Faith: The Bridge from Anxiety to Peace
We love to plan. Whether it’s jotting lists, building spreadsheets, or mapping out life in bullet points, we crave the sense of control planning brings. We organize our schedules, chart our careers, and try to predict every curveball life might throw. We plan because we think if we’re prepared enough, we can avoid chaos.
But then reality hits. As Mike Tyson famously put it, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Life has a way of throwing punches we didn’t see coming. In those moments, all our careful planning feels like it evaporates. We’re left thinking, What now? Will I be okay?
Here’s the truth: in the chaos, we’re faced with a choice—anxiety or peace.
Sometimes peace feels impossible. The situation is too overwhelming, the pressure too much. But peace isn’t out of reach. It’s not that anxiety is the problem—it’s just the reaction to the real issue: uncertainty.
Between anxiety and peace is a gap. That gap is filled with unknowns. And most of us hate the unknown. That’s why so many of us are control freaks—we think if we can know everything, we’ll feel safe. But we don’t know everything. And we can’t.
In Scripture, we find Joshua standing in a very familiar place—face to face with uncertainty. He’s just taken over leadership of Israel, and he’s staring at a raging river with the promise of a new land on the other side. Jericho lies beyond that, a fortified city with walls built for war. Joshua had plenty of reasons to feel overwhelmed.
But what does he do? He chooses faith.
In Joshua 3:14–17, we see him trust God’s word. The Jordan River is flooded and impassable, yet when the priests carrying the ark step into the water, it stops flowing. Not before—but as they step out in faith.
Later, in Joshua 5:13–15, he encounters a man with a sword. He asks, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The response? “No. I’m the commander of the Lord’s army.” Translation: I’m not here to take sides—I’m here to take over. God wasn’t there to be Joshua’s assistant. He was there to lead.
Then in Joshua 6:1–5, God gives Joshua the most unconventional battle plan: march around Jericho, quietly, once a day for six days. On the seventh, march seven times, then shout. It sounds absurd militarily—but Joshua obeys. And the walls fall.
In every instance, Joshua shows us that faith in God bridges the gap between anxiety and peace. Faith that God sees. Faith that He speaks. Faith that He is with us. That He fights for us. That He is always enough.
So, what does this kind of faith look like?
Faith starts with God’s promises.
We may not know all the details, but we know God is with us. He’s never vague about that. He promises His presence—and that’s always enough.
Faith is active, not passive.
It’s not “just let go and let God.” It’s “step into the water, even when it’s still raging.” God moves as we move forward.
Faith isn’t about our strength.
It’s about God’s. Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us not to lean on our own understanding but to trust Him fully. Our own willpower can’t sustain real peace. Only God can.
Here’s a hard truth: faith is the only right response to uncertainty. Romans 14:23 tells us, “Anything that does not come from faith is sin.” That’s a tough line—but it’s freeing too. It reminds us we don’t have to carry our anxiety alone or muscle our way through. We’re called to trust.
And the good news? You have a choice.
You can choose faith over fear. You can live grounded in the unshakable truth that Jesus is with you, that your identity is found in Him, and that God’s plan is better than your control. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” You don’t have to see the end to trust the One who’s already there.
So—what’s your river? What wall are you staring at? Where has uncertainty planted anxiety in your heart?
God isn’t asking you to fix it. He’s asking you to trust Him in it. He’s asking you to take the step into the water, to follow even when it doesn’t make sense, to believe He’s enough.
Peace doesn’t come from knowing what’s next. It comes from knowing who goes with you. Faith is the bridge. And you can choose it today.