By Dr. Floyd Godfrey

Confidence allows people to move forward with courage, embrace healthy relationships, and pursue the responsibilities God has placed before them. Anxiety, however, quietly erodes that confidence. Rather than helping people prepare for life's challenges, anxiety often convinces them that danger is always just ahead. As anxiety grows, confidence diminishes, leaving individuals hesitant, uncertain, and increasingly focused on avoiding failure instead of living with purpose.

Charles Dodd (2015) explains how anxiety distorts our perception of reality by writing, "Anxiety takes us away from what is true and makes us fretful, distrustful, impulsive, and controlling," (p. 100). This description highlights how anxiety reshapes both our thinking and our behavior. Instead of responding thoughtfully to circumstances, people consumed by anxiety often react from fear. Their decisions become driven by the desire to avoid discomfort rather than by wisdom or faith.

One of anxiety's greatest consequences is that it redirects attention away from the present. Dodd (2015) observes, "In anxiety we rob ourselves of daily living and its experience. Instead, we try to control our future in order to prevent the recurrence of painful past experiences," (p. 100). When individuals become preoccupied with preventing future pain, they often miss the opportunities and blessings available today. Confidence grows through engaging life, learning from experiences, and trusting God through uncertainty. Anxiety interrupts that healthy process by convincing people they must anticipate every possible negative outcome.

This desire for control often becomes exhausting. Dodd (2015) further explains, "The self-sufficiency we use to stop fear produces more anxiety because in order to control anxiety we focus on preventing rejection, humiliation, failure, not being acknowledged for our achievements, not performing to someone else's standard, not being loved, and all the things in our future we cannot touch," (p. 101). These fears become powerful motivators that undermine confidence. Instead of believing they are capable of facing challenges, anxious individuals become consumed with preventing disappointment. Ironically, the harder they attempt to control every outcome, the more anxious they become.

For Christians, this cycle presents an important spiritual challenge. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to trust God rather than surrender to fear. Proverbs 3:5 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (New International Version, 2011). Confidence is strengthened when people recognize that their security ultimately rests in God's faithfulness rather than in their own ability to control every circumstance.

Dodd (2015) summarizes the heart of the issue by stating, "Anxiety misinforms us. It says for us to control when we need to let go," (p. 101). Letting go does not mean becoming passive or irresponsible. Instead, it means releasing the illusion that every future outcome can be managed through worry. Healthy confidence develops as individuals accept what they can influence while entrusting the unknown to God.

Counseling often helps individuals recognize these patterns of anxious thinking. As people identify distorted beliefs, challenge unrealistic fears, and replace them with truthful perspectives, confidence gradually returns. They begin making decisions based on wisdom rather than panic, responding with courage rather than avoidance. This process is not about eliminating every anxious feeling, but about refusing to let anxiety become the voice that directs life.

When anxiety loses its grip, confidence has room to grow. Individuals become more willing to engage relationships, pursue meaningful goals, and face uncertainty with greater resilience. Rather than being controlled by imagined future dangers, they can live fully in the present, trusting God with tomorrow while faithfully embracing today.

Floyd Godfrey PhD is a Board Certified Christian Counselor and has facilitated groups within different churches and denominations over the past 30 years. He worked as a licensed clinician for 23 years and provided supervision and training for other counselors as they worked toward independent licensure. You can read more about Floyd Godfrey PhD at www.FloydGodfrey.com.

References

Dodd, C. (2015). The voice of the heart: A call to full living. Sage Hill.