Overcoming Worry and Anxiety: 3 Steps to Find Peace
Worry has a way of creeping into every season of life. It shows up in new years, uncertain diagnoses, financial pressure, parenting decisions, and quiet moments when our thoughts will not slow down. Most of us would not describe ourselves as anxious people, yet worry quietly shapes how we live, plan, and rest.
Psalm 23 begins with a simple but powerful declaration that addresses worry at its core: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” In one sentence, David gives us a framework for peace that still holds true today.
1. Admit That Worry Cannot Give You What You Need
We often believe worry protects us. We tell ourselves it keeps us prepared, proves we care, or helps us solve problems. But worry does none of those things well.
Worry never changes the past.
Worry cannot control the future.
Worry only drains today of its strength and joy.
Left unchecked, worry exaggerates problems, distorts perspective, and damages both our spiritual and physical health. It is unhelpful, unreasonable, and unhealthy. We were not created to carry the weight of constant fear and uncertainty.
Recognizing worry for what it is does not make us weak. It makes us honest.
2. Place Your Trust in the Shepherd, Not in Yourself
David does not begin Psalm 23 by talking about his circumstances. He begins by talking about God. “The Lord is my shepherd.” Not a shepherd. Not someone else’s shepherd. My shepherd.
David uses the name Yahweh, God’s personal and unchanging name. The One who is, the One who causes, the One who never changes. When everything else shifts, God remains constant.
Sheep are dependent creatures. They lack direction, protection, and provision on their own. That is not an insult. It is a reminder of design. Sheep were never meant to survive without a shepherd.
In the same way, peace does not come from control. It comes from trust. When we place our confidence in the Shepherd rather than ourselves, worry begins to lose its grip.
3. Live as If God Has Already Provided What You Need
David concludes the verse with confidence. “I shall not want.” That does not mean he never desired anything. It means he lacked nothing essential.
Worry often grows out of a belief that something is missing. One more achievement. One more relationship. One more solution. But contentment comes when we believe God is already enough.
The Shepherd provides what His sheep truly need. Guidance. Protection. Rest. Purpose. When we live as if that is true, worry no longer defines our decisions.
Psalm 23 invites us to stop striving and start trusting. To move from anxiety to assurance. To remember who leads us and what He has promised.
Reflect
Where does worry show up most often in your life right now, and how is it shaping your thoughts or decisions?
What would it look like for you to trust God as your Shepherd in the areas where you feel the most pressure or uncertainty?
How might your outlook change if you truly believed that God has already provided what you need for today?
Pray
Lord, You are my Shepherd, and I confess that I often carry worries You never asked me to hold. Forgive me for trying to control what only You can provide. Help me trust Your care, Your presence, and Your provision. When anxiety rises, remind me that I am not alone and that I lack nothing in You. Teach me to rest in Your guidance and walk forward with peace instead of fear. Amen.