"Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith but they are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ"

In this quote, C. S. Lewis deals with the common battle of individuals who experience anxiety and the propensity to see these feelings as an ethical stopping working or a spiritual shortcoming. He acknowledges that lots of people view their anxieties as a "defect of faith," recommending that they might feel insufficient in their spiritual life or relationship with God due to the fact that of these feelings. This viewpoint can enhance the psychological concern as it combines sensations of concern with regret over lacking faith.

Nevertheless, Lewis provides a reframing of this battle by defining stress and anxieties as "afflictions, not sins." By doing so, he distinguishes between moral failings, which are under one's control and subject to judgment, and conditions, which are conditions or experiences that happen to an individual and are not inherently sinful. This difference is essential in easing the regret related to anxiety due to the fact that it emphasizes that these sensations are not punishable offenses but rather challenges to be understood and managed.

Furthermore, Lewis introduces an effective doctrinal analysis by recommending that these conditions can be seen as "our share in the passion of Christ." In Christian faith, the passion of Christ describes the sufferings Jesus endured throughout his crucifixion. By linking personal battles to this central aspect of Christian belief, Lewis provides a perspective that sees suffering as a means of linking deeply with Jesus' experiences. This analysis may provide comfort and a sense of purpose for believers, framing stress and anxiety not as a divergence from faith, however as a chance for spiritual growth and involvement in the more comprehensive narrative of Christian redemption and suffering.

Overall, Lewis's quote requires a caring view of personal battles, encouraging individuals to see their stress and anxieties not as failures of faith but as part of the human experience, potentially causing a deeper understanding and connection with their spiritual beliefs.