Rhett Smith
Moody Publishers, 2012, 208 pp., $13.99
Anxiety is a very prevalent issue in youth ministry. Today’s students fall into one of the most stressed-out, over-worked and socially demanding demographics on the planet. At the center of all of that is the anxiety many of them carry heavily on their shoulders, nagging them to succeed, be good enough and get everything right.
To make things more difficult, anxiety also is looked at negatively in the Christian community. Paul said, “Don’t be anxious about anything…”; sadly, the conclusion often has been communicated (consciously or unconsciously) that as a Christ follower, we shouldn’t be anxious. Period. Thankfully, Rhett Smith’s The Anxious Christian provides a very different perspective to the conversation on anxiety.
Rather than claiming anxiety to be a negative thing, Smith insightfully argues anxiety actually can be a good thing in our lives and something God uses to accomplish His purposes for us. Transparently sharing his own struggles with anxiety as a child and young adult, as well as his experience as a counselor, The Anxious Christian provides very applicable steps to working through anxiety and looking at the emotion very differently.
This is a book every youth worker should read as it greatly will influence and change the way you work with students who are struggling with anxiety. It is also a fantastic book to give or recommend to parents with whom you work. The personal nature of the book and it being so well written and short also make this a fantastic tool to put in the hands of your students.
