Soul Level

The power of anxiety can literally stop us in our tracks, especially if we feed it by giving it our attention, and therefore, our energy. It can cut off the vital line of communication between our rational thinking (with its knack for problem-solving) and our spiritual awareness (with its capacity for seeing the whole picture). It is especially formidable because it attacks us at the root of our power—our sense of self—and here, when we feel powerless we feel worthless. Further, we often think we can do nothing about the situations or circumstances that are stressing us. 

This is never the case.

The spiritual awareness that comes from stepping back (or is it forward) into prayer gives us the power to recognize our anxieties as outside and separate from our “selves.” From our new vantage point we can experience an inner peace with which to deal not just with the anxiety itself, but with the issues that bring on the feelings of anxiety.

There are no anxieties at the level of the soul. As St. Paul put it, “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV).