The Anxious Christian by Rhett Smith REVIEW

Is anxiety un-Christian?


The Anxious Christian is a book by Rhett Smith, in which the author talks about his own struggles with an anxiety disorder. All too often, particularly in the Christian community, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are seen as the fault of the sufferer, and that if they just prayed harder and trusted God more, these problems would go away. That is just not the case, but that stigma exists that makes Christians ashamed of their anxiety, and prevents them from seeking help.

However, Smith asks the questions: Can God use your anxiety for good? What if He is using it to speak to us? That can be hard to imagine, but Rhett Smith uses his book to show how God used his anxiety to create opportunities and show him things about himself. It is important to look at your anxiety as a catalyst for growth, and rethink situations that make you anxious.

I did find this book to be helpful and interesting. Rhett Smith has a very friendly writing voice that is enjoyable to read. He uses both personal and Biblical examples to make his points, and each chapter ends with discussion questions, exercises, and a prayer.

The author and I definitely have different kinds of anxiety, so not everything was directly applicable to me, but I still found the book helpful. I gave it 3/5 stars, and I'd recommend it to anyone struggling with an anxiety disorder.

xx
Heidi

*I received a copy of this book from Moody Publishers in exchange for an honest review. 

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