Discovering Peace in the Midst of Anxiety
Over the last couple years, I have faced some circumstances that left me dealing with deeper and sharper anxiety than I ever have before. In fact, at the end of last year I was in a rough place, praying daily for God to show up because I had no idea how to navigate this season of unrest.
I stumbled on a video teaching by Megan Fate Marshman during that time that was transformative in my journey. She shared about how God grieves with us when we walk through loss and her words were the beginning of a shift in my heart from the dark loneliness of loss toward hope again.
When I was asked to read and review Megan’s upcoming book, Relaxed: Walking with the One Who is Not Worried About a Thing, I jumped at the chance. And friends, this book is a gift that I am so thankful I had the privilege to read. I am excited to have the opportunity to share with you. I cannot recommend it enough.
Megan shares in the Introduction about the title choice for her book. It was Dallas Willard who was once asked to describe Jesus with one word and he said, “Relaxed.” Megan goes on to write: “As we know through Scripture, for Jesus to come across as relaxed doesn’t mean He didn’t grieve or get angry or feel the weight of the world on His shoulders. But it is clear that He was never in a hurry to be anywhere other than where He was, fully present with whomever was right in front of Him, trusting and obeying His Father’s way.”
The invitation offered is that we, too, can be relaxed despite the brokenness that runs rampant in this world. Yes, we’ll grieve. Yes, we’ll struggle. But like Jesus, we are invited to live a life that isn’t in a hurry to be anywhere except where God has us—fully present with the people around us and trusting and obeying the Father who is enough for every need we have.
Who is this book written for?
This book is written for the church as a whole. But especially, for those in the church who are at the place where the grief of this world is wearing them thin. If you’re feeling fragile and confused and searching for a way to remember the goodness of God in the midst of so much bad and harsh and broken—then it’s for you.
In truth, as I was reading it felt like every chapter and every paragraph was specifically for me. Like a dear sister had sat me down, looked me in the eye, and told me all the things my heart needed to hear. Some I knew already but needed to be reminded of, and some were so profound they made me pause and acknowledge that Jesus truly is living and active today because His words are alive.
What is this book about?
While the book covers a lot of topics, the root of the entire thing is a calling and equipping for people to grow in their faith toward maturity and steadfastness.
One of the things I appreciated the most, was how gently Megan took deep heart wrenching struggles—like anxiety and grief and pain—and spun the narrative to help us recognize how we can not only work our way through these things, but also grow and mature in Christ as we overcome.
For example, on the subject of trusting God, Megan encourages us to lean into the areas where we feel things like anxiety. “Anxiety is not the ultimate monkey to get off your back. Anxiety isn’t even a sin. It’s a signal,” she tells us in chapter one right after explaining in such a hope-filled way, that our experiences with pain and worry and anxiety are not “proof that we don’t trust God’s sovereignty; rather, it can act as a doorway, leading us to the location within our hearts where we can deepen our trust in Him even more as we share it all.”
Dealing with Anxiety
As someone who has dealt deeply with anxiety and has felt the constant pricking worry that I’m just “not trusting God enough”, this turning of the narrative is not only freeing, but also resonates in my spirit because it shifts the focus from our perceived failures and turns it toward knowing Christ and being known by Him—and that, friends, is the hope of the gospel. That the One who walked with Adam, now walks with me. We can know each other and feel known by each other.
Clearly, I could share endlessly about the beauty and worth of this book, but the end point is that I believe the church needs this teaching. There are so many places where our narratives have drifted from being centered on Jesus, and this book shifts them back into place. Locking our gaze back on the One Who Is Not Worried About a Thing. All will be well, friends, for those of us in Christ. We truly can be relaxed with Him.
May we all know Him more,
Natasha
Natasha Metzler writes from a small farm in Northern New York where she lives with her husband and three miracle children. In between homeschooling the older kids she blogs and writes books. Pain Redeemed tells the story of her journey through infertility and Counting Grains of Sand tells of how God built her family from splintered pieces. She also writes fiction that celebrates the goodness of the Father, like her Women of Promise series and the allegorical fairy tales found in her Daughters of the King collection. You can find her blogging at natashametzler.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the author of the book
As an international speaker at churches and conferences, Megan Fate Marshman is a leading voice to this generation. She has devoted her life to loving God and overflowing His transformational love to others. She’s finishing her Doctorate in Ministry as she serves as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church and the Director of Women’s Ministries at Hume Lake Christian Camps. Megan lives in Southern California and loves adventuring and sharing the love of Jesus with her two boys. Follow her on Instagram @meganfate and Facebook @meganfatemarshman.
Club31Women thanks Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, for their partnership in today’s review of Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing. This is a sponsored post, but please know that the content and opinions expressed here are entirely our own. (See our full disclosure here.)
