Why Do I Still Feel Anxiety When I Love God?
As people of faith, we’re often taught that our love for God will guarantee a sense of peace and comfort. We’re taught that by loving God and putting our trust in Him, we can let go of all those earthly concerns and fears that otherwise might consume us. As a result, anxiety may feel like a sign that we lack faith.
In reality, we are promised trials and challenges in this life. Our love for God does not promise a life free from worry or anxiety—it offers a source of comfort we can turn to in those times of anxiety. It’s necessary to understand that anxiety is a natural part of human existence, and it is something that can bring us closer to God in many cases.
What is Anxiety?
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In order to understand anxiety, we have to examine the complexity of God’s design and the human system. Our bodies are complex systems, and our brains and bodies work in harmony to produce all the necessary conditions for our consciousness. Our perceptions and circumstances influence our bodies at every level—we know scientifically that our mood is influenced by everything from diet or exercise to the amount of sunlight we get.
Think about your body. When your body needs fuel, your stomach signals you to let you know it’s time to eat. Over time, it develops rhythms and patterns. When you do something that hurts, your body sends a sharp signal to your brain to let you know the activity is dangerous, telling you to stop.
Anxiety works the same way. It’s a signal from our bodies to our brain triggering our fight-or-flight instinct. It’s ‘high alert’ mode—triggered when something makes us uncomfortable or uncertain. In many cases, anxiety signals an uncomfortable or uncertain situation—but it’s very much a natural part of being human. We are designed to feel anxiety. It’s a tool that helps us prepare for the future, and learn from the past.
Anxiety and God
In the worst case, our faith can become a source of anxiety. Our fears of imperfection and worries over our worthiness of Gods’ love become a harsh rubric we use to judge ourselves by. Oftentimes, we show others a kind of grace we deny ourselves. While we would reassure our friends or children that God still loves them after they’ve made a mistake, it’s harder to do that for ourselves.
The relationship between God and anxiety is simple: our love for God and faith in Him is not there to eliminate anxiety altogether; it is to give us a tool we can use to tame our anxieties. We acknowledge our fears, and we trust in God to help us resolve them. When we can’t solve our problems, we accept that God will offer a new way forward, or that we are meant to struggle in that moment for a reason.
Our faith exists in conversation with our anxiety.
Managing Anxiety
Because anxiety is often rooted in a lost sense of safety, one of the best ways to manage it is to understand and examine it. Identify the triggers for your anxiety, and pay attention to how it feels in your body. Mindfulness techniques are a good way to help manage your anxiety when you know it’s building in your system. Whenever your anxiety starts to build, ground yourself by paying attention to your surroundings. Listen for background sounds. Take a moment to examine the smells around you. Feel the textures around you against your skin. Focus on tangible sensory information.
Seeking Therapy
If you’re struggling with anxiety, therapy may be a good option for you. Reach out today to learn more about how you can manage your stress through anxiety therapy.
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