SEEK 2026 conference attendance reached record numbers in Columbus, Ohio. Mike Iverson, Director of Discipleship for SPIRITUS Ministries, presented ten ways to manage anxiety about the future. Iverson argued that cultural pressures create anxiety by suggesting individuals are not enough, which pulls focus away from the present. One suggested method to combat anxiety is to 'Begin right where you are' and reject the 'if only' mindset regarding encountering God. Another tip is to 'Love the one you’re with' instead of longing for people who are absent, which leads to regret.
2 months ago
Mike Iverson, Director of Discipleship for SPIRITUS Ministries, delivered a talk titled “Feeling Anxious? 10 Ways to Live in the Present While Looking Forward to the Future” on day two of the SEEK 2026 conference in Columbus, Ohio.1 2
The ballroom reached maximum capacity, highlighting strong attendance at the event.1 2
Iverson described modern culture as promoting a "not enough" mindset, fueled by relativism and voices claiming people need more than God's creation to be fulfilled.1 2
This anxiety pulls individuals from the present into future anticipation or past regrets, preventing engagement with God's current placement.1 2
Iverson outlined practical steps rooted in faith to combat anxiety by embracing the present.
Reject the "if only" mindset; God is always present without needing special actions or items.1 2
Avoid longing for absent people, as it misses God's gifts in the moment, especially challenging for college students missing home.1 2
Cling to stable, established things; limit immersion in trends and virtual worlds to find God's peace.1 2
Identify where God is working and join Him, rather than staying distracted.1 2
Journal daily to discern between God's voice, internal thoughts, and the enemy's, clearing repetitive mental noise.1 2
Practice personal subsidiarity by using basic social and technological means, avoiding gadgets that remove human interaction.1 2
Avoid unnecessary spending and debt, like daily luxuries on credit, which create future anxiety through interest.1 2
Embrace poverty of spirit by depending on God, praising and serving Him, fostering freedom through gratitude.1 2
Prioritize relationship with Christ and the Trinity, the true source of happiness and anxiety relief.1 2
Reject society's lie that work measures worth; true value lies in being God's beloved.1 2
Examine how Catholic teachings address anxiety and present‑moment faith
Catholic tradition consistently teaches that anxiety, particularly excessive worry about the future, undermines faith and trust in God's providence, while "present-moment faith" calls believers to live fully in the now, attending diligently to daily duties with serene confidence in divine care. This approach roots in Scripture, is elaborated by saints and spiritual writers, and reinforced by the Magisterium, emphasizing that true peace arises from surrendering unregulated desires to God rather than fretting over tomorrow's uncertainties.
At the heart of Catholic teaching lies Jesus' exhortation in the Sermon on the Mount: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" (Mt 6:34). This command forbids fruitless anxiety about future events, interpreting "tomorrow" as uncertain time beyond our control, while permitting care for present needs. St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Catena Aurea, explains through patristic commentators that such worry—"a fault of men"—distracts from God's provision; the "evil" of each day refers not to moral sin but to life's toils, which suffice without added burdens from anticipation. Christ permits thought for the present but reserves the future to divine solicitude, as echoed in St. Peter's words: "Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you" (1 Pt 5:7).
This biblical wisdom portrays anxiety as a temptation that entangles the soul like a bird in a net, fluttering uselessly instead of resting calmly. Present-moment faith, then, manifests as steady judgment and will, pursuing necessities "quietly and easily... without eagerness, disquietude or anxiety," trusting that over-eagerness hinders rather than helps. St. Paul reinforces this in Hebrews 13:6, enabling confident declaration: "The Lord is my helper: I will not fear what man shall do to me," excluding avarice-fueled anxiety about future needs.
Saints like St. Francis de Sales and Thomas à Kempis diagnose anxiety as originating from self-love's "unregulated desire" to escape evil or grasp good, escalating from rightful concern to "excessive distress," the "greatest evil which can happen to the soul, sin only excepted." It disrupts like "internal commotions" in a commonwealth, weakening resistance to temptation as the devil "fishes in troubled waters." De Sales advises: when anxiety stirs, "commend yourself to God" and delay action until calm returns, sharing burdens with a spiritual guide for relief, akin to bleeding a fevered body. Examine the soul daily—"My soul is alway in my hand"—retrieving it from unruly emotions to God's will.
Thomas à Kempis echoes this in The Imitation of Christ, urging trust amid affliction: "What else doth anxiety about future contingencies bring thee, but sorrow upon sorrow? 'Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.'" Vain fears delude the weak-minded, drawn by the Enemy into love of present or dread of future; instead, "Let not therefore thy heart be troubled, neither let it fear. Trust in Me." A story illustrates: a man anxious about perseverance hears God's voice, "Do now what thou wouldst do then," committing to present fidelity.
St. Thomas Aquinas links this to contentment: "be not anxious (Matt 6:31)," as excessive solicitude for tomorrow roots in avarice, not forbidden for true needs but prejudicial when preoccupying the mind. Present-moment faith thus demands perseverance, patience, and awaiting God's timely comfort.
The Church's official teaching integrates these insights, inviting "filial trust in the providence of our heavenly Father" amid life's griefs. The Catechism cites Mt 6:26-34 and 1 Pt 5:7, affirming God cares for us despite trials that test faith, as "experiences of evil and suffering... can shake our faith." Popes apply this pastorally: Pius XII invokes "Cast all your anxiety upon Him," while Leo XIII and Pius XI lament societal dangers breeding anxiety yet exhort zeal rooted in unity. John Paul II frames modern poverty as "griefs and anxieties," calling for hope per Gaudium et Spes.
Pope Francis, in a 2019 homily, addresses contemporary overload—"confused and anxious" from competition—insisting Christ's "Do not be anxious about your life… about tomorrow" (Mt 6:25.31.34) reorients priorities: "Seek first the kingdom of God," evaluating decisions against eternal meaning without irresponsibility. Benedict XVI and recent Francis catecheses portray faith as a gift conquering fear, like disciples imploring, "Lord, increase our faith!" (Lk 17:5), amid trials proving its genuineness.
Even in affliction, faith anticipates eternity, drawing future hope into present stability: "Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come" (Heb 13:14), conquering immediacy with dialogue to the eternal God.
Catholic wisdom distinguishes care from anxiety: diligently attend business—"God... wills you to give them your best attention"—but "without eagerness or over-anxiety," lest excitement impair reason, as gentle rivers fertilize while torrents devastate. Bless God's providence intrinsically, cleaving to His goodness amid troubles, eyes "ever looking unto the Lord."
In trials, act from reason, not impulse; share with confessors for solace. This present-moment faith—supernatural virtue submitting intellect and will to God—fosters joy amid suffering, as faith's outcome is salvation (1 Pt 1:6-9).
In summary, Catholic teachings portray anxiety as a temptation fracturing trust, countered by present-moment faith: scriptural surrender of tomorrow, saints' calm diligence, and Magisterial call to providence. By casting cares on God, believers find peace, strength for today's evils, and hope for eternity.