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- Title: Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World
- Author: Max Lucado
- Narrator: Ben Holland
- Length: 03:35:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 12/09/2017
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson
- Genre: Religion & Spirituality, Health & Wellness, Disorders & Diseases, Mindfulness & Meditation, Counseling & Inspirational
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
There’s something profoundly intimate about listening to wisdom while in motion – whether it’s the rhythmic clatter of train tracks beneath you or the hum of tires on an open road. I first pressed play on “Anxious for Nothing” during a predawn drive through the misty hills of Oaxaca, where the world felt suspended between darkness and light. Ben Holland’s warm, steady narration became my companion as Max Lucado’s words unfolded like a much-needed conversation with an old friend who knows the weight of worry but carries the lightness of hope.
Lucado’s approach to anxiety isn’t about quick fixes or dismissive platitudes. Instead, he invites listeners into the CALM framework (Celebrate, Ask, Leave, Meditate) with the gentle authority of someone who’s walked through storms himself. His storytelling – rich with biblical wisdom and everyday metaphors – feels like sipping café de olla in a village square: familiar, fortifying, and steeped in generations of hard-won insight. The audiobook’s pacing mirrors this perfectly, with Holland’s narration striking a balance between urgency and patience, much like the cadence of that Oaxacan grandmother I once listened to, her stories punctuated by deliberate pauses that let truth settle.
What makes this audiobook stand out in the crowded wellness space is its refusal to minimize struggle while still pointing toward peace. Lucado acknowledges anxiety as a universal human experience – something I’ve felt palpably while navigating foreign cities where language barriers amplified every uncertainty. His reading of Philippians 4:6-7 becomes an anchor, not just through the scripture itself, but through his unpacking of its four verbs: “pray”, “petition”, “give thanks”, “receive peace”. Holland’s voice deepens here, as if leaning in to share a secret – the way my Chilean driver once did when explaining how desert travelers conserve water by chewing on pebbles. It’s practical holiness.
The audio production enhances the message beautifully. Unlike some faith-based audiobooks that lean into melodrama, Holland’s performance is refreshingly grounded. His slight Texas inflection (a nod to Lucado’s San Antonio roots) adds authenticity without caricature, and the subtle background music (a soft piano motif) surfaces only during transitional moments, like breath marks in a hymn. I especially appreciated the chapter breaks – long enough to process, brief enough to maintain momentum – which made it ideal for listening in stolen moments: airport queues, hotel balconies, or that tense hour before a delayed flight.
Critically, “Anxious for Nothing” avoids the trap of toxic positivity that plagues much of the inspirational genre. Lucado distinguishes between clinical anxiety (which may require professional intervention) and the daily worries we can surrender through spiritual practice. This nuance matters. As someone who’s interviewed refugees and cancer survivors, I’ve seen how oversimplified ‘just pray harder’ messaging can deepen shame. Here, the audiobook’s tone remains compassionate – Holland’s voice carries a therapist’s empathy when describing panic attacks, then shifts to a coach’s encouragement during the ‘Ask’ section’s actionable steps.
Compared to Mark Manson’s “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F”uck” (which I reviewed last year while trekking in Patagonia), Lucado’s work offers a divergent yet complementary path. Where Manson advocates selective detachment through profane humor, Lucado proposes sacred attachment through trust. Both ultimately preach focus – on values, on the present – but from different philosophical directions. Holland’s narration makes this distinction audible; his delivery lacks Manson’s swagger but overflows with a quiet conviction that aligns with Lucado’s pastoral heart.
For listeners craving more than surface-level solace, this audiobook delivers. The final meditation on ‘whatever is lovely’ (Philippians 4:8) had me pulling over to watch sunrise paint the mountains pink, remembering Lucado’s line: ‘Peace isn’t the absence of trouble, but the presence of Christ.’ It’s a truth that lingers long after the last track – like the smell of copal incense in a Oaxacan chapel, or the imprint of a well-told story around a fireside.
With ears open and suitcase always half-packed,
Marcus Rivera
