Deep Waters, Strong Faith: Overcoming Anxiety Together

The podcast explores the message of resilience, faith, and hope in Isaiah 43:2. Anxiety and depression have been high during COVID. The speaker shares their personal experience of anxiety during the pandemic and how they found peace through prayer and finding a supportive community. They emphasize the need to let go of control and trust in God's plan. They also discuss the importance of seeking help and using tools like meditation to renew the mind and spirit. They share a Bible verse from Psalm 56:3 about putting trust in God when afraid. Welcome to Through Deep Waters, the podcast delving into Isaiah 43.2. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up. The flames will not consume you. Join us as we explore the profound message of resilience, faith, and hope found in the depths of Isaiah's words. Discover how we can navigate life's challenges emerging stronger and unwavering through the deep waters. So, listener, pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew, sink into a comfy chair, and tune in as we begin the journey together. Today, we're delving into a topic that resonates with so many of us. Anxiety. In the deep waters of life, anxiety can feel like a heavy anchor weighing us down. But as Christians, we're called to rise above it, to navigate through these waters with confidence in the promises of God. I don't know about you, but I find it so hard, Monique, especially since COVID. Anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, and I'm feeling it big time. Monique, how have you seen this manifest in your life? Well, hello, Martha. So, I do remember a time, and as you mentioned, during COVID was one of the worst times, not only for adults, but also for college students. I have college students of my own, I have elementary students that really had to face the consequences of going to online learning and being, you know, kept away from their friends and just being scared about all those things. So, you know, my story that I'm going to bring to light here is about a time that happened during COVID. And, you know, I was facing a major decision in my life, and the weight of uncertainty and fear just gripped me tightly. I really, I found myself unable to sleep. My physical and my mental health were both suffering. And I was constantly worrying about the future, you know, not only because of this pandemic that we have going on, but because of, you know, choices that I was having to face about my career, the place that I was working for. Previously, before COVID, I had been traveling a lot for, you know, about two weeks out of every month I would be out of state, and all of that changed and shifted. I was starting to find cracks in the masks of the people that I was working for. And, you know, it was very, it was a really scary time for me. And my blood pressure was out of control. It was just really very hard. And, you know, but what I found through it all was by praying. During this time was when I found my home church now where I am, thanks to you helping find a community at Cedar Creek. And, you know, I did some church interviewing online during COVID. And, you know, being able to be surrounded by other believers and just surrendering my fears to God, I was able to experience his peace in a way that I had never been able to experience before. I knew without a doubt that he was guiding my steps. He was guiding my words. He was guiding my action. And this journey, Martha, was challenging. And I know 100% that I emerged stronger. I'm more resilient today than what I was before. But I've also found that I am a whole lot more reliant on his strength and not my own. It really proved to me that I can't do this on my own. I need people around me that are also Christ believers. I need God's word to guide me. And now I want to use that experience to help others who face similar struggles because some people are still stuck in that. And I can offer them hope and encouragement. You know, the tool that I found in this time was being able to stand strong in my conviction, staying true to my identity, staying true to my virtues. And I think that this can help others as they're navigating their own journeys, Martha. Yeah, absolutely. I remember all of this. And I remember the long talks that we had. Oh, many long talks. Yes, as you journeyed through this experience. You talked about a tool that helped you. How did you find these tools? Or how did you reengage them if they were a past tool that you had utilized before? So I think the main thing, Martha, was to being open to the fact that I am not in control, right? Because I am a recovering, as we've both said, we're recovery control freaks. Yes. I am not in control of this journey. I am an active participant. I believe 100% that I can have control over how I choose to show up and how I choose to behave in a situation. But I don't have the control of how that outcome is supposed to happen. Like there is only one person, and that is our Heavenly Father, who has ultimate control over this, right? That's what I was going to say. There's only one person that knows the plan and the outcome. That's right. And all I can do is say to him, Father, I have my hands open. And whatever it is, whatever your will is, do it, right? And there have been times when I say that where sometimes I get an instant answer, right? Like, okay, this is what you need to do. But sometimes that answer takes a lot longer than I am patient enough to wait on, right? And I will sometimes try to come up with my own solutions or my own way to solve it. And then I know, okay, I messed that up. I should have waited. I should have figured out, like, what does God need me to do in this situation? Yeah. I think that that's been the biggest thing is letting go of that control that both you and I are very familiar with. Yeah. And I think it's easier said than done often because we like controlling things. We like, you know, because that's how we've survived our lives. Until we get to this point, we're like, wait a second. Isn't it really us controlling it? No. We thought we did. But really, in all hindsight, the only thing we can control is our square footage. And let's be honest, half the time we can't control that, right? You're right. No. No. And, you know, sometimes I think the great thing about your story is it wasn't just your journey. You know, we had lots of conversations, and many times it comes to who do we allow into those secret spaces? And who are the people that we can connect with that are positive, that are full of faith? And they're going to point you to Jesus because I think there are great opportunities for us to do that. But sometimes we, as women especially, we hide behind ourselves. And we don't allow others to see those broken parts or those sore parts, you know? Yeah. Yeah. You know, we're supposed to be strong. And we're supposed to be the caretakers. And we're supposed to have it all together. And, you know, in our deepest places, we know that we don't have it all together. And the more that we realize that the people that are around us, like we need them to speak into us. And for us to be able to speak into them is that you don't have to have it all together. God is the one who holds the plan. And we are here to work it. And guess what? We're here to work it together, not alone. Yes, absolutely. And it reminds me of a time that I actually faced a lot of immense anxiety. There have been several times throughout my life that I have had to evaluate my community and the people that I surround myself with. And it reminds me of a romantic relationship that I had. And I thought that it was a God-given relationship. But then I started having anxiety, depression, after observing the things that were happening in his life and how he was treating me. And, you know, we had tons of conversations about that. What's happening? Okay, is this normal? You know, all of these things. But until I was able to take a step back, look at the situation in totality with life counsel, like yourself. Thank you. I wasn't able to see it. Through prayer and petition, God opened my eyes. You offered practical wisdom. I reengaged a tool. We always love our tools. I reengaged this tool that has helped me throughout my life, given by my counselor. I always say we always need a counselor and a coach because we deal with stuff all the time. And my counselor gave me this app. It's called the One Minute App. It looks like a pause sign. If you look it up, it's a white block with a black pause sign. And they have this meditation that it takes you through 30 days to resilience. And I know you've tried it, Monique, and I have offered it to other friends as well. But it has truly helped me in the buzziness of my anxiety to slow my mind, slow my heart, and slow my spirit. And really reengage the Holy Spirit. A lot of people don't like the idea of meditation. But the Bible talks about meditation. God, Jesus, meditated when he was here on Earth. Meditation, renewing your mind, renewing your spirit, renewing your body. That's what God calls us to do as Christians. And if we're constantly anxious or depressed, we're not allowing the Holy Spirit to go into all of those crevices and cracks to renew us. And like you, we are the total control freak. I am. Recovering. But I really lost sight of all of that through this experience. And I am so grateful, though, for the experience because I don't think I would have come to the place that I am now to where God has delivered me completely from the anxiety and depression that I have dealt with all of my life. And it was only when I could relinquish it and say, God, no more. Letting it go. And we know that's easier said than done. But truly, that is all that you need to do. That is it, Martha. And, you know, bringing in a little bit of our Bible, you know, I want our listeners to and us also to just take a moment to go to the book of Psalms. Psalm 56, verse 3. And here it is. This is the verse. And I'm going to pause after I say it because I want you to really soak it in. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. You know, I'm going to bring it up to I'm going to I'm going to take it back to biblical time and who wrote this and why he wrote it, because I think that his story will resonate with you and me. It will resonate with our listeners. So this verse is actually a very poignant expression of trust amidst fear. So it was written by King David. We all know who King David is. The good, the bad and the great and the ugly and the not so great. He's a renowned author of many of the Psalms that we all connect with today. King David, as we know, he was a shepherd boy who turned into a warrior who famously defeated the giant Goliath. He also faced persecution from King Saul because King Saul was very jealous of the attention that he had been given. And King David was chosen by God, just a mere little shepherd boy to defeat this king or to beat this giant. And despite his own sins, which we know King David has his own sins, a couple of them being adultery with Bathsheba, arranging literally arranging for the death of her husband, Uriah, he earned the unique accolade from God as a man after his own heart, a man after God's own heart. For us, that may be difficult to understand because this is a man who struggled. This is a man who was sinful. This is a man who faced persecution, who did some things that some of us would look at and say, God, why would you say that he is a man after your own heart? Because we have all stumbled. We have all failed. We have all fallen short. And it just reflects on God's profound grace and forgiveness towards people who actually seek him earnestly. King David has his faults, no doubt. But he always put his faith back into God. Always put his faith back into his heavenly father. He would sin and he would go to him and say, I have done this and I need your help. So instead of hiding in his sin, he would go to God and say, I need your help. So we're going to go back a little bit. This was composed, this psalm was composed during a very stressful time in David's life. And David had a lot of stress in his life. So the heading of Psalm 56 will provide us with some of that context. So it indicates that it was written when King David was seized by the Philistines in Gath. So Martha, can you tell us a little bit about that? Yeah, absolutely. And it is amazing because King David was just like you and I, sinful. He did things, but probably like you said, even worse. We would be like, wow, why did he choose this man? But God loved David and David loved God. And it was so amazing. And King David's encounter with the Philistines in Gath, it's actually recorded in 1 Samuel 21. It occurred during a period when David was fleeing from King Saul, who was, as you mentioned, jealous. And intended to kill him due to David's rising popularity and God's favor upon him. King Saul was just distraught and thought that if he could destroy King David, then he would be the one that God would seek favor with. So in this specific incident, David sought refuge among the Philistines to be able to try to escape Saul's relentless pursuit to destroy him and to have him removed, to have people stop praising him so that he would not have God's honor. However, when the servants saw him, the servants of the King of Gath, they recognized David as this renowned warrior who had slain Goliath, their giant. And they became very suspicious of his intentions. Like, wait a minute, David, you were here and you slayed one of our giants. What are you doing here now? So David realized the danger of his situation. Even though he had fled from Saul, who was trying to have him killed, he realized that now I'm in this new community and they don't like me either. They don't like me because I had destroyed Goliath. So he feigned madness. He behaved erratically. He scratched marks on the doors of the gates and he started drooling on his beard. So much so that the king just kind of, I know, right? He was convinced, the king was convinced that he could just dismiss him as a harmless madman, which then enabled David to escape unharmed. Yeah, it's hard to keep awake. I know. Bob, if you read the Bible, well, please read the Bible because this would be a great story for you to read. I know. And people just think, oh, it's all these laws and rules, but there are great stories of perseverance and people doing crazy things. I don't mean to interrupt you, Barba, but this shows that when we talk about people having anxiety and depression and anxious thoughts about the situations that they're dealing with, King David literally looked like a madman. Yeah. Because of the situation he was in. Yeah, and it made me also think about the reverse, too, is when we have situations that we're sitting in and all these things are happening around us that are not good, it can make us act like a mad person. Yes. Our true authentic self is no longer there. All these red flags are popping up for us, but we're ignoring them. And the consequence is being, acting out, being irrational, things like that. And it's just wild. But I think this is the perfect example. I think you're right. And while the exact reason, let's get back to our story, while the exact reason for David's capture, because I think we could just talk on and on about different reasons, captured by the Philistines in Gath is not really stated in the Bible in this story. The reason is not actually mentioned. It likely occurred during one of David's attempts to find sanctuary from Saul's relentless pursuit. So it seems and appears like Saul chasing David, he was just going from city to city trying to find that refuge. And David's interactions with the Philistines during this time in Gath, the underscore of the complexities of his journey as a fugitive and warrior king, this highlights the reliance of God's protection and providence amidst adversity. You know, whenever we go through those journeys and we have things that we deal with, if we don't stay reliant on God, we allow those situations to make the best of us. Absolutely, Martha. You know, David's life was like our own, you know, marked by numerous trials and challenges. He was being persecuted from his enemies. And in this instance, he found himself in the hands of the Philistines, which was a hostile foreign nation. And despite the fear and the uncertainty that he faced, David chose to turn to God in trust. David chose to turn to God in trust. When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. The verse encapsulates David's unwavering faith in God's ability, not our ability, you heard that right, it's God's ability to deliver him from danger and provide refuge in times of trouble. You know, this verse serves as a timeless reminder for believers to anchor their trust in God, especially during those moments of fear and uncertainty. It reflects the universal human experience of grappling with fear, while also demonstrating the profound comfort and security found in entrusting one's life to the Lord. You know, when we talked a little bit about my situation earlier, when I was found with this, that's exactly it. It's when I chose to find comfort and security and just giving it to God, relinquishing the control. And through David's example, we're encouraged to place our confidence in God's faithfulness to us. He created us for a purpose. And he is going to be faithful to fulfilling that purpose, knowing that he's our refuge and he's our strength in every situation and circumstance that we find ourselves in. Yeah, that's such a powerful reminder, Monique. It tells us that instead of allowing anxiety to consume us, we bring our concerns to God in prayer. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. That just gives me chills. But what I really think is it's also important to recognize that overcoming anxiety isn't always easy. It's a journey and we're not meant to walk it alone. I have to be honest, when I actually dealt with this all of my life, it wasn't until this last year that I allowed a small group of people, you being one of them, into my anxiety and what I was truly experiencing that helped me move through that. Absolutely, Martha. You know, the concept, you know, a lot of people just think of it as a concept, but we have put this into reality of having a community of Christians that are deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament. It's so important. In the book of Acts, for example, we see early Christians coming together in fellowship. And not just in fellowship, they're sharing their possessions. They're sharing the things that they have been given because they know that it was given to them by God. They share those things. They support one another spiritually and practically. You know, they come together as one unit. It's amazing. And so I feel like this has really brought us around to the fact of knowing that we need that Christian community around us. Absolutely. As Christians, we are not called to live in isolation, but to be part of a larger body of believers. I've seen this so many times in the people around me coming from a small farming community. They tend to isolate themselves. But a family united by our faith in Christ, this community can provide a place where you can find support, encouragement, and accountability as we navigate the ups and downs in life, even if it's hard. And that's the big thing is you can lean into these communities. In those times of struggle, having fellow believers to lean on can make all the difference and point you back to Jesus. And, you know, I'm so glad that you brought in the fact that we can have this community that not only provides us a place for support and encouragement, but also for accountability. I need people around me who are going to tell me when I'm stepping outside of what I know or what they know to be true about my journey for my Christian faith. Having those people who you can check in with and say, hey, you know what? You know, this situation happened and this is how I reacted. What do you think? Right? And having people who can honestly speak into you and say, I think you were absolutely justified in what you said. Or to have people say, oh, no, Monique, I think you went a little off the deep end. Maybe you should have said this. Or maybe you should have done this. Right? It's so important to have those people around you. And, you know, and one aspect of this community is being able to share one another's burden. And as a human, it's difficult for us to share our burdens with others. For some reason, we always think we have to have it all together. We always have to make ourselves Instagram or Facebook perfect. Right? Which none of us are. Right? But in Galatians, chapter 6, verse 2, it encourages us to bear one another's burdens because that and so that fulfills the law of Christ. Yeah. We share our struggles with others. We allow them to come alongside of us. Right? Not to say, oh, boo hoo you. Right? But sometimes to offer us comfort, to offer us prayer and practical advice and assistance. Right? When you have those fellow believers who are just deeply rooted in their belief in Christ and their love from God, they can give you wise counsel. And, you know, it's important for us to see a brother or a sister in Christ who are facing difficulties. And when we can step in and we can offer our support. Yes, absolutely. And additionally, being part of a Christian community provides opportunities for growth and spiritual development. It's such a fad to have self-help and self-development. But we don't really talk about that growth and spiritual development that we truly need. We're not just physical beings. We're spiritual beings. And if we don't develop that, then we're missing out on something so important. Proverbs 27, 17 says it so nicely. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Like you mentioned, seeking out wise counsel. This isn't just going and talking to everyone and anyone about all of your concerns. It's truly seeking someone out and having a community surrounding you that is wise. Wise with their faith. Wise with who they tend to speak to and surround themselves with. Because through interactions with fellow believers, whether they're small groups, mentorships, or simply spending time in fellowship, we can learn from one another and gain new perspectives and grow our faith ultimately. Absolutely, Martha. And the Christian community, it serves as a witness to the world. So Jesus himself said, And that's from John, chapter 13, verse 35. Our ups and our downs, people who are there for us to dry our tears, when we're there for others, when we're there to cheer for them when they're at their highest high, or to pick them up when they're at their lowest. That's when people will look at us and say, wow, this is a powerful testimony as to the transformative power of having a belief in Christ and in Christ's love for us. People may be able to deny that. Right. And sometimes they may not say it outright, that's Christ's love. That's right. They're going to know something's different. Yes. Yeah, they will. Yeah, definitely. And let's not forget about spiritual gifts. We've talked about that quite a few times. God has equipped us each with spiritual gifts. These gifts aren't just for personal edification. They're meant to be used for building up the body of Christ. So when we're feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, we can lean on these gifts and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us and in us. I always say if you're having anxiety, if you're having depression, or if you're feeling burnt out, you're not honoring your true authentic self and you've lost your way. So we need to engage the spiritual gifts, engage how God truly wired you so that you can move forward with confidence. Absolutely, Martha. Whether it's the gift of encouragement, which we all hope that this is bringing encouragement to those people who are listening, the gift of discernment, which you and I are both very high in. Yes. Each of these gifts play a very vital role in helping us to navigate those life's challenges. And as we rely on the presence of the Spirit in our lives, we have to be open to that presence. We have to be open to the fact that the Spirit is working through us and in us with these gifts. It helps us to navigate. And we're relying on that presence. We can have confidence. So when I show up as my true authentic self, which you mentioned earlier and you and I like to say a lot. We are able to show up as our true authentic self with confidence, knowing that we have been equipped with all that we need to be able to succeed through these gifts of the Spirit. That is so true. And as we wrap up today's episode, we want to leave you with a few practical techniques for overcoming anxiety. Absolutely. So you know how we like our tools and our techniques and our strategies. First of all, first listeners, please spend time in prayer. That could be one minute, as Martha mentioned, the pause app. It could be a minute. It could be five minutes. Prayer and meditation on God's Word and just allowing him to fill you up with peace in your heart and peace in your mind. It can just be as simple as, Father, I am afraid and I'm putting my trust in you. That could be your simple prayer. Prayers don't have to be long and it can just be in that moment. You could be in a moment of fear and you could say, you know what, I'm afraid right now. And I am putting all my trust in you because I know that you've already worked this all out for my good. In our podcast, we're going to include a list of Bible verses that you will be able to use when you're praying. Because sometimes it is hard for people to find the words and we understand that. So we're going to include that for you. Yeah. And do remember that prayer doesn't have to be this, oh, Holy Father, blah, blah, blah. It's just like you and I are talking. Yeah. Hey, God, I really have no idea what I'm doing right now. And that's okay. Like, and that is okay. If you could answer it for me. I know. I know. We want to help everyone else know that too. Yes. Yes. Yes. And secondly, surround yourself with supportive Christian communities who can pray for you and encourage you along the way. You can also encourage those people around you with your journey, sharing what you've been through and offering prayer for them. And finally, remember to lean on the spiritual gifts that God has given you. He has gifted each of us with spiritual gifts. We have them. Trusting that he will work through you to bring about his purpose, his purpose for our lives. There's many tools that you can use for free to be able to discover your spiritual gifts. If you just Google spiritual gifts free test, you can do that. You can also get connected at your church. I know at our church we have a great program called Growth Track, and we take a test that helps us to discover our spiritual gifts and see what kind of resources that your church has. These gifts can help you in everyday life, not just in church, right? They help you when you're interacting with your family, with your friends. They help you with your interactions at work. It shows you how God has wired you to show up as your true authentic self. Are you an administrator? Are you a leader? Are you someone who can bring the prophetic word of God through your acts and your deeds? They're not just skills for you to use at church, right, when you're volunteering. They're guiding forces for all of your interactions. So I just want to say thank you to all of our listeners for joining us today on Through Deep Waters with Monique and Martha. And just remember that in the deep waters of life, we're all called to have unwavering confidence, knowing that we have been equipped with all that we need to succeed. So until the next time, may God's peace be with each and every one of you. As we conclude our journey today, listeners of Through Deep Waters, let us hold on to the powerful message that was inspired by Isaiah 43-2. I'm Monique and this is Martha. And we are your hosts as we go through deep waters together. Remember, adventurers, that amidst life's trials and uncertainties, we can trust that God has a plan and purpose for our future. In the deep waters, we are called to have unwavering confidence, knowing that we have been equipped with all we need to succeed.