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Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner gives hope in overcoming anxiety, fear and doubt with “Watching the Waves vs Watching Jesus”. Offers practical spiritual advice to help you in your moments of fear and anxiety with stories of storms in the mind and heart. Recognizing the need for grace is half the battle. In this day of independence and self-sufficiency, many forget how much they need grace until a situation gets so out of everyone’s earthly control that they turn towards God. As you seek Him you will find Him. He will let you find Him.
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It was a dark and stormy night. Peter, a professional fisherman knew that these wind-swept waves could swallow him and his buddies. The ‘could a, would a, should a’ starts playing over and over in his mind. Looking out to waves he sees what must be a ghost upon the water. Fear consumed him and the others in his small fishing boat. [Matthew 14: ]26b and they cried out in fear. 27 At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I;* do not be afraid.” 28Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. 30j But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith,* why did you doubt?” 32After they got into the boat, the wind died down.”
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit, I am your host, Patti Brunner. Today’s episode is Watching the Waves vs Watching Jesus—Anxiety, Fear and Doubt.
Instead of watching Jesus Peter kept his eyes on the waves. Peter’s fear kept him from overcoming the situation and stepping into a glorious one. This is often the experience. Your enemy preys on those moments; The Lord provides relief. Jesus is always close by, stretching out his hand to us.
I have witnessed people in the throes of anxiety. They are in torment. Something from the past turns over and over in their minds. “could a, would a , should a” A decision made is now torn apart bit by bit and the memory is filled with regret. A past action by others looms to an overwhelming proportion with destructive importance and anger fuels the torment. Sometimes the anger turns inward and results in depression.
Anxiety about a specific future paralyzes them as they hear the transcript in their mind how certain people or events will play out to disappoint them. Sometimes, like a caged lion, they pace back and forth. Other times their bodies, aching from the stress, don’t move at all.
One time at a women’s retreat I experienced a horrific vision and the feeling that God no longer loved me. It lasted only seconds. If it had lasted longer, I think I would have been destroyed. I immediately realized it was a lie; God cannot stop loving me. God cannot stop loving you! It is impossible for God to stop loving us. God IS love! I spoke to my retreat master, Sr. Francis Clare, S.S.N.D., who wrote “Wow God” and her advice was to consider this experience a gift and to not try to figure it out. I spent the rest of the retreat trying to ‘not figure it out’. The next week I was speaking with a friend who suffers recurring depression. I realized I had total empathy for her because of my experience and was able to minister to her need. It was a gift indeed!
Asking for grace—how do we do that? Think of asking for Love, for God’s love. You can be positive of receiving His Love, thus you can be positive of receiving His Grace. It is always, always there waiting for you, and when you ask for it, you have opened your arms to receive it. Some times when you need it the most you ask with fisted hands and clenched teeth-clenched tight due to the pain caused by the failings of others that should have loved you as God does and the failings due to the effect of sin upon your life. These are the times God longs for you to know his grace – to know his love – for then his peace will come over you and you will know that God is with you.
Jesus certainly came to set his people free from anxiety. Philippians 4:6 says, “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. 7Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer and petition: pray to the Lord on the behalf of those who struggle. Intercession makes a difference.
My husband and I recently prayed for a man who was battling anxiety, fear and depression. The Lord led him to us for help through prayer ministry. He was going through several difficult issues in his family and his job, including life and death issues, but the Lord set him totally free and filled him with the Holy Spirit and supernatural peace. In a short amount of time, every issue was resolved.
In Matthew 6:25-27NAB Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? ”
Worry is different from anxiety. Most worry is based on fear. All fear causes worry and anxiety. The answer to ending worry and anxiety is to end fear. Perfect love casts out fear. Why is that? Because perfect love instills trust! Trust overcomes the fear of every outcome. When we allow fear of the outcome to overshadow the good we live in fear rather than trust. God is quite aware of our abilities and disabilities. He has a plan of joy for us—in this life and the next. When we are sick and our bodies are overcome by disease our soul can still be in ‘perfect health’. Since our body will not enter the kingdom in a state of deterioration but in a glorified perfected state—why should we be worried? Eternal vs. worldly. Eternal trumps every time! Letting go of control brings peace when you jump into the hand of God.
Some time ago, members of my family had to deal with a couple of very stressful situations. Yet in the midst of them I had supernatural peace and was able to remain not just stable but prayerful and hopeful. The grace to overcome is available to all. It’s available to you. The Lord’s Divine Mercy brings supernatural peace.
Another time a crisis hit, I spent some time shouting Hail Mary’s as Mother Angelica prayed them as she led the Chaplet of St. Michael the Archangel on EWTN. My frustration of being unable to fix the situation drew me to strong and rather loud prayer.
Take a look at a crucifix. As you gaze upon the love the Son had for you in obedience to the Father, know that His will for you is everlasting peace and happiness. But the rub is that you can’t always figure out how to live your life in perfect alignment with His will. Yet, even if you make mistakes, the Lord will never forsake you.
The sources of evil in the world constantly combat to turn you aside from the duties and joys of the Lord. Look not upon the negative but always have hope in your eyes, for then in comparison, you will see how the Lord’s will overcomes to bring forth His Will even as ‘bad’ times seem to explode.
When there is doubt—find a way to trust the Lord in some way. Soon the doubt vanishes and Trust will strengthen within you.
When there is turmoil—find something that is peaceful in your life or in the world and look to it for comfort. In the peace you will know God’s presence and your heart will know peace.
When you fear, look for courage in small matters. When you worry—know that God has been taking care of you and rely on this history you have built.
When you want to deny God’s love—stop and read the Word of the Lord and know that it is truth and light and that it dispels all despair if you will only take a small step towards God. For it is then that He takes you up on eagle’s wings.
I know a young woman whose difficulties including ‘panic attacks’ are self-imposed by the fear that attacks her. Her body’s defense protects her by shutting down her awareness. Her mother allows judgment and fear instead of love to rule the heart. As time drifts by, many of her ‘issues’ will resolve. Yet until she allows the joy of the Lord to rule her heart, the struggle shall continue.
Recognizing the need for Grace is half the battle. In this day of independence and self-sufficiency, many forget how much they need grace until a situation gets so out of everyone’s earthly control that they turn towards God. And as they seek Him they will find Him. He will let them find Him.
But to live the kingdom life, to have the heart and mind of Jesus, each day you must allow his grace to penetrate. He does not force his Grace but He generously pours it out daily on his people. Those who have hardened their hearts to God by selfishness and sin do not receive a full measure.
He encourages us to become aware of our sinfulness and to repent. Repentance, true repentance, causes the scales to fall from the eyes. Repentance and reconciliation washes away the barriers that have kept his Love from being deeply rooted in your hearts.
True conversion of heart places God above all things. God becomes the beginning and the end of each day. As you make your plans in life, pray to hear God’s voice and direction. You will never regret following the path God has set clear for you. It is only by following the Will of the Father that you can be truly free of all anxiety.
A long time ago, when my town was still small, a teacher was attacked and raped in her school on a week-end. My whole community felt violated and fear was everywhere. A few days later, I sat in a dark parking lot waiting for my daughter to complete her piano lesson and I could feel the fear arising in my own heart. Then, by God’s grace, I thought of the scripture Matthew 10:28 NRSV “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” This scripture overcame the fear and gave me peace.
Is your barrier to peace due to fear – such as anxiety and panic? Ask the Lord’s angels to protect you and ask for trust from the Holy Spirit. Know that your body can be destroyed by evil but that God will restore glorified bodies to those who love Him.
I know a man who often turns his heart away from God by allowing doubt, fear and anxiety to entertain his thoughts. He has forgotten who God is. He is giving the enemy, the devil, too much credit and thus increasing his affect. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks, and his heart is filled with fear. And negative words tumble out.
Are you filled with doubt? Doubt tears at the heart of many Christians. Perhaps you need to consider the entertainment that surrounds us. The world saturates viewers’ thoughts with doubts of the Creator. Their “master of the universe” is not holy and seeks to destroy all human love and devotion to Yahweh.
Consider this about your favorite shows: how many times do characters pray? How many times do they give reverence to the God who made them, who loves them? This calculated media seeks to lead the children into darkness, a place where sin is ‘acceptable’ and desirable’. Do not fall into the throes of God’s enemy. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Fill your life with holy thoughts and images. Restrict that which seeks to neutralize the power of God in the ways of the world.
Trust in the Lord your Savior. Walk with Jesus along the path of possibilities, the realm of heavenly hope, the realm of the kingdom come.
Lay upon his shoulders all your burdens. His strength shall be your joy.
Continue to seek His Face, to turn to Him with all your needs and He shall grant you whatever you need. These days are a true blessing. Someday you will look back and realize that more clearly.
Fear Not! The great I Am is with you.
Counting blessings is a great relief to pain. I recommend writing them down. Remember this: Counting your blessings helps you to stay focused on God. The Sacred Heart of Jesus reminds you of the fire of his love for you. It burns brightly for you to always find him, despite the darkness that fear tries to bring. Fear Not. His peace is with you always. Accept it and it is yours! Joy is a great companion to peace and dispels darkness readily.
One way to count blessings is to add a daily Ignatian routine called the “Examen”. It differs from an examination of conscience. There are 5 steps.
First, it begins by asking God to help you to pray and to understand your day. Understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit given at Confirmation.
The Second step is gratitude. Review your day with gratitude to the Lord for various things that happened during your day. If you try, you can even find gratitude for the difficult. Once, when I broke a jar of strawberry jam, I thanked the Lord that I was able to get down on the floor to clean it, I was grateful I had transportation and the resources to replace it, and was grateful no one was cut by the broken glass. We can have gratitude even in our struggles.
The Third step is noticing the presence of the Lord in the various situations of the day, recalling specific moments and your emotions. During your day, you will start noticing God’s Presence—who is with you always. You will discover the triggers to your own emotional outbursts. Reflect on what you did, said, or thought in those instances. Were you drawing closer to God, or further away? When I broke that jelly, at first I was angry about my carelessness, then, I remembered helping a poor family when I was young and the only thing in their refrigerator was a single jar of jelly. My anger melted into compassion and gratitude.
Fourth, consider the responses for the next day to similar moments.
Fifth, you may plan the next day with ways to cooperate with God’s plan. Be specific, and then conclude with the “Our Father”, your favorite prayer or choose one feature of the day and pray spontaneously from it.
The Lord says in Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you—plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope.”
The Peace that surpasses all understanding is a gift given freely. God’s Peace came to the world as a child born in Bethlehem. God’s Peace entered the hearts of man during the most horrific scene of suffering and crucifixion. God’s Peace was magnified and distributed as the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit gave witness. The enemy uses fear to try to destroy God’s Peace but it only ‘covers’ it. Join within the Lord’s heart; rest within the beat of the wings of flight; soar as an eagle above the turmoil and you shall have your gift of Peace.
The hardest time I have had overcoming anxiety was when my mother died. In her final weeks my sister and I took turns staying with her. I realize now that the effect of stress bombarded me when I felt I had to shore up the others instead of allowing God to comfort me and become vulnerable to reach out to others for help. Healing is available to the physiological issues that intensify anxiety. For too long, certain decisions and actions haunted me surrounding my mother’s death and wouldn’t let go until I brought the issues to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus tells us, in Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all who are weary and I will give you rest. The Lord provides relief. I finally quit watching the waves and started watching Jesus. Jesus is always close by, stretching out his hand to us. And as I took his hand, my body and my mind relaxed. And the sea was calm again.
You have been listening to Truth of the Spirit. I’m your host, Patti Brunner. Be sure and subscribe and come back for more, because with the Holy Spirit there’s always more! Amen.
