I remember seeing a meme in which Jesus is kneeling before a little girl.

Behind His back is a huge, plush teddy bear. His hand is outstretched toward the little girl, requesting the worn, little bear she tightly clutches in her arms. Dismayed, she tells Jesus that she loves the small bear too much to let it go. But as long as she holds on to the small bear, she won’t receive the beautiful gift Jesus has in store for her.

I think we all can relate to this scenario.

Like the little girl, we hold on to anxiety and forfeit God’s peace. We allow our circumstances to weaken our faith.

God wants to deliver us from feelings of worry and despair, but in order to trade in our anxiety for His peace, we must trust Him.

We need to come before Him in prayer and lay everything that disturbs our peace before Him. When we do so, He will give us peace in the midst of our anxiety. That peace, He promises, will guard our hearts and our thoughts.

God wants to trade your anxiety for His peace and comfort you in the process because He has something better in store for you.