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The King Who Overcame Anxiety!

There are many types of anxiety. This post will be tackling the topic of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Basically, GAD is a disorder that causes people to worry abnormally and frequently throughout their life.

Now, what does the Bible say about anxiety in general?

Matthew 6:27-30 World English Bible (WEB)
27 “Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? 28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, 29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

The general topic of this bible verse is anxiety. This is when Jesus tells the people that you should not worry about anything because God is in control.

He says that He will provide. If you are worried about anything, just lay it down at the feet of Jesus. Doesn’t Jesus say in verse 30, that if He put so much effort into the design of flowers, then how much more, will He care for you!

No Longer in Bondage

Romans 8:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

Paul, influenced by the Holy Spirit, wrote this passage straight from Heaven so that you can truly understand the solution to General Anxiety Disorder. He says we have not received the spirit of bondage to fear. But, what is bondage to fear?

Bondage to fear is when someone is always scared of what’s happening next or what has already happened. It can be seen as constant anxiety, which perfectly matches GAD’s description. So, God tells us through this passage, that if you accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, He will put in you, His Spirit of adoption.

It means that as soon as you believe in Him, He considers you His own child. When you were young, your parents would tell you not to be worried. They would always take care of everything to the best of their ability. I mean, I’ve never seen a child worry about paying the bills or providing food on the table in a functional family.

In the same way, Holy Spirit tells you in this scripture that you have not received a spirit of bondage to fear, but the Spirit of adoption from God, meaning that He see you through the lens of love, as His dear, beloved child, just rely on Him.

God’s Primary Calling to You

Therefore, God calls you to believe in Him and to place your trust in Jesus Christ because He loves you; He wants to do something great in your life, He wants you to be set free from all anxiety as He calls the whole world to Him!

John 3:16 World English Bible (WEB)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Moreover, Jesus leaves you with His peace which is not dependant on your situation but on your relationship with Jesus.

John 14:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

Before Jesus’ crucifixion, He made a promise that He would give us peace. So, accept His promise, He put His Spirit in you and there is nothing that should worry you if the Almighty God is on your side.

You may be saying, “But, Andre, Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a mental illness, it is beyond my control!”

Yet, my response remains the same because it’s supported by scripture, Jesus made that promise of peace for everyone; it is not supposed to be under your control, you just need to surrender it to Jesus. He did not say that His promise of peace is reserved only for healthy Christians, His promise is for everyone and anyone so as long as you decide to trust Him.

Philippians 4:7 World English Bible (WEB)
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

His peace transcends human comprehension; if you suffer from GAD, just ask God for that peace which He promised, GAD should have no place in your life.

You do not need to be anxious about the future, your situation or anything for that matter, but you should remind yourself that Jesus promised you peace. There may be challenges here and there but Jesus will turn your challenges into testimonies.

Therefore, accept His love and enjoy His perfect, wonderful peace.

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Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, it is totally not what God wants for you.

Suicide is something people seek as a way out of their situation, but it never is the solution and Jesus never brought an exit route, He brought a solution!

The Prophet (Elijah) Who Did Not Want to Live

Now, do you know what the prophet who called down fire from the Heavens thought to himself?

1 Kings 19:4 New Century Version (NCV)
4 Then Elijah walked for a whole day into the desert. He sat down under a bush and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “Let me die. I am no better than my ancestors.”

He was experiencing suicidal thoughts! Elijah, the great prophet of the Old Testament in the Bible came to such a low point in life that he wished he was dead.

Suicidal thoughts are founded by hopelessness, but Jesus is our hope, He provides the way, He knows everyone’s weaknesses, including your weakness, but He will bring out a solution, a way to success even in your moments of hopelessness!

The context of this passage was when Elijah had just exercised such faith for fire to come from the sky and burn up a sacrifice to prove that Yahweh is the true God of Israel to the pagan people of that time.

But, now, Israel’s King’s wife, Jezebel, wanted Elijah dead, and even though Elijah knew that God was still there for him, Elijah was fed up of all the challenges he was facing.

There may be times where things seem drastically impossible for anything good to happen; but, our God is the God who said He is the truth, the life, and the way; He does not lie, He wants you alive! Now, look at what God does in response to Elijah’s prayer.

1 Kings 19:5 New Century Version (NCV)
5 Then he lay down under the tree and slept. Suddenly an angel came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. 6 Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over coals and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he went back to sleep.

God showed His concern for Elijah. Instead of answering Elijah’s silly prayer, He gave bread and water for Elijah to eat.

The God Who Cares For You

When Elijah wanted to die, God gave Him bread to eat and water to drink, this is symbolic of how Jesus provided us life though His broken body for us and how He gave us His life-giving blood.

Matthew 26:26-27 New Century Version (NCV)
26 While they were eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, “Take this bread and eat it; this is my body.”

27 Then Jesus took a cup and thanked God for it and gave it to the followers. He said, “Every one of you drink this.

Suicide is not God’s will; and, why cut short God’s plan for you? There is still so much God wants do with your life. Jesus did many great things with Elijah even though Elijah wanted to die, and this is the same for you, God cares for you. His heart is for your good. He even says that in His Word.

Jeremiah 29:11 New Century Version (NCV)
11 I say this because I know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.

No matter what situation you are in, Jesus paid a price for you to be set onto a good path even on Earth. He does not want anyone to end their life, He wants you to live in relationship with Him on this Earth, so remind those suicidal thoughts that Jesus loves you way too much for you to take your life.

Psalm 118:17 New Century Version (NCV)
17 I will not die, but live,
    and I will tell what the Lord has done.

If thoughts of suicide try to entertain your mind, declare that “Jesus died in my place, already, I am a new creation full of His life and I shall live to testify of His goodness!”

It turns out, the very prophet in the Bible who wanted to die, never actually died!

2 Kings 2:11 New Century Version (NCV)
11 As they were walking and talking, a chariot and horses of fire appeared and separated Elijah from Elisha. Then Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Later on, in Elijah’s life, God sent a chariot to pick up Elijah and take him to Heaven, he didn’t even need to die to see the splendour of Heaven.

God has a sense of humor, He chose the prophet who wanted to die as the prophet who would not die; so, for you, God will make your life a testimony, there is no need for suicide, obey Him and He will make your life a story for His glory!

The God Who Delivers You

God provides, He is concerned for you, He wants you to be blessed and to be prosperous! There may be challenges, but, He will provide the solution, suicide is a lie straight from hell, and it best be silenced; so, never give in to such thoughts, instead, declare how much Jesus paid for you because He loves you!

Scripture taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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What does the Bible say about depression?

Many people suffer from clinical depression. It is a mental disorder that latches onto one’s mood and tries to put one down for a consistently long time. It is not like any other sense of emotional sadness or sorrow.

Unlike other emotions of sorrow, depression lingers, it makes one sad for a long time, and tries to get one to be consistently sad so that they neglect all of the joys of life.

So, now that we know what depression is, does the Bible say anything about it?

First, what is associated with depression? Depression is often associated with constant thoughts of self worthlessness. A person struggling with depression usually believes or battles thoughts that their life is purposeless.

Romans 5:8 Good News Translation (GNT)
8 But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!

However, the Bible says while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us. That means whether you have accepted Jesus Christ or not, God loves you very much. Furthermore, you are worth the price He paid.

And because He loves us so much, He wants us to accept Him so He can hold a relationship with us!

To God, you hold a worth, and if that meant He paid a price where Jesus Christ died to save your soul, you must be worth very much to Him!

So, if you are suffering from depression and battling thoughts that tell you that you’re worthless, speak audibly to yourself so that your whole being understands that you are priceless! Just say to yourself…

“I am worth the price Jesus paid for me; He loves me very much!”

Now, depression is characterized by a constant gloomy mood.

 But, according to the Bible, if we know how much God loves us, we can be glad no matter what. Challenges and issues may come our way, but He will give us the peace of mind and the strength to overcome challenges.

John 14:27 New International Version (NIV)
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

And God showed mercy to us. What was God’s mercy? His mercy was when Jesus came to take away our sin so that He would endure the hell experience we deserved by living contrary to Him. So, when we know His mercy, His kindness, His tender love, we will by nature, rejoice and be glad all of our days!

Psalm 90:14 New King James Version (NKJV)
14 Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!

When we know that God loves us and His promise to us that we should have the mind of Christ, it is impossible for depression to linger, depression must leave.

So, in conclusion, if you struggle with depression, remind yourself that He loves you, remind yourself that He paid the price where His blood was shed and His body was broken so your mind can be healed.

If you realize how high He values you, then depression better stay away from you because the truth is that you are loved by God, you were chosen by Him, and you are healed by His endless grace.

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Where did mental illnesses come from according to the Bible? How is God justified from allowing such miseries to exist?

Now, where did depression even come from? Does the Bible mention anything about it? The Bible says that when God first made humans, they were perfectly healthy, both mentally and physically because they were created in God’s very own image and likeness.

Genesis 1:27 New King James Version (NKJV)
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

In God’s image, humanity was assured mental peace and emotional satisfaction! There wasn’t a tint of suffering that could haunt a soul! But, when God warned the first humans not to eat of a certain tree that offered both the knowledge of good and evil lest they invite death; Adam and Eve, the first humans disobeyed His instruction.

They obeyed a talking serpent’s temptation. Now, this serpent did not represent a literal snake which just so happened to have a magical ability to talk, but this strange figure represented an external evil that sought to harm God’s beloved children.

And the serpent made God to be a liar in front of Adam and Eve, he called God’s warning a lie. This being was not just a snake, he was primarily a liar.

Genesis 3:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.

So, when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, they no longer reflected God, but reflected the image of this lying serpent. They became like the one they obeyed. God could no longer recognize them! And when God first asked Adam what had happened, Adam’s response gave evidence to a corrupt nature.

Genesis 3:11-12 New King James Version (NKJV)
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

When God asked Adam if he disobeyed Him, instead of humbly saying sorry to God, Adam blamed Him for making Eve as she was the one who encouraged Adam to eat of the forbidden tree.

This means that through that act of disobedience, Adam invited imperfection to the human nature. His mistake corrupted the human nature and thus, it became now possible for even mental illnesses to latch onto Adam’s descendants.

Yet, at the end of it all, God covered their nakedness with the skins of an animal. Blood had to be shed for God to cover them. This pointed to how one day God will provide, by shedding the blood of an innocent being who would bring restoration to what we lost, that innocent being is Jesus Christ, the God who sacrificed Himself for you.

Genesis 3:21 English Standard Version (ESV)
21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

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What does the Bible say about dealing with mental illness and does it provide a solution?

Back in the days of when the Holy Spirit was working in people to write the Bible, there was no such thing as categorized mental illnesses. People barely knew anything of such matters. Yet, the Holy Spirit still dealt with such topics by offering transformation because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

In 1 Corinthians 2:16 (NKJV), Paul asks the Corinthians church, “Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” …

“But we have the mind of Christ.”

And that is what my blog is about! If we had the mind of Christ, the mind of Jesus, would depression have any room in our lives? Does the mind of God hold any vacant area for mental illness to rent a space in?

Of course not! God is perfect and He wants to share His mental peace with us. He wants us to be satisfied and at peace with our minds so we can live in joy because we’re His children! In fact, we should be confident of this as God wants your soul to prosper, and when our soul prospers, we can prosper in everything else!

3 John 1:2 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

We would call it absurd for a father or mother to wish that their children suffer emotionally or physically. Why then, would God want His children to suffer in any aspect whatsoever! That is the whole point of the cross.

Jesus suffered so that we not suffer! He was denied freedom so that we may inherit freedom.

2 Corinthians 5:21 New King James Version (NKJV)
21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

So, God is bigger than mental illness and if we have His mind, we can live victoriously.

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Isn’t Jesus just like any other religious historical figure? What does he have to do with mental health?

Jesus is unique from any other historical figure and here’s why.

His claims were totally different. He claimed to offer life, to offer healing, to bless people, to show what love looks like, and He fulfilled His words at the cost of His life. His actions pointed to His divinity and His words testified of truth.

Luke 4:18-19 Good News Translation (GNT)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed
19     and announce that the time has come
    when the Lord will save his people.”

Jesus never denied that people can suffer, mentally. But He always offered healing. He offered healing for people who were hurt, physically, and He offered healing for people who were hurt, emotionally.