Struggles and Holiness

[annie17on12]

I have anxiety and at times it gets pretty bad. I had a bought of it last night in which I panicked because I thought maybe everything that is happening in my life was just my will and not God’s (even though I have confidence I am following God’s will in my life.) But, in the midst of my anxiety it dawned on me that my disorder, while it can cause me to fear God (like he is bad kind of fear) and feel like he is distant, it is a cross which God permitted in my life to help me grow in holiness. I’m not really sure how I can be a saint with such bad anxiety since I can get really affected by it but realizing this gives me hope. So, When I am in the throws of anxiety, what is the best way to give it to God when I feel like God or I is the enemy? Sometimes it feels like giving it to God is like telling a person with an injured foot not to limp. For me having anxiety mean feeling perpetually guilty about things I shouldn’t feel guilty about.

 

[fred_conty]

God allows difficult times to test our fidelity and love. It is easy to love God when we have consolations and feel close. But then “easy” dosen’t really show how deeply we care for him. It is specificially in those times when we cry to God to have mercy on us, that we show him our true devotion.

The temptation to think that we are doing our own will never ends. But on closer look, he did say, “if you love me keep my commandments”. If you are faithful in that, then you are faithful.

God also sees our heart. Maybe it isn’t quantity he’s looking for but rather quality. In the morning, make the intention of doing all the little things in his honor however minimal they may seem. This intention is the altar of the heart offering sacrifices to God all day long.

Remember at Mass during the offertory, the priest says, “pray brethren that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the Father Almighty”. Your sacrifice of course is yourself joined to that of Jesus himself. And the sacrifice of Jesus was his suffering to which you join your sufferings. So the intention you make at the beginning of each new day is important. For then you live in him and He in you.

 

[Trident_H]

I have anxiety and at times it gets pretty bad. I had a bought of it last night in which I panicked because I thought maybe everything that is happening in my life was just my will and not God’s (even though I have confidence I am following God’s will in my life.) But, in the midst of my anxiety it dawned on me that my disorder, while it can cause me to fear God (like he is bad kind of fear) and feel like he is distant, it is a cross which God permitted in my life to help me grow in holiness. I’m not really sure how I can be a saint with such bad anxiety since I can get really affected by it but realizing this gives me hope. So, When I am in the throws of anxiety, what is the best way to give it to God when I feel like God or I is the enemy? Sometimes it feels like giving it to God is like telling a person with an injured foot not to limp. For me having anxiety mean feeling perpetually guilty about things I shouldn’t feel guilty about.

Yeah. I understand all about anxiety. I know all about not being able to let things go. And I know a lot about pushing God into a distant corner because of it. But the only thing I can tell you that really has helped me is to learn how to forgive yourself.

I mean it. It’s a key thing. Because once you forgive yourself none of this past pressure has the same power over you.