The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Overcoming Anxiety (EP 175)

Episode Date: January 12, 2026

In this episode, Bryce talks about overcoming anxiety.

What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryce. And today, we have our first solo episode of 2026. I'm really excited. You know, I've missed the solo episodes. You know, don't get me wrong. It's a privilege to sit down with guests and talk and hear and, you know, dialogue and things like that. But ultimately, like, I love these episodes. These episodes are sweet. It's like we're in, you know, the living room together, talking and diving into scripture and many different things. and I kind of wanted to start off the year with something I struggled with for a long time and I think something that people still struggle with to this day.

And that's anxiety. I wanted to make an episode on anxiety because I think it's important. And even the wisest man to ever live on earth outside of Jesus, Solomon, even wrote himself, anxiety weighs a man's heart down. And when I hear that, I'm just like, man, how true is that?

You know? Like, how true is that? that statement, that anxiety does weigh a man's heart down. It weighs your heart down and weighs my heart down. And to be honest, anxiety can feel like this inescapable, incurable disease that can't be conquered, that can never be fixed, only numbed like Advil does with pain, but with other things, whether it be medication or addictions or sin. So I really wanted to dive into today, Matthew chapter 6 on anxiety. And I think today can be really freeing.

I think today can be really hopeful. And I pray really sincerely that you find freedom in this passage. If you have your Bible, just go to Matthew chapter 6. We're going to start in verse 25. To get some context, I'm not reading this scripture and teaching the scripture from a place of shame. And Jesus doesn't make this statement about anxiety out of a place to shame you either. And I remember, man, I grew up in a private Christian school. I grew up going to church.

I'd been to camps. You know, I have heard this passage preached almost in a phrase of, man, why do you struggle with anxiety? You know, like, why do you struggle with that? You shouldn't struggle with that. You should not struggle with anxiety. That's what I always thought. Jesus meant when he says in verse 25, therefore I tell you, do not.

be anxious about your life. Do not be anxious about your life. The amount of times I've heard that said and preached and share it. Why are you anxious? You shouldn't be anxious. You shouldn't be struggling with anxiety and depression. You shouldn't be struggling with that. You should actually, like it's almost the way that it was communicated was to make me feel bad as a human being for when I did struggle with anxiety and depression to go, man, I must be hardwired wrong or God must have screwed up when he made me because I struggle with anxiety or depression. And that is a total lie from the pit of why do you think, and I'm not saying it's unashively, I'm even telling my younger self that's like, why would I ever think that the Lord himself would be like, shame on you for struggling with something

I never designed you to struggle with. Shame on you for struggling with something that you shouldn't be bearing. It's not how the Lord treats us with anxiety, but let's just read this passage and dive into it. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. What you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on is not life more than food. and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air. They neither reap. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more values than they? And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his life's man? I want to come back to verse 27. And why are you anxious about your clothing? Consider the lilies of the field. How they grow,

they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. but if God so clothes the grass is a field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothed you, oh you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious about saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the Gentile seek, after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Do you know why anxiety tends to happen, for the most part? Not every time, but for the most part. we have things on our plate. Maybe you've procrastinated. Maybe you have a hard confrontational conversation you have to have. Maybe there's something weighing on your heart.

And you have many different things going on in your life. And you look up at the mountain of things you've got going on in your life. You don't look at the steps you have to take, the progress, you know, the little chunks. You look at the entire mountain of struggle and problems that you have. And that creates anxiety, this unease, this feeling of I can't do. this, this pressure, this weight on your chest that you can't seem to scrape off. And we look at a mountain of issues. You know what Jesus talks about mountains, actually? He says, if you just have a mustard seed of faith, you can move a mountain. I know he's not talking

directly about anxiety, but I think personally, anxiety tends to be a lot of the perspective of things in our life, how we look at things. I've got so much in my life. The pressure's all on me. It's only in my strength that can do this. I can never do this in a million years. That's absolutely right. You can never do most of the things your life in a million years out of your own strength. In fact, you will fail and crumble if you only lean on yourself. And I think that's why we tend to struggle with anxiety a lot of times because we look at things, accomplishments, to do lists, pressures, and things like that. And we try to put all the pressure on ourselves. And we create this mountain of issues and this mountain of anxiety. No wonder you got the weight on your chest. And

Jesus says, man, if you just have a little bit of faith, of a mustard seed, you can move a mountain. If you just have a little bit of faith, the size of a mustard seed, that God can give you strength through your circumstance that God can give you strength to deal with the things you you got going on today that God can give you strength to get through today through first period through the first hour of your day that you through the first 30 minutes of waking up I think God will do a lot with your anxiety but I think it's so interesting how Jesus phrases anxiety here we open up in verse 25 he says do not be anxious about your life when Jesus says do not be anxious about your life he's not scorning you saying you can't be anxious.

I hardwired you wrong. You shouldn't be struggling with that. Jesus is rather saying, hey, you don't have to be anxious, actually. I know the amount of hairs on your head. I know things about you that you've never shared with anyone. You don't have to be anxious. You're putting this unnecessary pressure on yourself.

And for me, as a human being, who likes to put pressure on myself, who likes to look at the mountain of issues and problems all at once, not the steps and think, man, there's no way I can do that. That's what God is saying, yeah, that's right. You don't have to be anxious about dealing with that. Just trust in me. And that's why I love when we go back to verse 27.

When he's like, which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his lifespan? Jesus is saying there is absolutely no benefit whatsoever in anxiety. Now sometimes we can say that and be like, yeah, right, Bryce, you're acting like, I want to be anxious. No, that's not why I'm saying that. That's not why Jesus is saying that. He's not saying that because he thinks that you want to be anxious. He's just letting you know, like sometimes anxiety is self-inflicted.

Like sometimes we think that worrying is going to deal with it, and it's not. It doesn't. It doesn't help. In fact, worrying will never help. And I love the two examples that Jesus gives about anxiety. because you and I as human beings are of a different value standard in God's eyes because we're made in his image. God created everything in beauty and splendor, animals, creation, colors, flowers, and they're great and they're valuable, but not as valuable as you and me because we're made in his image.

And so God shows us the care that he has for his creation that's not made in his image. He says, hey, look, if these birds of the air that aren't as a vet, if he says, hey, look, these birds, that don't have the same value as you, but I feed them every day and they don't have to work for their food. How much more will I take care of you? And even look at your clothing, you know, do you get anxiety about that boy or girl that you have a crush on, anxiety about people, the appearance, what people think about you?

And he's like, look, look, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. You know, they don't have to work to be beautiful. You know, how much more will I take care of you? meaning how much more beautiful are you actually without even having to worry I mean that's not necessarily the context of that but you get what I'm saying like we sometimes get anxious about careless things

and God is saying my friend my my daughter my son stop putting pressure on yourself of things you don't have to put pressure on you know maybe you're anxious about that boy or girl how they're going to perceive you perceive you with the clothes that you wear but in reality God knows who's going to love you not just for your outward appearance, but for your character and your heart, for who God has assigned you to be.

You don't have to be anxious about being someone that you're not to just impress your crush. Be who God has made you to be. Embrace the beauty that God has instilled in your character. You don't have to worry about what other people will think because God has clothed you in the greatest majesty of your personality. And I love the examples that he uses. And you know what he says at the end of this to close this thought up? Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

You know, another reason why we tend to get anxious is because we worry about everything other than the kingdom of heaven. We worry about the very things in our life rather than being intimate with God. You know, the ultimate goal in your life is not the pressure that you're receiving from your parents to get an A on that quiz or test you have this week. And then that becomes a thing that you become anxious and hyperfixating on. And yes, you need to study. And yes, you need to prepare. but seek first the kingdom of God. I'm not saying only focus on Jesus

and you're going to get an error test. You obviously have to prepare. But do you get what I'm saying? Like don't focus on the anxiety and the pressure of your parents but sink first the Lord in his wisdom. God help me prepare for this quiz. God, thank you that you've given me the ability to get an education.

God, thank you that you love me and that you've given me great teachers. God, I appreciate you. I love you. God, thank you that your strength is going to give me peace throughout this week. God, would you give me a strategy? I want to study.

like we tend to be anxious about things that we don't have to be anxious about. It's self-inflicted anxiety. Not all anxiety is, but it's self-inflicted. And we don't have to be that way. And that's the thing about anxiety. Anxiety is faith in ourselves rather than faith than God. And that's why Jesus himself says in verse 30, oh, you of little faith.

Why time and time again do we continue to get anxious about things because we're trusting in ourselves and we failed ourselves so many times. We don't say, man, maybe every time I should trust in the one who's always going to pull through. Who's got the weight of my anxieties in the palm of his hand. It's like dust on his shirt that he brushes off. Anxiety doesn't have to be your biggest demon. It's just weight and baggage you're carrying that was born on the cross. It's dealt with.

Your anxiety is stuff that God can handle. That God actually already has handled. in his hand, but you've taken it out of his hand and put it on your shoulders. No wonder. You're being crushed. But seek first the kingdom of God. There you will find wisdom. There you will find strategy. There you will find strength. There you will find peace on how to deal with the practical in your life. Well, Bryce, what about the chemical imbalance in my brain? What if I have a chemical balance? you know, what if I need, you know, medicine for anxiety? I'm going to be completely honest.

Look, one of the hardest things for me to understand fully as a Christian is why God supernaturally healed my anxiety and depression. But I've prayed the same prayer I prayed that night when I was 17 at Woff House going to take my life because of anxiety and depression because I thought it was the only way to get the pain to go away. I've prayed that prayer, the same prayer for other people, close one, loved ones, family friends, pray that same prayer with more faith than I had that night in Waffle House and God doesn't take their anxiety with. Why is that? And I've wrestled with that. And in fact,

I've carried a lot of shame. Hence is the reason why I carried shame was because I thought I could have done something about it. But the reality is I can't only God can. But you know what? It's so interesting about that. Sometimes God supernaturally takes away people's anxiety. That is the healing of God. Sometimes God gives wisdom to the right doctors to prescribe the right amount of medication to help you write in the oppression. Maybe God gives wisdom to friends, family, therapists, counselors in your life to give you wisdom and strategy on how to deal with your anxiety.

I believe that's the healing and wisdom of God. But lastly, I want to say, maybe, just maybe, God is allowing pressure in your life as a lot. thorn in your side to keep you humble and reliant on God to say, God, I trust you with this thing. Because if you didn't have this pressure being allowed on you and it was teaching you to trust in God fully, you wouldn't need God in the first place. And we tend to blame God on many things in our life and think, man, God, you suck. Why don't you take this thing away? You know, God took away my anxiety, but there's other things he hasn't taken away from me. And I'm like, God, why don't you

take this thing away from me. But every day I realize, man, I need this thing in my life, this thorn to keep me humble and reliant on God. And maybe it's a hard thing to hear. Maybe it's a hard thing to talk about. But maybe the reason that God is allowing the pressure in your life is so that you keep leaning on him and not yourself because every time you lean on yourself, you blow your whole freaking life up. And maybe if he didn't allow the pressure, you wouldn't need God in the first place. And God is so jealous, he's willing to allow pressure in your life that keeps you humble and reliant on him. That's why Paul, who wrote the book of joy in prison, says, hey, cast all of your anxieties on the Lord. Trust him with the things that he can be trusted with. Well, why would I

trust Jesus? Because he's proven himself of being trustworthy. On the cross, living the life. You know, that's my biggest issue with Muslims right now. As Muslims always want to say, show me in the Bible where Jesus says, I am God worship me. Jesus is far bigger as a God than the God of the Quran because he's not one that just tells you to worship him. He shows you why he's worthy of worship. He is worthy of being trusted. He's worthy of being loved. Through his life and his actions, he has deemed himself one worthy of falling on your face and needs to say, God, I trust you with this thing. So maybe your but God shouldn't be, but God, why are you allowing us to happen to me? Maybe it should be, but God, thank you, that I can trust you and love you and that you

deal with these things for me and you give me wisdom and you give me strength and you give me peace maybe that's how we should reframe it and instead of looking at the mountain of issues of things to do of pressure of confrontations in your life maybe look to heaven not straightforward at the mountain look to heaven and say god give me wisdom and let me not look at the mountain and be intimidated but let me look at your feet and give me step by step. I don't know how I deal with this. You know, it breaks God's heart to see you anxious. And the reason it does break God's heart is because anxiety is selfish.

You might say, whoa, Bryce, what do you mean it's selfish? Because there's something inside of you as trying to do it out of your own strength, out of your own wisdom. And sure, maybe it works sometimes. but if we're really being honest with ourself, it's never going to work. Blessed of the pure and heart, for they shall see God. And maybe if you're someone that says,

man, I feel like I'm spiritually dry or, I don't know, I can't hear God, I can't see Him. Maybe right now you just need to get honest with God and say, man, God,

I really have been trying to do this in my own strength, and it's not working, it's backfire and it's blowing up. And I need you now every second, every breath, every moment. God, I don't want to do this anymore out of my own strength.

So I want to pray. for us when we close that God will give you strength and wisdom and that you will no longer lean on yourself but lean on him Jesus I thank you for everyone watching and listen to this episode God would you bless them would you keep them would your face shine upon them God would you be the thing that leans on them God may we be sheep that leans on the staff of our shepherd which is huge Jesus on your word on your wisdom you are truth rather than ourselves sometimes our truth can be feelings and it misleads us, but God, we don't want just feelings. We want you. So with every

ear that we'll hear, God, would you give us strength to trust in you? With everything we have in our life, good, bad, to do list, confrontations, pressures, we trust you in Jesus' name. Amen.