The Hourglass in My Head
"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
— 2 Timothy 1:7
If there were truly monetary value for every time I've analyzed the possibilities of choices, obstacles, and challenges that have presented themselves in my life — what to wear to work, what to eat, when to work out, whether I spent enough time in Bible study today, or if I overfed my cat — I would be a billionaire already. Call Forbes, please.
But are those really just questions? Let me sit with that for a second.
Anxiety wasn't only a cute yet awkward character in Inside Out 2 (thank you, Disney). It's an enigma — and honestly, even as I'm writing this post, it's showing up. I'm contemplating every word choice, the flow of this piece, whether it will make sense to you, whether it's even a relevant topic in a time when mental health is not only valued but widely discussed. Should I approach this with my own story? Or generalize it so more people can find themselves here?
So many options. So many choices that feel like they need to be made right now.
And that's the word, need.
If you've wrestled with anxiety like yours truly, you know that at times, it feels exactly like that. Like an hourglass where with every pause or indecision, the sand is slipping lower. The pressure is real, the spiral is real, and the exhaustion of your own mind is very, very real.
So let me be as honest as I can be: I struggle with anxiety. And I wasn't always this way, but that's a conversation for another time.
For me, the questions start before I even walk out the door. Should I use my vitamin C serum today? Am I taking too many vitamins…or not enough? Are my coils too unruly to be taken seriously? (Every Black woman knows this particular spiral.) Is this top too tight, or should I be proud of the body I've been blessed with? That's all before 8am, daily. It's quite a lot.
And sometimes the therapy voice in my head will say: "Abigail, you're stressing. If this were one of your friends, what would you tell her?"
Would I tell her to just pick something so we can get the show on the road? Would I sit with her and map out the pros and cons? Maybe I'd quote Yoda. Or… maybe I'd share a Scripture with her.
Are you catching on, friend?
When anxiety shows up, how many of us actually challenge it with God's Word? I'll be honest. I don't, as often as I want to. And ironically, even choosing the right Scripture becomes its own spiral. Which verse? Which passage? Does the context truly apply here?
But today, I don't want to offer you a one-size-fits-all answer. I want to share what has actually been helping me trade the battle of the what ifs for something steadier — the calmness of hope and peace.
2 Timothy 1:7"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
Here's the thing though. I knew this verse before it helped me. I'd read it, highlighted it, probably even quoted it to someone else. And still, on a random Tuesday morning standing in my closet overthinking an outfit, it wasn't the first thing that came to mind. That's the part nobody really talks about. The gap between knowing Scripture and letting it actually do something in you in the moment. That gap is real. And if you've been there, I just want you to know that doesn't make you a bad Christian. It makes you human.
But here's what I've been learning: the verse doesn't have to feel powerful in the moment for it to be true. Sometimes you say it before you feel it. Sometimes you pray it like a question more than a declaration. And slowly, not all at once, it starts to redirect something.
I could honestly sit here and unpack this verse all day, but let's focus on one thing: God gave us His Spirit. Not timidity. Not fear. Not a mind that loops endlessly on worst-case scenarios. He gave us power, love, and self-discipline.
This verse doesn't silence the questions. It redirects me from the problem (the what ifs) to the source (who God is and what He's already given me). And when I sit in that, something shifts.
Instead of asking, "What should I wear so I'm not judged?" I start asking, "What makes me feel empowered, loved, and like myself?" That last part is just for fun because my wardrobe is genuinely the most neutral thing about me, but you get the point.
The beautiful thing is that Paul wrote this letter thousands of years ago, and it still meets us right here, right now, in the middle of our morning spirals and our big life decisions alike. That's the power of God's Word.
So, friend, I'm not going to promise you that anxiety disappears with one verse. But I will tell you this: you don't have to stay trapped in the loop. The what ifs will come. That's just life. But so does the Holy Spirit, and He comes with power, love, and self-discipline.
Next time the spiral starts, hold 2 Timothy 1:7 close. Let the Holy Spirit do what only He can do.
Until next time, Abi 🤎
