Is feeling anxious a sign of weak faith?

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BenRosa

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Greetings:

I often wonder this because we are told not to “be anxious” as our Father will provide.

This feeling usually hits me at night, it’s like all my problems come piling-down upon me. It gets hard to sleep as my thoughts race from one issue to another.

I keep telling myself not to worry, my Father will provide, but find no comfort.

Peace…
 
in a way, yes. but it also proves that you are only human

i always think back to Peter walking on water. he was able to walk on water because he had faith in Jesus. but as soon as his faith began to shake, he started to sink
 
Depending on how bad the worries are, a really good prayer book can help to calm you. I’ve got a St. Joseph’s Missal, which has a lot of beautiful traditional prayers that are so profound that you can get lost in prayer. Same goes for the prayers in the Handbook of Indulgences (a well translated version), and they can obviously give you a bit more spiritual peace as well 🙂

For me, I’ve found that generally, in good times I feel farther from God. In bad times I can’t get enough of Him! So it can sometimes be a mixed blessing… try to accept your crosses with lots of prayer, penance and fasting and you’ll learn to accept it with peace of heart.

God Bless
 
BenRosa said:
Greetings:

I often wonder this because we are told not to “be anxious” as our Father will provide.

This feeling usually hits me at night, it’s like all my problems come piling-down upon me. It gets hard to sleep as my thoughts race from one issue to another.

I keep telling myself not to worry, my Father will provide, but find no comfort.

Peace…
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Been there, done that, still wearing the t-shirt at certain times.

For me, praying the Rosary at night worked miracles. It took away the worst of that horrible feeling.

But it doesn’t necessarily mean your faith is weak. It could just mean this is your Cross to bear.
 
Hi Ben,

I struggle with this as well. But you should explore all possibilities. Is it possible you might have a medical basis for your anxiety (e.g. some sort of chemical imbalance)? This is true in my own case and while I think such medicinal “fixes” are way too overused in the world today, there genuinally are real uses for them.

Just wanted to throw that out there just in case that thought hadn’t occurred 😃
 
Read the texts of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. Jesus was certainly suffering greatly in anticipation of his arrest and torture, and He asked the prayers and company of His three closest friends, who promptly fell asleep instead.

To have fears and anxieties is human. We know bad things can happen.
As the old man said, though,
“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life.
Most of them never happened.”

Jesus asked to escape the suffering, but concluded with Matthew 26:39.

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” That is true trust in God. Being afraid but still trusting God.

See Matthew 26, 36-39.
" Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray."And taking with him Peter and) the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Of course you will continue to pray regarding your anxiety and continue to make acts of faith, but also try to train your brain and emotions to be more positive and trusting…while remember that trust in God is faith even when you can’t be sure things will go as you wish, because your Father in Heaven knows what is necessary for your salvation and well-being and that of others within your influence, and more often than not, we ourselves don’t really know what is best in God’s sight.
 
Oh, also wanted to say I heatily agree with Sailor Kenshin. The daily Rosary is a must 👍
 
Dear Ben,
You might find it helpful to read the texts of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. Jesus was certainly suffering greatly in anticipation of his arrest and torture, and He asked the prayers and company of His three closest friends, who promptly fell asleep instead.

To have fears and anxieties is human. We know bad things can happen.
As the old man said, though,
“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life.
Most of them never happened.”

Jesus asked to escape the suffering, but concluded with Matthew 26:39.

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” That is true trust in God. Being afraid but still trusting God.

See Matthew 26, 36-39.
" Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray."And taking with him Peter and) the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Of course you will continue to pray regarding your anxiety and continue to make acts of faith, but also try to train your brain and emotions to be more positive and trusting…while remember that trust in God is faith even when you can’t be sure things will go as you wish, because your Father in Heaven knows what is necessary for your salvation and well-being and that of others within your influence, and more often than not, we ourselves don’t really know what is best in God’s sight.

God bless and protect you! 🙂
 
Someone once asked Mother Angelica, “If you have faith, why do you have to take Malox.” Mother replied, “I have faith; my stomach doesn’t.” 😉
 
Got to love some of the things Mother Angelica says 🙂

I agree with Trishie, when one looks at Gethsemane one sees that we cannot really avoid all anxiety in life, just as we cannot avoid other forms of suffering. It may help to picture angels nearby waiting to minister to you in your suffering as they did to Him. Not to eliminate it, they didn’t, but to help you find the peace that comes with being resigned to God’s will and providence.

We can pray to Our Lord, who knows all our sufferings as well as our needs, to unite them with His own sufferings, to bring good out of them. And we can express our faith that He will give us what we need and what is best for us, even if not exactly everything we want or think we need.
 
No it is not a sign of weak faith.

Maybe its time for you to rethink your treatment of this anxiety, as anxiety tends not to be a religious issue as much as it a health issue. While you may feel better after talking to your priest about it, of saying the rosary before you go to bed, you should also go see a psychologist or a clinical social worker, as this may be a sign of depression or you may have panic attacks.

Currently there are more then 17.5 million people in the U.S. that are treated for clinical depression. At least 6 million adults in the U.S. have panic attacks.And ~7 million people in the U.S. suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.
 
Greetings:

Thanks all, for the great advice and guidance. I think I will review those scriptures suggested.

Regarding a medical angle, I don’t believe I suffer from anything like that. I don’t get panic attacks or feel depressed. It is more the contemplation of all the responsibilities and tasks I have and then I look at the time and money I have to work with.

Honestly, I can look back in my past and see when I’ve been in tough spots and by our Father’s grace, I was pulled-through it. It is more remembering that I’ll have periods of time when I’m either on a peak or in a valley.

I’ll be up on a peak again soon.

God bless you all.
 
jphelins said:
No it is not a sign of weak faith.

Maybe its time for you to rethink your treatment of this anxiety, as anxiety tends not to be a religious issue as much as it a health issue. While you may feel better after talking to your priest about it, of saying the rosary before you go to bed, you should also go see a psychologist or a clinical social worker, as this may be a sign of depression or you may have panic attacks.

Currently there are more then 17.5 million people in the U.S. that are treated for clinical depression. At least 6 million adults in the U.S. have panic attacks.And ~7 million people in the U.S. suffer from generalized anxiety disorder.
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And I have to wonder whether all that is a result of turning away from God, or living in a world that freely embraces Satan.
 
Sailor_Kenshin said:
And I have to wonder whether all that is a result of turning away from God, or living in a world that freely embraces Satan.
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Sailor Kenshin,
I am honored that you would think that I am a satanist just because I recognize that humans have evolved out of the middle ages, a time when all medical problems were caused by not praying enough. I am not saying that God does not influence our health, but I am saying that we have professional, that are better trained to handle certain issues then a priest is. And because you are not a priest do not try to judge me.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12
 
jphelins said:
Sailor Kenshin,
I am honored that you would think that I am a satanist just because I recognize that humans have evolved out of the middle ages, a time when all medical problems were caused by not praying enough. I am not saying that God does not influence our health, but I am saying that we have professional, that are better trained to handle certain issues then a priest is. And because you are not a priest do not try to judge me.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12
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How did you POSSIBLY infer that from what I actually posted?

Look at the world around you and ask if this free-falling chaos and evil is the result of turning TO or AWAY FROM God.
 
I used to have a bad anxiety disorder and was on medication.

What really changed my life though was not medication but reading a book called “The Worry Cure.” I have given it as a gift to many of my friends who suffer from anxiety. This book could be one way God could help you.

It’s not like you read the book and then you’re “cured,” though. It gives you mental exercises which you have to stick to with discipline to develop a new way of thinking with better perspective. It’s not all psychological; there is some spiritual stuff in the book as well.

Pax
 
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