My sophomore and junior years of high school were a time of bold faith and unexpected growth. It all started with a simple idea: bringing the lessons we were learning at Scottsdale Bible Church to our high school. A few friends and I wanted to create a space where students could express their questions, learn about Jesus, and experience fellowship without fear of judgment or commitment. We called it “Food and Fellowship.”

For the last six years, I have battled clinical depression—a weight that felt impossible to bear, a diagnosis that consumed my identity. There were moments I couldn’t understand why God would allow me to carry this heaviness. There were years I resented Him for it.

As I was reading recently, a particular psalm caught my attention. It was written in a moment of deep confusion and sorrow—after the destruction of Jerusalem. The author, Asaph, was witnessing the complete collapse of his people’s civilization: politically, economically, socially, and religiously.

If you’ve been in church for a while, you’ve probably heard the word sanctification. But what does it really mean? To sanctify something—to make it holy—means to set it apart. It’s set apart from certain things and set apart for something else.

Lately, I’ve been wrestling with the weight of anxiety—its relentless grip on my thoughts and emotions. For a long time, I didn’t realize that at the center of my anxiety was pride. Anxiety crept in when I placed myself at the center of my life.

This week, I found myself sitting in awe—and honestly, in a little bit of confusion—about a truth God revealed to me. It feels counterintuitive at first, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how beautiful it really is.

Insecurities have a powerful impact on our lives. They influence our relationships, actions, and decisions in ways that are often subtle but incredibly consuming. None of us are entirely free from insecurity’s grip, but the real question is: how do we stop insecurity from controlling our lives?

Freshman year of high school felt like a whirlwind—new classes, new people, and a whole lot of unknowns. But in the chaos of it all, my sister and I found something steady, early morning Bible studies before school. Every morning, while the world was still quiet, we’d sit together, open our Bibles, and dive into God’s Word.