And we need to share our story. Not with everyone but with someone. There is someone who is like you were. And he or she needs to know what God can do. Your honest portrayal of your past may be the courage for another's future.

Jesus took your punishment, and God gave you credit for Jesus' perfection.

There is something about keeping Him divine that keeps Him distant, packaged, predictable. But don't do it. For heaven's sake, don't. Let Him be as human as He intended to be. Let Him into the mire and muck of our world. For only if we let Him in can He pull us out.

What if you woke up this morning and had only the things you thanked God for yesterday?

You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.

I certainly don't mean to leave the impression that anxiety can be waved away with a simple pep talk. In fact, for some, God's healing will include the help of therapy and/or medication. If that's the case, do not for a moment think that you're a second-class citizen of heaven. Ask God to lead you to a qualified counselor or physician who'll provide the treatment you need. This much is sure: It's not God's will that you lead a life of perpetual anxiety. It's not his will that you face every day with dread and trepidation.

Most people have settled for a wimpy grace. It's something that doesn't change their lives. There is a difference between grace and mercy. Mercy is the decision of God not to punish us. But grace is the decision of God to save and bless us.