How God Met Me in My Panic

I never would have called it panic at the time.

I used words like overwhelmed,
stressed,
or just trying to stay on top of everything.

But looking back, I can see it now: I was living in a state of low-grade panic almost all the time.

Panic isn’t always loud.

Sometimes, it’s the hum beneath your thoughts.

The tightening in your chest when the to-do list is longer than the day.

The rush to fix things before they fall apart.

The fear that if you stop—even for a moment—it’ll all come crashing down.

That was how I lived for years.

I didn’t trust rest.
I didn’t trust ease.

And beneath all the striving,
the productivity,
and the planning…
was fear.

Panic isn’t just fear—it’s fear pretending to be wisdom

For most of my life, I made decisions from that place.

I panicked about money,
so I jumped into opportunities that drained me.

I panicked about time,
so I rushed decisions that needed discernment.

I panicked about being behind,
so I pushed harder,
worked later,
and carried more than I was meant to.

I convinced myself it was responsibility.
That it was maturity.
That it was faithfulness.

But panic isn’t the same as purpose.
And fear isn’t the same as faith.

“Do Not Panic, For I Am With You”

“Do not panic, for I am with you.”
—Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

I’ve read that verse so many times. But for the longest time, I thought of it as a command.

As in: Don’t panic. Stop it. Get it together.
And I always felt like I was failing.

But what if those words weren’t meant as correction—but as comfort?

“Do not panic, for I am with you.
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
—Isaiah 41:10

The reason we don’t need to panic isn’t because everything will magically work out.

It’s because we’re not alone in it.

God doesn’t shame us for our fear.
He meets us in it.

He doesn’t say, “I’ll be with you when you calm down.”
He says, “I am with you now.”

God met me in my panic gently—one layer at a time.

He didn’t rip the fear away.
He revealed it.

He showed me how deeply I’d tied my worth to my productivity.

How much I’d feared disappointing others—or falling short of His plans for me.

How often I tried to secure my own future instead of trusting Him with it.

And instead of condemning me, He invited me to breathe.

To pause.
To look up.
To let Him hold what I was gripping so tightly.

I thought I needed a plan.
He gave me peace.

I thought I needed more time.
He reminded me that He’s the Author of time.

I thought I was behind.
He told me I was exactly where I needed to be.

Panic taught me a lot about myself.

But God taught me the truth about Him.

Panic taught me that control is an illusion.
God taught me that trust is a choice.

Panic taught me to brace for impact.
God taught me to anchor in His presence.

Panic made me feel like I had to be my own provider, protector, and planner.

But God reminded me…
I’m not God. And I was never meant to be.

I still have moments where panic tries to creep in—especially when things feel uncertain or slow.

But now I recognize the feeling for what it is:
A signal to stop, breathe, and remember who is with me.

So if you’re there today—in that space where everything feels heavy and your heart is racing just to keep up—can I remind you of something?

You don’t have to carry it alone.
You don’t have to fix it all.
You don’t have to get it perfect.

God isn’t waiting for you on the other side of panic.
He’s already with you in it.
And He will not let you go.

With love and belief in you,

P.S. I wrote this reflection as part of the Five Minute Friday writing challenge, where each week’s prompt invites writers to explore a single word. This week’s word was “panic.”