Why Does Nobody Tell Teen Girls God Leads You Through Anxiety, Not Around It?
Can I tell you something nobody really tells you?
God is not trying to get you around your anxiety. He's not going to remove it before you have to walk through anything hard. And once you see that in Psalm 23 — really see it — you can't unsee it.
You've probably heard Psalm 23 before. At a funeral, most likely. It's the one that gets read when something is ending — when the room is quiet and everyone needs something to hold onto.
But here's what gets me: David didn't write Psalm 23 at the end of anything. He wrote it as a young shepherd. A kid who was responsible and trusted and looked put-together on the outside — while danger was circling him constantly.
Sound familiar?
That's exactly what I kept thinking about during VBS this week. Our theme was Ireland — sheep, border collies, highland cows, the whole thing — and it was built around King David's story and Psalm 23. Every single day, something in it kept pulling at me. Because I kept thinking about you.
This episode is the thing I genuinely don't think anyone is telling teen girls enough. Psalm 23 isn't a calm-down script. It's a battle plan. And it's about a God who doesn't lead you around the valley — He leads you through it.
Key Takeaways
1️⃣ The enemy doesn't show up with a pitchfork
He shows up as a thought at 2am. A snide comment in the hallway. Mean girl energy you can't quite name. That's spiritual warfare — and anxiety is how it lands in your body. The tight chest. The bubble guts. The sweaty palms and shallow breathing that show up even when nothing "bad" is happening. John 10:10 says the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy — and one of his favorite entry points is your mind, late at night, when you're already tired and trying to hold it all together.
2️⃣ Psalm 23 is a battle plan, not a calm-down script
Read the movement of that psalm. God doesn't promise to remove the valley. He doesn't say "I will make it easy" or "you won't have to feel afraid." He says I will fear no evil — for You are with me. That's a different kind of promise. It's an active, moving God leading an active, moving girl through hard things. "He leads." "He restores." Psalm 23:4 isn't a funeral verse. It's a fight verse.
3️⃣ "He leads" means you have to move
Anxiety wants you to freeze. It tells you to wait until you feel better, until it makes more sense, until the fear goes away. But God doesn't promise to lead a girl who's standing still — He leads a girl who takes the next step He's already placed in front of her. That step might look really small. Texting a friend. Listening to this episode. Reaching out for coaching. One brave step, even with sweaty palms, is you following the Shepherd.
The Pause — A Tool to Try Today
Next time anxiety hits, try this four-step practice:
Stop — name out loud what you're actually feeling right now
Read or recite Psalm 23:4 — say it slowly, even if it doesn't feel true yet
Ask — what's the one next step right in front of me?
Take it — just that one step, nothing more
You're not trying to solve everything. You're following.
A Verse to Hold Onto
"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." — Psalm 23:4
He doesn't lead you around the dark. He goes with you through it. That is the promise.
You don't have to feel brave to follow. You just have to take the next step.
If you've been frozen for a while and want someone to help you figure out what that next step even looks like, I'd love to talk.
xo,
Kristen
