We say that we trust God, but do we really?
In a world full of hardship and conflict, it is easy to fall into the habits of overthinking, worrying, and stressing about our present and our future. Each time we feel anxieties rise, we can take steps to ground ourselves and remember that God is with us, takes care of us, and can relieve us of our stress.
“There’s nothing in life worth stressing over. I virtually live stress free now. I want others to experience the same thing,” says Thomas Mayberry, author, speaker, and United Methodist layperson. After decades of wrestling with stress, anxiety, and depression, he committed to spiritual disciplines to find relief.
He offers these suggestions:
1. Find the source of your worry
Take time to reflect deeply and figure out where exactly your stress is coming from. Work? Family tension? Finances? The news?
“There are so many things that are filtering into us that stack on top of each other. The only way you’re going to fix a problem is if you understand that you have a problem and then figure out where it’s coming from,” Mayberry points out. “Then you can shift. Lean into your faith and build a stronger relationship with God, who’s on your side all the time.”
Find further support
Mayberry’s latest book, Trusting God for Peace, draws from biblical wisdom and real-life insights. Readers will discover how trusting God can replace worry with hope, fear with faith, and anxiety with lasting peace.
The book also includes a forty-day Bible reading plan, which includes Scripture verses, reflection questions, and prayers that will help you better deal with stress, anxiety, and depression while you learn to trust God’s ever-present care.
2. Tap into gratitude
“Sometimes we focus so much on our stress that we don’t recognize all the good things that are in our lives. We have tunnel vision. Change that to a focus of joy and gratitude. It might be little things, like a beautiful sunset, and we can say, ‘God, thank you for that’,” Mayberry shares.
3. Focus on others
“As you change your focus, you also start to focus on others instead of yourself,” offers Mayberry. “That might be in the form of serving others, where you are concentrating on somebody else’s wellbeing more than your own. The more you take that focus off of yourself, you’re not thinking about your stress anymore, you have something different on your mind.”
4. Hold onto promises in Scripture
When you are feeling stressed, it can help to recite comforting words from Scripture. Find a Bible verse that relates to your situation and have a conversation with God about it. Ask what God is trying to tell you. Then listen.
Mayberry mentions Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
“That stretch in the middle, ‘lean not on your own understanding,’ is crucial because we get this vision of, ‘This is the only thing that’s possible,’ but what God can do is unlimited,” Mayberry observes. “We need to trust him and realize that [our circumstances] might just be stepping stones towards where God wants us to be.”
5. Let go and allow God to lead
Our human dreams are small and shortsighted compared to what God envisions for us. This is something Mayberry has experienced firsthand.
After years of chasing corporate success, Mayberry was tired. He placed his career in God’s hands and dug into the work he had in front of him. Soon after, he was offered a promotion, which led to four others. He continues to proceed with integrity and prayer, living his faith at work.
6. Chat with God
Prayer doesn’t have to be formal or held to a specific time or place. Try having an ongoing dialogue with God. Mayberry shares, “I have as much conversation with God throughout the day as I can. I constantly try to be aware of his presence, talk to him, and say, ‘Thanks for that’ or ‘I need help on this’ or ‘Give me the right words.’”
7. Move your body
Physical movement helps our bodies regulate stress, distracts our minds, and promotes sleep. Try chair yoga, walking in your neighborhood, or a nature hike.
Mayberry is a long-distance runner, something he began in his 50s. Although he had never run more than a mile, he decided to train for a half-marathon and use the time to talk with God. The practice proved so healing that he continued and has now completed 25 half-marathons and five marathons.
Keep experimenting
We all need to manage stress, but the ways we do so are widely varied. Mayberry encourages, “Nothing will be a cookie cutter answer. Some people write in a journal, some people do a morning prayer time or read a daily devotional. Find something that works for you.”
Laura Buchanan works for UMC.org at United Methodist Communications. Contact her by email.
This story was published on August 21, 2026.
