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Ask the Christian Counselor
Anxious about Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God
Counselor Michael Gembola explores decision-making anxiety and points to the peace that comes from knowing God as your refuge and ever-present help in trouble. Do you get anxious when you have to make a decision? Do you overthink, overtalk, and overanalyze? When anxiety surrounds every decision, the result can be decision-making paralysis. Learning to trust God, even when the path is not clear, will give you courage to move forward one step at a time. Anxious with Decisions will help you see that God offers you something better than certainty and the absence of risk when you’re faced with decisions both big and small. He promises to be with you. And when you allow the Good Shepherd to lead, you will find that he uses times of decision-making to make you more peaceful and become a better steward of the opportunities in front of you.
128 pages, Paperback
Published September 26, 2022
11 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Michael Scott Gembola
3 books2 followersMichael Gembola, MAR, MAC, is an ordained minister and licensed professional counselor. He serves as executive director of Blue Ridge Christian Counseling in southwest VA and has taught counseling as an adjunct professor at several seminaries. He is the author of After an Affair: Pursuing Restoration, Anxious about Decisions, and several articles on counseling. He and his wife, Kelly, live in Roanoke, VA with their two sons and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This book is very relevant to how I've been feeling lately, and it was very encouraging.
A couple sections that felt particularly relevant to me:
"Decision anxiety is essentially an effort at avoiding risks that can't be totally avoided. Sometimes that avoidance looks like a football player running at full speed, spinning, stiff-arming, and evading tackles. Sometimes that avoidance looks like not stepping onto the field at all. Of course, the stereotypical avoidance strategies include phone-scrolling, shopping, and video games. But really it can involve anything other than the work of the hard decision. It's similar to what the medieval Christians called acedia. It's usually translated sloth, but it doesn't necessarily mean laziness. Usually it involves doing some thing, just not the spiritual task at hand. This is why, as many have pointed out, being a workaholic or couch potato can both stem from the same issue - avoidance. The best description I've heard is that acedia is "resistance to the demands of love." A key move away from anxiety is to pursue the opposite: Who is God calling me to love? What does this call require of me today?
Decision anxiety usually feels like an experience of suffering, but to bring in the language of love may make it sound moral. Is decision anxiety a sin, too, if it resists the demands of love of God and our neighbor?"
"God gives us what we need to love others and walk with him today, and so we are grateful. God does not remove all uncertainty and ambiguity in life, and so we are dependent. God loves and leads us in both dark valleys and green pastures, and so we are hopeful."
This book is very relevant to how I've been feeling lately, and it was very encouraging.
A couple sections that felt particularly relevant to me:
"Decision anxiety is essentially an effort at avoiding risks that can't be totally avoided. Sometimes that avoidance looks like a football player running at full speed, spinning, stiff-arming, and evading tackles. Sometimes that avoidance looks like not stepping onto the field at all. Of course, the stereotypical avoidance strategies include phone-scrolling, shopping, and video games. But really it can involve anything other than the work of the hard decision. It's similar to what the medieval Christians called acedia. It's usually translated sloth, but it doesn't necessarily mean laziness. Usually it involves doing some thing, just not the spiritual task at hand. This is why, as many have pointed out, being a workaholic or couch potato can both stem from the same issue - avoidance. The best description I've heard is that acedia is "resistance to the demands of love." A key move away from anxiety is to pursue the opposite: Who is God calling me to love? What does this call require of me today?
Decision anxiety usually feels like an experience of suffering, but to bring in the language of love may make it sound moral. Is decision anxiety a sin, too, if it resists the demands of love of God and our neighbor?"
"God gives us what we need to love others and walk with him today, and so we are grateful. God does not remove all uncertainty and ambiguity in life, and so we are dependent. God loves and leads us in both dark valleys and green pastures, and so we are hopeful."
July 15, 2024
Some of the chapters didn’t feel very relevant to me, but there were several sections that hit the nail on the head when describing how difficult decision making can be. I appreciated the insights Gembola had on these topics and can see myself referring back to several specific sections.
May 31, 2025
What a helpful book for personal reflection or a discipleship situation for an as-needed basis. I would have benefited from this several years ago when I fell into that blessed and hard and chaotic and good black pit of paranoia and paralyzing psychosis (maybe had I had this book I wouldn’t have had to sleep with the light on or called the police so many times but whatever, here I am by the grace of God alone, hallelujah!); however, I am now using this to walk alongside a college-aged girl while sharing the faithfulness of God and his goodness to bring valleys into our lives. The end of each chapter has 3 questions, but the chapter will certainly spark even more discussion.
I appreciate that this book covers more than just anxiety that comes with making decisions, but rather the heart of anxiety itself. This is a gentle and comforting book for sufferers. Definitely compassionate and sympathetic while being firm and seriously committed to the hope and truth of the gospel. First chapter had a fantastic list of “whys” we struggle with anxiety and they are very contrasting—very good to put to words. This book has a big emphasis on God’s word, God’s people, and God’s presence. This book isn’t a how-to book, but does give some practical helps and shows the maturation of the Christian life and assurance and growing in small, ordinary ways that build into lifelong faithfulness in the midst of any mountain or valley.
“But to let go of our desire to avoid all risks is to take a good step toward a walk of faith” (36).
“Our knowledge is partial, and this is a big part of why we are anxious. We know there is a risk in what we do not know. But this gives us the opportunity to live and trust, in dependence on the good, all-knowing Father” (90).
“We are not being harmed when we accept the discomfort of taking risks and trusting the results to God” (100).
“It is not the strength of our hold on Jesus that will keep our heads above the water, but the firmness of his hold on us” (109).
I appreciate that this book covers more than just anxiety that comes with making decisions, but rather the heart of anxiety itself. This is a gentle and comforting book for sufferers. Definitely compassionate and sympathetic while being firm and seriously committed to the hope and truth of the gospel. First chapter had a fantastic list of “whys” we struggle with anxiety and they are very contrasting—very good to put to words. This book has a big emphasis on God’s word, God’s people, and God’s presence. This book isn’t a how-to book, but does give some practical helps and shows the maturation of the Christian life and assurance and growing in small, ordinary ways that build into lifelong faithfulness in the midst of any mountain or valley.
“But to let go of our desire to avoid all risks is to take a good step toward a walk of faith” (36).
“Our knowledge is partial, and this is a big part of why we are anxious. We know there is a risk in what we do not know. But this gives us the opportunity to live and trust, in dependence on the good, all-knowing Father” (90).
“We are not being harmed when we accept the discomfort of taking risks and trusting the results to God” (100).
“It is not the strength of our hold on Jesus that will keep our heads above the water, but the firmness of his hold on us” (109).
January 10, 2025
Another helpful book in the "Ask the Christian Counselor" series!
Michael Gembola exposes the reader to decision anxiety and helps them think through it in a biblical way. I appreciated how Gembola used the church fathers, puritans, and other figures to show examples and connect his readers with the wealth of resources found in the church's history. After reading this, I found Part 2 and Part 3 particularly helpful. In Part 2, Gemola shows the reader how anxiety can come from our current context and our family upbringing. Following that in Part 3, Gembola shows the reader how they can change in 3 main areas: Marriage (and dating), Vocation, and in small decisions. This final section opened my eyes to how many have difficulty with small decisions that I had not previously considered.
Michael Gembola exposes the reader to decision anxiety and helps them think through it in a biblical way. I appreciated how Gembola used the church fathers, puritans, and other figures to show examples and connect his readers with the wealth of resources found in the church's history. After reading this, I found Part 2 and Part 3 particularly helpful. In Part 2, Gemola shows the reader how anxiety can come from our current context and our family upbringing. Following that in Part 3, Gembola shows the reader how they can change in 3 main areas: Marriage (and dating), Vocation, and in small decisions. This final section opened my eyes to how many have difficulty with small decisions that I had not previously considered.
May 10, 2024
SO helpful and spot on of the experience of decision anxiety. Gentle but convicting. Insightful and practically helpful.
October 15, 2023
I have rarely felt so well understood, cared for and counselled by a book.
December 12, 2022
Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God by Michael Gembola addresses what many struggle with on a daily basis: making decisions. Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God is part of the Ask the Christian Counselor Series published by New Growth Press. Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God is split into 3 sections: delving into what anxiety is, where it comes from, and dealing with anxiety in different scenarios. Having a counseling and Ministry background, Michael Gembola brings both Biblical and Scriptural knowledge and mental health expertise to a subject that all have struggled with at least one time in their life. Over 8 chapters (and the questions at the end of each chapter), the reader will learn about anxiety surrounding decision making and discover the reason why they struggle making decisions or why someone they know struggles with making decisions. The reader will also walk away with tips and Biblical knowledge that will encourage them in their decision making.
I love Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God by Michael Gembola! I appreciate the knowledge and experience that Mr. Gembola shares in the book. In my opinion, Mr. Gembola writes the book with compassion and understanding that shows he wants to help the reader with their anxiety and decision making and to have a peaceful life. I love how the author encourages the reader to get into the Word to help them combat anxiety and make decisions. I also love how the Scriptures the author chose matched perfectly with whatever he was talking about at the time. I love the scenarios that were in the book and how the anxiety was explained in the particular scenario. Dealing with anxiety myself, I loved how the author explained different levels of decision making anxiety and that some people deal with multiple levels of anxiety when making decisions and some people only have anxiety making certain types of decisions. I also love that Mr. Gembola doesn’t make the reader feel guilty about the anxiety they may feel while making decisions, but encourages the reader to take a Step of Faith and make the decision and lean into God during the decision making process and outcome–good or bad. If you battle anxiety while making decisions, I highly recommend Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God. I also highly recommend Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God if you work in the mental health field or in Ministry. I will definitely be telling others about Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God by Michael Gembola and will be reading it again!
I would like to thank New Growth Press for giving me a copy of Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My review is also on my blog, Leslie's Library Escape.
I love Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God by Michael Gembola! I appreciate the knowledge and experience that Mr. Gembola shares in the book. In my opinion, Mr. Gembola writes the book with compassion and understanding that shows he wants to help the reader with their anxiety and decision making and to have a peaceful life. I love how the author encourages the reader to get into the Word to help them combat anxiety and make decisions. I also love how the Scriptures the author chose matched perfectly with whatever he was talking about at the time. I love the scenarios that were in the book and how the anxiety was explained in the particular scenario. Dealing with anxiety myself, I loved how the author explained different levels of decision making anxiety and that some people deal with multiple levels of anxiety when making decisions and some people only have anxiety making certain types of decisions. I also love that Mr. Gembola doesn’t make the reader feel guilty about the anxiety they may feel while making decisions, but encourages the reader to take a Step of Faith and make the decision and lean into God during the decision making process and outcome–good or bad. If you battle anxiety while making decisions, I highly recommend Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God. I also highly recommend Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God if you work in the mental health field or in Ministry. I will definitely be telling others about Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God by Michael Gembola and will be reading it again!
I would like to thank New Growth Press for giving me a copy of Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My review is also on my blog, Leslie's Library Escape.
January 21, 2023
This book is a sound, engaging, concise read firmly grounded in biblical truth. The dominant trend of pointing towards the Lord and the Scriptures provides a compassionate and truthful look at the heart of many difficult decision-making experiences. I really value the balance Gembola struck of general and practical wisdom, particularly in areas of discerning God’s will, family influences, and vocation. Although I do not have clinical anxiety, this book provides helpful guidance in identifying thought patterns and processes that have negatively impacted my own decision making. I feel equipped to tackle decision making with the knowledge and truth Gembola compiles and provides here which will lead to increased trust in God and ultimate peace.
January 6, 2023
Michael Gembola explains anxiety really well and relates it with scripture especially around the aspects of decision making. With a quote to start each chapter and ending each chapter with a conclusion summary and questions for review, I come away better equipped personally with my own anxiety and I’m helping others with their anxiety.
June 21, 2023
A good supplement to Kevin DeYoung's just do something that is more geared to the overthinkers and over consulters among us:)
April 28, 2025
A lot of good information but not really about what I thought it was. Heard about the book on a great podcast but the book fell short.
June 25, 2025
that section about God the mystical and God the magical, i was clocked
November 8, 2025
Definitely will be a repeat “as needed” read for me.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews