How Are You Feeling?

Topic: Anxiety & Depression

Big Idea: Hope for tomorrow comes when we trust Jesus for today

ME

Have you ever noticed that when someone talks about anxiety you start to feel a little anxious inside?

Your chest might start feeling tight, stomach upset, clenching fists, shortened breath…

Sometime it’s hard to even focus on what they’re saying because you so identify with the idea of “anxiety”.

Well, today we are going to be talking not only about anxiety but depression too so buckle up!

It’s the great duo!

Anxiety: is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome (Apple Dictionary)

Depression: is a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep (Apple Dictionary)

Whether you realize it or not – 2020 impacted all of us and not just in a physical way but in an emotional way. There are many good lessons we learned in 2020 but I believe there are emotionally unhealthy responses that we picked up along the way. I don’t know about you, but I definitely experienced both anxiety & depression in 2020:

Early in 2020 I felt anxious about a new job and then it compounded with the unpredictable terrain of leading a church that wasn’t meeting in person

Anxious about having a baby in the middle of covid season

Depressed by the thought that 2020 was going to be a really forward looking, exciting year

Depressed that some people left our church and some people unplugged from church all together

Depressed that my hometown Kenosha was on fire during protests and that there was so much pain being experienced there

I’m just being real. These are just of a few of things that I experienced.

And I know that we all experienced things…

WE

Anxiety

Your kids being home and not at school (you are now a teacher, mom, employee, oh and responsible for everything else)

Your parents (parents got very ill from Covid)

Your friends (division between you and them due to political differences)

The church you once knew has changed a lot (lots of people you don’t know, you feel like an outsider rather than an insider now)

Depression

Isolation (couldn’t leave the house, couldn’t go to your favorite restaurant which I assume is Buffalo Wild Wings because it’s simply the best)

Death (fear of dying or losing someone you love)

Heart ache (broken/fractured family relationships)

I could go on but this would probably only contribute to your feelings of anxiety and depression…But here’s what I want you to know…God meets us where we are and we don’t have to carry all of these things in our own strength and power.

Quick word of caution:

I am not a doctor, I am a pastor. And I believe that God can heal absolutely anything but I also believe He uses doctors as instruments of healing. For severe depression and severe anxiety, I would strongly suggest talking to a medical professional who is trained in that specialty.

GOD

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

“28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Notice what Jesus didn’t say? Come to me, all you who are perfect and light-hearted, and then I will give you rest…

Jesus wasn’t calling the perfect, the “have it all togethers” – He was calling people who were carrying “stuff” – heavy burdens

But this verse begs the question, what burden were the people he was speaking to carrying?

Religious legalism and unattainable expectations

The religious leaders of the day made impossible rules for the Jewish people to follow – imagine having to jump rope but barefoot, in the rain, using only one foot, blindfold, oh and without a rope…Impossible.

The burden of legalism is was far too much to carry

SUITCASE ILLUSTRATION (Have you ever gone on a vacation alone? Maybe when you were in college you traveled solo? Bring one small backpack out. What about with kids? Bring super heavy suitcases onto stage in dramatic fashion. With each new kid we have, going on trips becomes much more – challenging. It reminds me of Home Alone. Prior to having kids, I thought the parents in the movie were guilty of child neglect for leaving their child at home but after having kids and realizing all the checklists you have to check off, bags you have to pack, toys you have to pick up, so you don’t keep stepping on them – I now watch it with absolutely NO JUDGEMENT! But this idea of carrying these heavy suitcases around. This is what many of us are carrying constantly. And it’s exhausting.

For you maybe it’s anxiety – you are worried about tomorrow, worried about your future, nervous about what people think about you, scared that you aren’t good enough or worthy enough

For you maybe it’s depression – you are carrying heaviness. A burden of guilt and shame.

Matthew 11:29-30 NLT

“29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yokeis easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

What word shows up twice? YOKE

What’s a yoke? Yokes were heavy, wooden crossbars used to connect two oxen together for more efficient plowing. Here, Jesus’ yoke represents His teaching. Allegiance to Him and His kingdom results in a sense of peace—it is not laborious, like keeping the requirements of the Jewish leaders of the time, but instead is joyful. (Faithlife Study Bible)

What is Jesus’ yoke? Peace

The yoke that the Jews were carrying was impossible to bear and the burden was crushingly heavy

Our anxiety and depression can feel the same way

We need Jesus’ power to overwhelm our overwhelm

Big Idea: God cares more about us than we do

Psalm 34:17

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.

If the Lord didn’t care – He wouldn’t listen to the cries of his people

If the Lord didn’t care – He would rescue them from their troubles

Isaiah 41:10

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

If the Lord didn’t care – He wouldn’t encourage us and assure us that He is with us

He wouldn’t give us strength when we are weak

He wouldn’t hold us up with his victorious right hand!

God cares more about your feelings than you do and He wants to provide you with His perfect peace

You are created by God to be in relationship with God.

He doesn’t heap a heavy load onto you. He provides perfect peace.

When we bring our suitcases of fear, anxiety, depression to God – he offers us peace.

What would it look like for you to bring all of your worries, cares, concerns to God and invite His peace into your life?

Maybe you’ve battled anxiety and depression your entire life – what would it look like to talk to a Christian counselor and receive Godly wisdom and encouragement?

YOU

One step towards taking on Jesus’ yoke.

1.) Take time this week to list all of the things that are making you anxious / depressed

2.) Offer those feelings/emotions to God and ask Him to provide you with His peace

3.) Begin to write down scriptures that speak of the life we have in Jesus

WE