Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli
Ariana Grande. Steve Colbert. Michael Phelps. Vincent van Gogh. Lincoln. Emily Dickinson. Barbra Streisand. Marcus Morris. Donny Osmond. Paula Deen. All these famous individuals and many more have admitted that they suffer anxiety. Singers. Sports figures. Performers. Political figures. Writers. TV hosts and chefs. No profession is exempt. Even famous biblical figures coped with anxiety. Both Jonah and Job are classic examples of the struggle against anxiety and depression.
Not just Hollywood celebrities or individuals in the spotlight, but many, many people feel pressure to perform in their work. Deadlines, long work hours, erratic schedules or the critical judgment of others can easily make them tense and anxious. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 3.6 percent of the world’s populations face anxiety disorders. In the United States alone, there are more than 40 million people with panic attacks, restlessness, tension, phobias and other symptoms of anxiety. Today, with more and more celebrities openly discussing their battle with anxiety, it is becoming easier for others to recognize anxiety in their own lives.
There is no single factor that causes anxiety. Heredity and health play a role and so do life experiences. Even certain medications may have the side effect of making the patient anxious. Anxiety is our body’s way of telling us that we need to attend to something that we would prefer not to face. A person. A past situation. A negative experience. An upcoming event. We need to deal with whatever causes us anxiety.
When worry and stress become overwhelmingly disproportionate to life situations, professional help is needed to get to the cause and to control the anxiety. But, the fact remains. No one is exempt from the feelings of helplessness, fear and worry. When we look at the world in which we live, anyone of us can find enough to send us into a tailspin of anxiety.
Whatever it is that makes us anxious, the solution can never be simply turning in on ourselves. When we rely on our own resources, we open ourselves up to more worry and tension. Why indulge in self-pity or remain paralyzed by needless concern? Better to turn to God. As the psalmist reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, he saves those whose spirit is crushed” (Ps 34:19).
God never lets us face any situation without being able to draw from it a greater good. When we are anxious about our own ability to handle the problems and challenges of our lives, he is actually giving us the invitation to draw closer to him. Jesus knows that all of us become worried and concerned about ourselves and many things beyond our control. With great compassion, he reads the secret worries and concerns that burden our heart and he says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Horace, the Roman satirical writer, once quoted a popular saying of his day, “O citizens, citizens, money is to be sought first; virtue after riches.” But those who follow this advice, who seek the things of this world, whether riches, fame, popularity and even health, will always have some cause for worry. All these things pass away.
Jesus confronts our anxieties directly, He says “…do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’…Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all” (Mt 6:21-32). Rather, Jesus tells us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6:33). Changing our focus from ourselves to God, from our weakness to God’s strength, from earth to heaven: this is the antidote to anxiety.