The election is behind us. The headlines are still arriving. Your coffee may be growing cold while your mind races ahead: What happens next? What does this mean for my family, my neighbors, my country? Could this be a sign of the end times?
If those questions are stirring fear in you, take a breath. Fear is a signal to notice, not a verdict on your faith. Scripture gives us room to name our distress honestly: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You” (Psalm 56:3, NKJV). The verse does not shame the person who feels afraid. It shows where to turn.
Christians do not need to pretend uncertainty is easy. We can face it with care, clear thinking, prayer, and confidence in the God whose reign does not depend on an election.
Begin with what is true
A morning-after news cycle can make every possibility feel immediate. Yet a possibility is not the same as a fact, and a frightening interpretation is not the same as a prophecy.
Psychology helps explain why uncertainty can feel so consuming. In a study of 231 adults, greater intolerance of uncertainty was associated with stronger negative emotional states when people faced the unknown (Morriss et al., 2023). The study was not about elections, but it offers a useful reminder: uncertainty itself can intensify distress. Our minds may rush to fill the gaps with a story about what must happen next.
That story can sound like this: Everything is about to collapse. Nothing can be done. This proves the worst is coming.
Pause before treating that story as fact. The emotional alarm deserves attention, but it does not tell the whole truth.
A helpful first step is to separate what you know from what you fear. What has actually happened? What remains unknown? What can you do today, and what belongs to a future you cannot yet see? Psychologist Beth Kurland describes a similar practice for stress: distinguish the present moment from hypothetical worries, then bring attention back to actions available now (Kurland, 2024).
This is not denial. It is steadiness.
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed” (Psalm 46:1–2, NKJV).
The psalm does not promise that the earth will never shake. It proclaims that God is present when it does.
The first lock: Gather information
In the I³ approach (Information, Interpretation, Intensity) the first lock is information. Do not let a fear-filled conclusion run ahead of the facts. Seek reliable information when you need it, and set boundaries on repeated headline-checking when it only deepens alarm.
This principle also has spiritual weight. Daniel’s words remind us that the rise and fall of human rulers does not put God’s authority at risk: “He removes kings and raises up kings” (Daniel 2:21, NKJV). That is a statement about God’s sovereignty, not an endorsement of any person, party, or political outcome. God’s rule does not mean every human decision is righteous, or that every painful consequence is good. It means no election can place history beyond God’s reach.
An earlier American Psychological Association survey, conducted after the 2024 election, found that 35% of adults said they felt more stressed about the nation’s future afterward, while 32% felt less stressed (American Psychological Association, 2024). These figures do not describe the 2026 election. They do show that people can respond differently to the same period of uncertainty, and that anxiety about a nation’s future is not unusual.
Let facts be facts. Let unknowns remain unknown. Then remember what remains true: God is present, prayer is open, and your next faithful action is still within reach.
The second lock: Examine the interpretation
Information tells us what is known. Interpretation is the meaning we attach to it.
After a consequential public event, the mind may leap from a present fact to a sweeping prediction: This means there is no hope. This means God has abandoned us. This means the end is here. Those thoughts may feel urgent. They still deserve examination.
The apostle Paul gives a faithful guide: “Whatever things are true … whatever things are just, whatever things are pure … meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8, NKJV). He is not asking believers to ignore hardship. He is calling us to discipline our attention. To give truth, goodness, and what is worthy of trust more space than speculation.
Ask of your interpretation: Is it rational? Is it healthy? Is it wise? Is it right? Does it help me love God and neighbor, or does it leave me trapped in dread? This kind of honest review does not make you naïve. It makes room for discernment.
Research on unexpected outcomes suggests that surprise can intensify emotional reactions, especially when events fall short of expectations (Bhatia et al., 2019). That study examined public sentiment around political and sports outcomes, not private faith. Still, it is a reason to be gentle with yourself when the news feels more upsetting than you expected.
God’s sovereignty is not permission to claim that every outcome is good. Scripture offers a deeper hope: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28, NKJV). This is not a promise that every event is good in itself. It is a promise that God can work even through what grieves us.
“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10, NKJV). Let that promise speak louder than a prediction you cannot verify.
The third lock: Tend to the intensity
Only after attending to information and interpretation should we focus on emotional intensity. The Panama Canal Rule describes these three locks as a sequence: secure information, examine interpretation, and then work with the intensity of the emotion. Trying to force yourself into calm before you have listened to what the emotion is signaling can feel like suppression, not peace.
Try this simple pause:
- Name the signal. Is it fear, grief, anger, or helplessness?
- Ask what it is alerting you to. What feels threatened? What matters to you?
- Separate care from catastrophe. You can love your country and still refuse to treat every feared future as certain.
- Choose one faithful response. Pray. Check on someone. Serve a neighbor. Take a quiet walk. Rest from the news for a while.
The emotion is like a smoke detector: it tells you to investigate. It is not, by itself, proof that the whole house is lost.
Paul writes, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). A sound mind is not an untroubled mind. It is a mind that can return, again and again, to what is true and to the love God calls us to practice.
For believers, the work of managing distress can include prayer, worship, supportive community, and wise care for the body. Psychological studies of self-regulation and anxiety have found associations between the two, though the research is not about elections (Abdel Mokhtar & Abdelrazek, 2026). A Psi Chi Journal study on mindfulness and stress likewise cautions against assuming that one strategy works the same way for everyone (Stratton et al., 2022). Seek the practices that help you become more grounded and more able to live your values, not more fearful or isolated.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God,” Paul writes (Philippians 4:6, NKJV). Prayer need not be polished. Bring God the whole truth of what you feel. And hear the invitation of 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (NKJV).
End-times hope without end-times panic
Christians have lived through wars, upheaval, illness, and uncertainty across generations. Jesus did not promise a trouble-free world. He said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NKJV).
He also warned his disciples not to be terrified by reports of turmoil, and said, “the end will not come immediately” (Luke 21:9, NKJV). In Matthew 24:6, he tells them not to be troubled. These words do not invite us to dismiss suffering. They do warn us against treating each crisis as a reason for panic or setting dates for the end.
Our assignment remains clear: watch, pray, love, and serve. Paul reminds the church, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20, NKJV). That hope does not excuse us from caring for our neighbors here. It frees us to care without making political power the foundation of our security.
The prophet Habakkuk faced the prospect of loss and still declared, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18, NKJV). This is not forced cheerfulness. It is a choice to trust God while the outcome is still hard to bear.
Hope for this morning
Begin with today, not every possible tomorrow. Matthew 6:33–34 calls us to seek God’s kingdom first and not borrow tomorrow’s trouble. Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us that God’s mercies are “new every morning” and that his faithfulness is great. Psalm 112:7 describes the person whose heart is steadfast, “trusting in the LORD,” even when bad news comes.
You do not have to solve the future before you can be faithful today. You can tell the truth about fear, hold your interpretations with humility, and let your feelings guide you toward wise action rather than despair. The refining fire of hardship need not consume your hope. With God’s help, it can refine your courage, deepen your compassion, and strengthen your care for the people around you.
Dr. Greg Stewart’s revised book, I³: Information, Interpretation, Intensity, Unlock the Inner Strength Behind Your Negative Emotions, explores practical ways to understand emotional signals and respond with greater wisdom. Watch Dr. Stewart’s TEDx talk or find the book on Amazon.
I³ is an emotional-management tool, not a substitute for clinical care. If anxiety is persistently disrupting your sleep, relationships, or daily life, consider speaking with a licensed mental-health professional.
References
Abdel Mokhtar, M. K., & Abdelrazek, O. H. (2026). Relationship between test anxiety symptoms and self-regulation among psychology students at Najran University College of Education: A correlational study. The Open Psychology Journal, 19, e18743501462066. https://doi.org/10.2174/0118743501462066260623051847
American Psychological Association. (2024). Stress, politics, and the holidays: A postelection survey. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/stress-in-america/2024/postelection-survey
Bhatia, S., Mellers, B., & Walasek, L. (2019). Affective responses to uncertain real-world outcomes: Sentiment change on Twitter. PLOS ONE, 14(2), e0212489. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212489
Kurland, B. (2024, November 4). How to cope with the stress of uncertainty. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-well-being-toolkit/202411/how-to-cope-with-the-stress-of-uncertainty
Morriss, J., Goh, K., Hirsch, C. R., & Dodd, H. F. (2023). Intolerance of uncertainty heightens negative emotional states and dampens positive emotional states. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1147970. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1147970
Sego, A., & Adam, A. (2024). Ambiguous situations make me anxious: Personality traits and initiating social interaction. Modern Psychological Studies, 30(1), Article 12. https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol30/iss1/12/
Stewart, G. (2025). I³: Information, interpretation, intensity, Revised: Unlock the inner strength behind your negative emotions. Independently published. https://a.co/d/cQ93cyo
Stratton, C. M., Krumrei-Mancuso, E. J., & Miller-Perrin, C. (2022). The moderating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between problematic smartphone usage and depression, anxiety, and stress. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research, 27(2), 113–123. https://doi.org/10.24839/2325-7342.jn27.2.113
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