Anxiety and Faith
I have long admired the resilience, fortitude and humility of people of faith. This community has learned how to be proactive when facing the difficulty of worrying about tomorrow (anxiety) or suffering through self-despair for an extended period of time (depression.) People of faith often use clinically proven tools that include prayer, meditation and forgiveness. We can find relief when we tell ourselves the truth and accept that we are not fully in control. There is freedom in knowing that we don’t have to hold it all together. When facing the social pressure of performance and perfectionism we can set personal boundaries and learn from failure. We can accept difficulty, respect our personal limits and when it’s appropriate, say no. The good news is that we don’t have to hold it all together. Ask yourself the following questions: am I telling myself the truth, am I ready to share and release my anxiety and is this a safe place to fail?
Anxiety can be defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Imminent: can be defined as something likely to occur at any moment; impending: projecting or leaning forward; overhanging. While fear can be related to something happening in the present moment, anxiety is rooted in the likelihood (rational or irrational) that something difficult or adverse can or will happen. Symptoms can vary including nervousness, negative thoughts, withdrawing from social engagements or more severe symptoms including an increasing inability to focus or be present and panic attacks or excessive worry and phobias. Largely as a community, are we over-informed, over-busy, and in need of changes? Yes! Sadly, many people are afraid or embarrassed to share with loved ones or doctors about what they are experiencing for fear of being seen as a hypochondriac, lacking faith or something worse. Instead, they suffer in silence, distancing themselves from friends and family. We can lean in and listen, acknowledge our pain and courageously share our anxiety as we look to the LORD.
In faith we can pray as the late Franciscan priest, Brennan Manning once did, “I pray with the powerlessness and poverty of a child, knowing that I cannot free myself; I must be set free. Simply showing up at the appointed time, allowing God to make the changes in me that I cannot make myself.” People of faith are people distinguished through surrender and the belief in something bigger than themselves. The faith community, largely, is a people set apart and motivated by love for one another. Those that follow Christ have a new identity first and foremost as a son or daughter of their heavenly Father. When we act outside of the Father's love we tend to see the world as a spiritual orphan. We tread out on our own and attempt to manage our fear of shame, rejection and abandonment. We begin to forget that grace, faith and salvation are a gift that simply cannot be earned by the best of performances, accomplishments or approval. We are reminded by the Serge team, “delighting in God can only occur as we receive, by faith, God’s delight in us.” In essence, we love because He first loved us. It is an outpouring that always starts with His everlasting and unbreakable love for us. Because He loves us we are lovable.
As much as we would like to simply pray anxiety away we have learned that there are physiological factors that lead to increased stress and anxiety. For example, Sarah Ball notes, “If you have an emotional day you feel fatigued, if you are dealing with a major sickness or injury it weighs on your emotions, if you’re spiritually dry it makes your heartsick. So you have to have a balanced approach, not a ‘Jesus, or die’ approach to healing.” Issues of stewarded care come into question; are we getting adequate sleep, are we connected and in regular contact with our support system, are we praying and casting our cares on the Father and seeking additional help from others?
Worry and anxiety can serve us as an indicator to cast our cares on God knowing that He cares of us. When working with clients and students I often talk about taking the time to acknowledge the anxiety, rather than stuffing it down only to cause a fixation. Imagine taking captive the thought that is already there and steadying it in your hand like a string attached to a balloon. Acknowledge the worry and look at it momentarily. We recognize that holding the worry internally is not helping us. Now release the balloon (specific worry) and you will feel much lighter. Repeat this process, but do not hold onto the string, it must be released. Over time you will begin to develop what researchers have called self-efficacy (the belief that a person can handle life’s challenges). Self-efficacy has been proven to protect against anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. Acknowledge the problem, pain or worry, hold it loosely and let it go.
I have seen in my own life how God worked through loved ones, a licensed counselor and close group of friends to help me cope and heal through very difficult times. We are not meant to manage our anxiety alone. With my counselor we addressed numerous topics including stewarded care, grief and a wounded past, prayer and forgiveness and an outlook focused on a healthy future. Because there are varying experiences with anxiety people may experience a host of different symptoms from nervousness to sleepless nights and panic attacks. It’s important to pay attention to what’s happening within you, find a baseline and take note for positive or negative changes. What we don’t want to do is fixate on the anxiety and let it consume our way of living. We also don’t want to numb the pain and just make ourselves busy.
What We Can Do
If you feel out of control or overwhelmed consider going for a walk and paying attention to what you see, hear and experience in and around you, write your thoughts and feelings in a journal and identify the negative thoughts, since anxiety can feel like paralysis, reach out and call a close friend or family member and share what’s happening, acknowledge the problem, pain or worry, hold it loosely and let it go (release the balloon), take deep breaths and physically release/reset your mind and body, start your day with prayer and cast your cares daily on God and give attention to the good you see in your life, take the time to help someone in need in a tangible way, for more severe cases medication may be a helpful option and seek professional help and continue the journey towards healing.
Those of the faith including teachers, pastors, counselors and leaders are certainly not above the need for help and community. I was recently sent the unfortunate news about another church leader, Jarrid Wilson, working with pastor Greg Laurie that had died by suicide. Greg Laurie had this to say, “Sometimes people may think that as pastors or spiritual leaders we are somehow above the pain and struggles of everyday people. We are the ones who are supposed to have all the answers. But we do not. At the end of the day, pastors are just people who need to reach out to God for His help and strength, each and every day.”
“Sometimes people may think that as pastors or spiritual leaders we are somehow above the pain and struggles of everyday people. We are the ones who are supposed to have all the answers. But we do not. At the end of the day, pastors are just people who need to reach out to God for His help and strength, each and every day.”
I sometimes fear the church has resisted outside help with the upkeep of performance. Dr. David Jeremiah shares an encouraging word, “It is possible to feel fear and faith at the same time without fear getting the upper hand. It is even possible to experience the fear of disapproval from others while knowing that God approves us totally.” The good news is that because we are safe in the arms of a Savior we can cast our cares, share our story with others and get the help we need. I encourage pastors, counselors, teachers, leaders and you, the reader, to recognize and know your limits and seek out additional help when it’s needed. Consider the community resources and have the courage to share your story. We are reminded to keep a close group around us where we can have genuine conversations and foster a safe place for anxiety and faith. Reach out today.
Josh Neuer is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Greenville, SC who speaks worldwide about how individuals, families, businesses and communities can find hope and healing that literally changes the world! Josh is passionate about empowering meaningful change in communities and team cultures. He is the founder of Joshua Neuer, LLC Counseling, a committed husband and father, and is absolutely crazy about relationships!