Anxiety (Episode 2 - Archive)Anxiety (Episode 2 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about anxiety through a Christian lens, challenging quick fixes and false promises of a perfect future. The conversation centres on focusing on today, trusting God’s care in painful situations, and recognising personal value during recovery.
6:24•20 Jul 2026
Facing Anxiety in Recovery: Faith, Worry and the Weight of Today
Episode Overview
- Anxiety is not solved by simply telling yourself to "stop it" or assuming everything will be fine.
- Peace is framed as God being present in pain and messiness, not removing hardship.
- Focusing on today rather than tomorrow’s "what ifs" helps reduce paralysis and overwhelm.
- Recovery work is about building grace, self-control and courage to face future challenges.
- Humans are described as having greater value than birds or grass, emphasising deep personal worth.
“This isn't don't be anxious because everything's going to be okay; it's don't be anxious because God is there for you in the messiness and pain of life.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when anxiety keeps shouting about tomorrow? Relational Recovery tackles that tension head-on in this archive conversation about worry, faith, and everyday life. Hosted by Wes Thompson and Austin Hill from The Refuge Ministry, the episode looks at how easy it is to treat anxiety like something you should just "stop" through sheer willpower or spiritual slogans.
The heart of the conversation is a Christian perspective on anxiety: this isn’t "don’t be anxious because everything's going to be okay" in a surface-level way, but "don't be anxious because God is there for you in the messiness and pain of life." They stress focusing on the present rather than getting paralysed by tomorrow’s "what ifs": "tomorrow will worry about itself… be present today." For people in addiction recovery, that daily focus is framed as working on themselves so they can handle inevitable challenges with grace, self-control and courage.
One speaker admits he used to think, "well hey, you know you're anxious about something just stop it… God will take care of you," before realising that life doesn’t work like that and "crap's gonna hit the fan for a lot of us." Instead of promising a pain-free future, they talk about finding peace *inside* messy circumstances.
Wes and Austin also unpack the idea that people are deeply valued by God, more than birds or grass, drawing on the line "are you not of more value than they." There’s a gentle challenge here: perhaps anxiety feels louder because many don’t really experience or trust that love in a big way. If anxiety, faith, and recovery often collide in your life, this honest chat might help you rethink how you face the day in front of you.
What could it look like for you to treat today as enough, while believing you’re worth deep care even in the chaos?
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