Saint Ignatius Of Loyola’s Advice To Overcome Fear
There is so much the saints have to teach us about dealing with our emotions and overcoming fear. St Ignatius spoke strongly about putting trust in God in times of fear and anxiety.
Being human beings like the rest of us, the saints had equally faced similar challenges and issues, so they gave advice and guidance on coping with these challenges.
Let’s look at the guidance of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, on how to overcome fear.
Do Your Best and leave the rest to Providence.
Here are three decisive steps to overcome fear:
- Living in the present
- Doing what you can
- Trusting God
St. Ignatius said:
Anxiety and worry of the mind are not pleasing to God.
When you’ve tried to do one’s best, you can leave everything else to the One who has the power to accomplish all that he wants.
It’s Good To Strive To Live In The Present.
Anxiety is not pleasing to God.
Spending time cooking and creating disastrous scenes, bothering about what is to come, dreading the next day, and getting sad about the unknown are all things that only serve to amplify our fears.
Anxiety about the future can paralyze us and prevent us from living in the present.
The solution?
Choose to trust and rely on Divine Providence, not blindly but after having done everything in our power.
Let’s read a later from 1555 by St. Ignatius of Loyola; it was written a year before he passed away. He wrote powerful words that will help us to overcome our fears;
It seems to me that you should resolve to do what you can, calmly. Do not be anxious about everything, but leave to divine Providence what you cannot accomplish by yourself.
Our reasonable care and solicitude in carrying out those things which we have to attend to as a matter of duty are pleasing to God. Anxiety and worry of the mind are not pleasing to God.
The Lord wants our limitations and weaknesses to be supported by his strength and omnipotence; he wants us to believe that his goodness can make up for the imperfection of our means.
Even with the right intention, those who take on many tasks must resolve to do only what is in their power, without grieving if they do not succeed in doing everything they would like.
This provided, however, that they have accomplished all that human nature can and should do according to the mandates of their conscience.
If we have to leave certain things undone, we must be patient and not think that God expects us to do what we cannot do: He neither wants man to be distressed by his limitations.
As long as we do God’s will, which is more important than giving in to men, there is no need to get overly tired.
Much to the contrary, when one has endeavored to do one’s best, one can leave everything else to him who has the power to accomplish all that he wants.
Saint Ignatius Of Loyola’s Advice To Overcome Fear
