If one more person tells you to “just trust God” when you’re having a panic attack, you might scream. I get it. Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is admit that trusting feels impossible right now. Let’s talk about what faith looks like when your hands are shaking.

When Well-Meaning Words Feel Like Weapons

You’re in the middle of a panic attack. Your heart is pounding. You can’t catch your breath. Your body is convinced you’re dying, even though your mind knows you’re not. And someone (usually someone who loves you, usually someone trying to help) says those three words:

“Just trust God.”

And instead of helping, it makes you feel worse. Now you’re panicking AND feeling guilty about not trusting enough. Now you’re anxious AND feeling like a spiritual failure.

Friend, can we just acknowledge how unhelpful this is?

The Problem with “Just”…

That little word (“just”) carries so much weight. It implies that trusting God is simple. Easy. A switch you can flip.

Just trust God. Just pray about it. Just give it to Jesus. Just have faith.

But here’s what I’ve learned: Trust isn’t a light switch. It’s more like a dimmer.

Some days, your trust is bright and strong. Other days, it’s barely a flicker. And on the really hard days? You’re feeling around in the dark, hoping the light still works at all.

What the Bible Actually Says About Fear…

You know what’s interesting? When angels appeared to people in the Bible, the first thing they usually said was “Don’t be afraid.”

Why? Because those people were TERRIFIED.

Mary was afraid. The shepherds were afraid. The disciples were afraid, a lot. These were people who walked with Jesus, who saw miracles, who had front-row seats to the divine. And they were still afraid.

So maybe, just maybe, being afraid doesn’t disqualify you from faith.

Trust Looks Different in a Panic Attack…

Here’s what “trusting God” has looked like for me during actual panic attacks:

• Crying while reading the same verse seventeen times because my brain won’t absorb it
• Texting a friend “pray” because I can’t form other words
• Taking my anxiety medication and thanking God for medical science
• Breathing in for four counts, holding for four, breathing out for four, and calling it prayer
• Admitting to God that I don’t feel Him but choosing to believe He’s there anyway
• Googling “Bible verses for panic attacks” at 2 AM

None of these look like the serene, hands-folded, peaceful trust we see in paintings. But I believe they count.

The Psalms: Where Panic Meets Prayer…

David (the “man after God’s own heart”) wrote things like:

Does this sound like someone who “just trusted God” easily? No. It sounds like someone who brought his absolute mess to God and called it worship.

What If Trust Looks Like This Instead?

What if trust doesn’t mean the absence of anxiety?

What if trust means:

• Taking your medication AND praying
• Going to therapy AND reading your Bible
• Crying through a panic attack AND believing God hasn’t left you
• Admitting you’re struggling AND still showing up
• Feeling afraid AND taking the next step anyway

What if trust is less about feeling peaceful and more about reaching for God even when your hands are shaking?

For the Person Who Wants to Help…

If someone you love struggles with anxiety, here’s what helps more than “just trust God”:

• “I’m here with you.”
• “You’re not alone in this.”
• “God isn’t disappointed in you.”
• “This will pass.”
• “What do you need right now?”
• “Can I pray with you?” (And then pray honestly, not perfectly)
• “Your faith isn’t measured by your anxiety level.”

Or sometimes, just sit with them. No words. Just presence. Like God does with us.

The Truth That Changes Everything…

Here’s what I wish someone had told me years ago: God can handle your doubt.

He can handle your questions, your anger, your panic, your messy faith.

He’s not shocked by your anxiety. He’s not surprised by your struggle to trust. He’s not waiting for you to get it together before He loves you.

Notice David didn’t say, “After I calmed down and got my trust together, I called to the Lord.” He called in his distress. In the middle of it. During the storm, not after.

A Different Kind of Trust…

Maybe trust isn’t about feeling secure. Maybe it’s about being honest.

“God, I’m scared.”
“God, I don’t feel you right now.”
“God, I want to trust you, but I don’t know how.”
“God, help.”

Maybe that’s enough. Perhaps that’s actually beautiful faith – the kind that acknowledges weakness and asks for help.

For Tomorrow…

The next time anxiety hits and someone tells you to “just trust God,” remember:

• Your struggle doesn’t diminish your faith
• God isn’t disappointed in you
• Trust can coexist with trembling
• Sometimes faith is just holding on

Even if all you can say is, “Help me, God,” that is still trust. It may be messy, imperfect, and shaky, but it is trust nonetheless.

Because here’s the secret: It’s not about the quality of your trust. It’s about the faithfulness of the God you’re trusting.

And He’s faithful even when your faith feels invisible.

You’re not failing at faith because you have anxiety. You’re not disappointing God because panic attacks happen. You’re human, you’re loved, and you’re held, even when you can barely hold on.

With understanding and grace,
Ethereal Blessings