What Anxiety Can Teach Us About God: Curtis Chang & Kim Gravel

At one time or another in our lives, we are bound to experience bouts of anxiety. The Bible does not teach that lack of faith is the cause of anxiety. In our world today, it is almost impossible not to experience anxiety to some degree. We just can’t avoid it. What if instead of running away from our anxiety, we name what is happening, and develop ways to support ourselves through it while leaning on God in the present moment? 

Curtis Chang is a pastor and a non-profit director. He remembers early moments of anxiety that were a response to his fears of being in an empty house after school, waiting for his parents to come home. He shares how he developed early coping mechanisms which exacerbated anxiety later in his life, and how through that anxiety, he was able to draw closer to God. Kim Gravel is an author and TV personality who shares about the early anxiety she had while competing in pageants as a young girl and opens up about her journey to find self-confidence. 

 

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Janine Reid

Upcoming interview: Ali Landry

 

Curtis Chang

Duke Divinity School

Redeeming Babel

latchkey kid

The Anxiety Opportunity

 

Kim Gravel

Atlanta Olympics

WATC TV57

Kim of Queens on Lifetime

Collecting Confidence

 

Interview Quotes:

“Anxiety is the fear of some potential loss. We all carry that around with us. We all carry around some fear of potential loss.” - Curtis Chang

“Our anxieties have a lot of wisdom contained in them, they tell us a lot about who we are, about our experiences growing up, and what we fear losing.” - Curtis Chang

“What I believe human experience and Scripture tells us is that anxiety itself is not a problem to be eliminated, that in fact, it is actually a fundamental condition of what it means to be human—that to be human is to be vulnerable to loss.” - Curtis Chang

“I know full well the nature of anxiety is a problem, but I also have experienced firsthand the promise of anxiety as an opportunity for spiritual growth, because it takes us to our core beliefs and our core fears about loss, about God, about who God is in Jesus, about what we are actually promised by Jesus in terms of our future.” - Curtis Chang

“My calling is to see people rise in all that God has for them. And for me, the adventure of this life is sharing His message with others. Jesus is probably the reason why I do everything that I do and why I am who I am.” - Kim Gravel 

“I did have to deal with a lot of pressures and stress, but it was such a learning ground for me. It's those times of growth that God puts us in so that we go to new levels.” - Kim Gravel

“Get still, because God is constantly wooing and speaking and guiding and leading us. We just get too busy or too broken to hear it or see it or feel it.” - Kim Gravel

“My philosophy on confidence is probably a little different than what the world tells you it should look like. It's truly a Christ-centered confidence, but it's also a confidence that I know whose I am and why I'm here.” - Kim Gravel

“When God calls you to do something, nothing can stop it, damage it, alter it, or prevent it, except you. And that's the reason I want to share this message, because I know without a doubt, true confidence comes with a relationship with Jesus. True calling comes from Him.” - Kim Gravel

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Enjoy watching these additional videos from Jesus Calling YouTube channel!

Audio Episodes:     https://bit.ly/3zvjbK7 

Bonus Podcasts:     https://bit.ly/3vfLlGw 

Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer:  https://bit.ly/3Sd0a6C 

Peace for Everyday Life:     https://bit.ly/3zzwFoj 

Peace in Uncertain Times:     https://bit.ly/3cHfB6u 

What’s Good?     https://bit.ly/3vc2cKj 

Enneagram:     https://bit.ly/3hzRCCY 

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