"If I loved God enough, I wouldn't need medication for my anxiety attacks."
How it sounds in your head: 'Perfect love casts out fear'—so my panic attacks must mean I don't love God enough. Everyone else seems to have peace. Maybe I'm just not surrendered enough or my faith is too weak to overcome this.
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
-- 2 Corinthians 12:9Source: religion twisting Bible verses to make brain chemistry a love problem, measuring faith by symptoms.
She's gasping for air during panic attacks while Bible verses about peace scroll through her mind like accusations. Other girls seem calm and spiritual while she's falling apart.
Paul had a thorn in the flesh that tormented him and begged God three times to remove it. God said no—not because Paul lacked faith, but because His grace was sufficient and His strength shows up in weakness, not in having it all together.
I REFUSE the lie that anxiety means I don't love God enough. IT IS WRITTEN that His grace is sufficient for me and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. My panic attacks do NOT disqualify me from His love. IT IS WRITTEN that NOTHING can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus—not anxiety, not medication, not anything. I am Abraham's seed, blessed and accepted, and the BARAK covers me in my weakness. I receive medication as grace without shame.
Your Father doesn't measure His love for you by your anxiety levels—He's running toward you in the middle of your panic attack, holding you, breathing with you, never once disappointed. He sees your struggle and He's proud of you for surviving each day, medication and all.