From personal worries to global crises, the burdens of modern life can often overwhelm even the strongest among us. Life is complex and challenging, and anxiety is the norm. The best we have been offered is coping tools including therapy and medications, but these serve as bandaids over gushing wounds. Yes they have been “proven” to help relieve anxiety, but they don’t cure. Most of them that aren’t medications are related to healthy behavioral disciplines that we struggle to maintain anyways. i.e diet, exercise, sleep, etc. We can’t even be consistent with the basics.
However, still standing among us through the centuries, mostly ignored as a last resort, is the timeless constant and most powerful antidote to anxiety, offering solace, strength, and hope to those who embrace it, namely, Faith.
What is anxiety?
We think we have a grasp on anxiety, because we are given a medical or biological explanation. Every human being knows what anxiety feels like. But a medical or biological explanation does little for us in terms of being able to get a grasp on it. It offers us explanations of how it’s expressed in the body, and therefore we are able to provide coping tools that work in a moment if we practice them or use them as directed. But do we understand our anxiety on a personal level?
Generally speaking, anxiety is caused by human desires, unregulated. Underneath these desires are unmet relational needs, including desires for love and connection, belonging and identity. When these needs are not met, anxiety cries out in our minds and bodies. Existing in this state of deregulation, human desires can produce a state of constant anxiety in us that transforms the way our entire system operates, leading us to destructive behaviors, relational trauma, and out of control lives.
As humans, we also have the ability to plan for the future, and think through what’s happening around us, which produces anticipatory anxiety. We can be anxious right now about what might happen later. When humans are not grounded to a system of belief that provides answers at the core of their human existence, namely their soul, the propensity for dysregulation is there.
Conventional Wisdom
The medical model deals with the body, explicitly. It doesn’t deal with matters of the meaning of life and purpose. Our unhealthy dependence on the physical body as a source of explanations, for our experience is leading us away from addressing the core issue of our being; namely, our belief systems.
If we believe we are merely animals, made for and bound to this world, then the best we can do with anxiety is to keep striving to attain the status of “contented cow.” (Fulton Sheen) But by virtue of our self-evident nature, we are more than animals, who by the way, do not induce their own anxiety. We innately know we are searching for something more, and until we reconcile to finding it, we are simply playing trial and error with coping tools and lifestyles, searching constantly for something or someone to be “it.”
What is faith?
At its core, faith is the belief in something greater than oneself. Whether rooted in religion, spirituality, or simply a trust in the universe, faith provides a sense of purpose and meaning that can help individuals navigate the storms of life. By surrendering control and placing trust in a higher power, individuals can find relief from the burden of constant worry and fear. They find a constant to cling on to, which is the faithfulness of God. The consistency of the nature of God and my relationship to Him become the constant factor.
Faith provides meaning?
One of the most profound aspects of faith is its ability to foster resilience in the face of adversity. When confronted with challenges, those with strong faith are often better equipped to endure hardship and find the inner strength to persevere. This resilience stems from the belief that every trial and tribulation serves a greater purpose, and that no obstacle is insurmountable with faith by one’s side.
Furthermore, faith offers a sense of interconnectedness and community that can alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness, which as I stated earlier are common underliers for anxiety. Whether through religious congregations, spiritual gatherings, or online communities, individuals united by their faith can find support, understanding, and companionship in times of need. As a matter of fact, real community of faith is already sharing the burden in the first place.
Faith also encourages individuals to cultivate gratitude and acceptance, shifting the focus away from what is lacking or troubling towards what is present and meaningful. By acknowledging the blessings in one’s life and embracing an attitude of thankfulness, individuals can experience a profound shift in perspective that diminishes the power of anxiety.
Practicing faith requires action and discipline which includes rituals, prayers, and meditation/reflection promoting mindfulness and inner peace. These practices take the focus off ourselves ands our anxiety, allowing people to quiet the mind, connect with God, and tap into the source of tranquility that transcends external circumstances. In this way, Faith, when practiced consistently produces sense of calm and centeredness that acts as a shield against the complexity of life and the byproduct, which is anxiety.
Anxiety is a buzzword in modern culture. Everyone feels it and everyone deals with it. But it’s time to wake up to what our anxiety is calling us to realize. That it is beckoning from deep within us for a connection to the divine. But it is calling for purpose and meaning in our lives that go beyond biological and medical explanations.
Faith is the antidote to anxiety, providing individuals with strength, resilience, and hope in the face of life’s challenges. By by hearing our anxiety as a call to faith, individuals can find a peace even amidst chaos, and forge connections with others who share in their beliefs. In a world where anxiety is all too common, faith serves as a stabilizing force, gripping the ground and moving us forward in the greater good.
Whether you agree to the premise of faith or not, you are already putting yours into something each and everyday. It might as well be something worth while.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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From The Good Men Project on Medium
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