Everyone experiences worry and anxiety caused by a variety of circumstances. However, often as Christians we are not good at talking honestly about our worries for fear that we are somehow failing as Christians because we have anxieties. We see anxiety as a sin – as a sign that we are not trusting God enough – and of course that just makes us more anxious. This is why Ed Welch’s new book 'A Student’s Guide to Anxiety' is so helpful. Welch deals with our struggles in a honest way and helpfully shows how anxiety can actually be used by God to do us good – to encourage us to turn to him in the midst of our worries and to pray to him for help.

The key is understanding that anxiety in and of itself is not sin – the important question is what do we do with our anxiety – do we dwell on it and make it worse or do we hand it over to God? Welch helps us to think through the causes of our anxiety and gives practical support on how to deal with it. The book is short and yet full of applied Biblical content to help us when we are anxious. It is written primarily for teenagers and students to help them deal with anxiety which makes it an incredibly accessible book – but in truth the content would be beneficial to all of us, since we all struggle with anxiety at some point in our lives.

Stephen Allison, Kiltarlity Free Church