Fool Me Once, Shame on Me: Finding Relief from Anxiety and Escape from Your Fears

He jogged past the bedrooms and dining room, ending up far away, in the basement.

My mom and I shared a look, eyebrows raised. “I wonder why he does that.” I voiced the puzzle we’d been trying to figure out for weeks.

Our Bernese Mountain Dog seemed to be going through a period of anxiety and/or discomfort. We were monitoring his known health conditions, none of which were serious, and tested him for unknown ones. Overall, he was in great health. We couldn’t find anything wrong health-wise to explain his change in behavior.

But what we did know, from his obvious symptoms, was that he was dealing with anxiety at certain times of the day. The bigger mystery for us, though, was the way that he chose to respond to his anxiety.

I’ve dubbed our Berner with the Furry Fear Warrior name of Alexander the Great, because he’s normally a courageous and brave dog. But even the bravest of our dogs has these bouts of anxiety, sometimes traceable to medications he needs for ongoing medical conditions.

In the past, he would fight his anxiousness by becoming clingier, wanting more petting and hugging. If you aren’t familiar with Bernese Mountain Dogs, you might not know that they pretty much define the term “velcro dog.” I’ve never known another breed that adores human touch so much. Berners defy the no-hugging rule that most dogs prefer and have to be in physical contact with a person almost constantly. If that person’s hand is moving in a petting motion, that’s even better, of course.

So with that in mind, you can imagine our shock when Alexander started leaving us during the day and at night. He chose solitude and distance from people and our other dogs, seeking out the basement or isolated rooms of the house. He was clearly having anxiety issues for some reason, but what I couldn’t understand was why in the world that would make him run off alone.

I knew Alexander gets the greatest comfort from human contact—it’s like the tonic to anything that ails him, the only thing that can calm him after he’s been through something stressful, the only thing that can bring him comfort and peace.

But there he was, running away from people, the only thing that could make him feel better.

It didn’t make sense to me at all. Frankly, it seemed downright foolish. All he had to do was come to us and we could ease his burden. We could give him peace.

Then I realized something—I do the same thing. When I’m anxious or worried, I admit my first go-to for comfort often isn’t the Bible or prayer. Especially if I have an ongoing problem that’s causing me anxiety, I frequently turn to other things to alleviate that worry and fear.

I escape into books and movies. I try to distract myself with good food and other things I enjoy. I discuss the situation with a trusted friend or family member, hoping they’ll bring me the comfort I seek.

But while those things might make me forget about my anxiety and the reason for it temporarily, the effect doesn’t last. As soon as I’m done with those pleasures or distractions, the worry is still there and I haven’t gotten rid of my fear.

The only way I’ll find real peace is from God. I have to dig into His Word and spend time talking to Him and listening in prayer. He is the only source of everlasting peace that is strong enough to conquer any and all fear.

I know this is true. And, yet, I so often run away from Him instead of to Him.

I’m being fooled.

Satan loves to keep us away from God. After all, that’s his ultimate goal—to keep us eternally separated from God in hell. It’s no surprise, then, that Satan tries to fool us into thinking we can ease our anxiety through earthly comforts. He knows that if we fall for this lie, we’ll never conquer our fears in this life. We will make idols out of our temporary, insufficient comforts and never find the peace we want and need.

Even though that peace is right where God told us it would be—within our grasp, in Jesus Christ.

Jesus invites you and me to find the peace and rest we need when he says,

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30

The rest we want, the peace and comfort we’re looking for is waiting for us in Christ. We only need to go to Him.

I wonder if Jesus looks at me when I’m desperately searching for relief and comfort elsewhere and, like I do with Alexander, shakes His head. “All you have to do is come to me,” He could say.

And He has said it, over and over again throughout Scripture. He’s demonstrated the truth of that promise throughout my life. I just let myself be fooled too many times.

The truth is that I don’t have to live with unending anxiety. Neither do you. We just need to stop foolishly running away from the help we need.

Instead, we need to turn around and run straight into the arms of the only One who can lift our burden of fear and give us peace.

What is your go-to for comfort? How has running to Jesus helped you fight anxiety or other forms of fear? Please share!