In the warm, relatable way that’s endeared her to readers around the world, author Angie Smith, the wife of Selah lead vocalist Todd Smith, talks about overcoming the anxieties that every woman regularly faces in her new book, What Women Fear.

Unlike those annoying self-help books that promise eight easy steps for conquering everything from overeating to perpetually dating the wrong guy, author Angie Smith is the first to admit that saying goodbye to those lingering fears that plague women isn’t the proverbial cakewalk.

If anything, she speaks with the relatable, patient voice of someone who’s been there since she readily admits that fear is a major part of her own testimony.

“I truly believe every single one of us struggles with some type of fear, whether it’s a fear of flying or fear of being ‘found out,’ Angie says. “Maybe you don’t worry about dying, but you get sick thinking about the fact that you might fail.” 

Seamlessly integrating her own life experience with those of the men and women found in Scripture, she hopes What Women Fear will only encourage readers in their respective struggles, but help draw them closer to the One who understands precisely what we’re going through.

To read an excerpt of What Women Fear, click here.

“My prayer with this book was to how women that first of all, they weren’t alone in their fear, and secondly, they weren’t weak because of it,” Angie shares. “There are so many amazing examples of men and women in Scripture who faced similar situations and dealt with their fear in ways that inspire us today. I wanted to take their stories and weave them in with mine in the hope that others would see themselves in both. I have struggled with fear for my entire life in different ways, and this book was a labor of love for certain.” 

While writing the book, Angie had several “a-ha moments” in the process. In fact, as she began to dig into Scripture, little insights would practically jump off the page, causing her to nod her head in agreement in coffee shops all over Nashville.

“I was surprised that there were so many people who responded to God the way I feel like I would have, because I think to myself, ‘These are the ones that made the cut! I mean, they're in the BOOK!,” Angie says. “It was a way of feeling the humanity in the pages in a way I haven't before. And little details the Lord revealed to me, while possibly embarrassing in the midst of a crowded coffee shop, blessed my soul more richly than I can articulate.”
In fact, Angie can’t over-emphasize the importance of digging into God’s word, whether you’re happy or feeling completely overwhelmed by the circumstances you’re facing.

“I could say a million things that I would love to imagine would help, but the truth is that we have to be saturated in truth in order to combat life. I can't watch the news at night without having something bigger to cling to, and I'm not someone who has always believed in God, so I don't say that flippantly,” Angie shares. “The truth is that the more you spend time with Him, asking Him to be present in your daily life, the more you will feel His presence. You won't run to Him in panic because you will already have been walking with Him. There is no peace that this world can give us apart from Him. I held my daughter as she died about three years ago, and the only word I can think of to describe that moment is ‘peace.’ I can't do that for myself—in that way or in any other small way. It's only by His grace and mercy I can tell this story.”

For more information on Angie, her upcoming “Women of Faith” events and What Women Fear, visit angiesmithonline.com.