture cards, check out my Etsy store.
Other Verses to Give You Peace of Mind
- John 14:27
- Philippians 4:6-7
- Exodus 14:14
- Psalm 28:7
- Isaiah 12:2
- Isaiah 41:10
- Psalm 34:4
Don’t Be an Anxious Mom!
We all feel anxiety from time to time. Motherhood is one such time when those anxious thoughts take hold and root deeply in our souls. But God doesn’t want us to be an anxious mom! He does not give us children so we can spend their entire lives living in fear. He wants us to have joy during our season as a mom.
Use these scriptures to help calm your worried heart and remember that God is in control of all things. Keep scripture cards in your kitchen window, on your bedside table or your mirror to remind yourself of who is in control! He does not wish for you to live in constant fear but rather to put your trust in His plans and throw the anxious mom label out the window and walk in His promise of hope and love!
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