Anxiety (Episode 5 - Archive)Anxiety (Episode 5 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
West Thompson and Austin Hill talk about anxiety, faith and control, questioning the idea that worry proves a lack of belief. They reflect on seeking God's kingdom, doing good without guarantees and choosing trust even while feeling afraid.
6:22•23 Jul 2026
Anxiety, Faith, and Doing Good When Life Still Hurts
Episode Overview
- Anxiety is not proof of weak faith; noticing anxiety can be a step forward rather than a failure.
- After recognising anxiety, you can still choose to act differently, even if the feeling remains.
- Trusting God is often difficult and can itself bring up fear, yet it can still guide wise choices.
- Seeking first God's kingdom means focusing on doing what is good now instead of trying to control the future.
- Doing good does not guarantee good outcomes; genuine goodness comes from principle, not from expecting a reward.
“"Anxiety is not evidence of a lack of faith... don't beat yourself up if you realise, crap, I've been really anxious. That's an improvement."”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This conversation from Relational Recovery takes on anxiety head-on, especially for those trying to change unwanted behaviours while holding on to Christian faith.
Host West Thompson and co-host Austin Hill talk honestly about what anxiety looks like in real life – worrying about kids, money, work and the future – and how easy it is to think, "If I'm anxious, I must not trust God enough." They push back hard on that idea. As one of them puts it, "Anxiety is not evidence of a lack of faith... don't beat yourself up if you realise, crap, I've been really anxious. That's an improvement.
You noticed it." Instead of shame, they focus on noticing anxiety and then choosing a different response. You’ll hear them reflect on Jesus’ words about seeking first the kingdom of God, and how many people secretly hope that being "good" will guarantee good outcomes.
They highlight that this simply doesn’t match reality: "Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people." The real question becomes: are you doing good because it’s right, or because you’re hoping for a pay-off? For anyone in recovery who battles control issues, worries about the future, or wonders if fear cancels out faith, this chat offers a grounded, realistic take.
Trusting God is described as hard, messy and often anxiety-inducing in itself, yet still worth choosing, moment by moment. If you catch yourself thinking your anxiety means you’re failing spiritually, this episode might help you see it differently and ask: what small, good action could you choose today, right in the middle of feeling afraid?
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