In today’s fast-paced world, anxiety and uncertainty seem to be constant companions and finding peace can often feel like an elusive goal. I, like many of you, have felt anxiety grip my mind and heart. This Lent, I’ve decided to give up anxiety. Instead of letting worry control me, I’m choosing to trust in God’s plan for my life. I know He is in control, and by leaning on Him, I can find peace and strength. This is a step toward surrendering my fears and embracing faith, knowing that He will guide me through every challenge. This is not an easy task, it requires work. By reminding myself of His providence over and over again (because I constantly forget), I don’t have to let anxiety hijack my imagination. Instead I can imagine the love of a caring father who will take care of all things, even if I do not understand. It is comforting to know there is someone bigger, stronger, wiser, and kinder who wants what is best for me and every one of His creatures. Taking solace in this, I can rest.
My daily prayer this Lent has been, “Lord, give me the strength, courage, and wisdom to attend to and accomplish all that You put before me today.”
What does it mean to Surrender?
Surrender is not about giving up or resigning oneself to passivity. Rather, it is about giving over control of one’s life to God, recognizing that we, as finite human beings, are not meant to carry every burden alone. It involves trusting that God, in His wisdom and love, will guide us through the challenges and uncertainties of life.
At the heart of surrender is the belief in Divine Providence—that God actively and intimately cares for each person, guiding them toward their ultimate good, even when things seem unclear. This requires a complete trust in God’s plan and a willingness to place our lives entirely in His hands. This idea is beautifully captured in the writings of Jesuit priest Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, who wrote Abandonment to Divine Providence. He described how surrendering to God’s Holy will allows us to accept and find peace in all the circumstances of our lives, both good and bad. The heart of this abandonment is not passive resignation but a positive, active trust that God is in control. The idea is to surrender our will to His, aligning our hearts with His divine plan. In this process, we begin to experience the deep peace that comes from knowing that our lives are in the hands of a loving Father who desires only what is best for us.
Surrender and Coping with Anxiety
In today’s world, anxiety seems inevitable. Whether it’s the uncertainty of global events, personal struggles, or concerns about the future, it’s easy to feel lost or powerless. Catholic spirituality offers a remedy to this by inviting us to surrender our worries and entrust them to God’s care.
When we surrender all to God, we take the burden of control off our shoulders. Instead of constantly worrying about outcomes or trying to force situations to align with our desires, we learn to lean into trust. We shift from a mindset of fear—fear of not having enough, fear of failure, fear of the unknown—to a mindset of trust. This act of trust in God can lead to a profound sense of inner peace, because we realize that, ultimately, we are not the ones responsible for everything. God is, and He loves us deeply. This doesn’t mean that our problems disappear or that life becomes easy. Instead, it means that we trust in God’s presence and provision through every trial, even in the midst of anxiety.
How to Surrender and Cultivate Peace of Mind
- Relinquish the Need for Control: A major source of anxiety is the desire to control outcomes. Surrendering to Divine Providence means recognizing that we do not have to be in control all the time. God is in charge, and He will provide, even when things don’t go according to our plans. This helps reduce the fear of the unknown.
- Embrace the Present Moment: Abandonment to Divine Providence calls us to live in the present, accepting each moment as a gift from God. We don’t have to worry about what will happen tomorrow because God is with us today. This focus on the present moment helps us let go of anxiety about the future.
- Grow in Trust: Surrender is a process of growing in trust of God’s goodness. The more we trust in His providence, the more we realize that He will never abandon us. This deep trust becomes a spiritual refuge that protects us from overwhelming anxiety.
- Prayer and Reflection: Prayer, meditation, and reflection on the many ways God has provided for us in the past keeps us oriented to His love and His continual presence in our lives.
Surrendering to God’s will is not easy, especially in a world that constantly encourages self-reliance and control. However, this way of being offers a powerful antidote to the anxiety that so often grips our hearts. When we let go of the need to control every outcome and trust in God’s loving guidance, we find peace. The more we surrender our lives into God’s hands, the more we begin to experience the peace that only He can give—a peace that surpasses all understanding, that guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In this trust, we discover that we are never alone, and no matter the challenges ahead, we are securely held in His love.