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We’re getting closer to finishing our sermon series, “Pressure,” which talks about how we, as people of faith, might deal with the stress that life throws at us. We’ve talked about how pressure can be a gift in the hands of God, but that we have to feel pressure before we can receive its gifts. We talked about how to approach pressure with patience, asking ourselves if we’re seeing the whole story, if we’re taking time to breathe, and if we’re taking care of ourselves when pressure hits. Then, we looked at how worldly perfection requires us to conform to certain standards in order to blend in with the rest of the world. Biblical perfection, on the other hand, invites us to be changed by allowing our minds to be renewed by the Holy Spirit. However, we don’t want to overlook the fact that sometimes, pressure can get to be too much. The good news for us is that God gives us tools to deal with stress when it gets overwhelming. Among those tools are two that I want to spend the next few minutes discussing: counseling and community.
Counseling. I think that’s a word that sometimes scares people. Doesn’t seeing a counselor mean that you’re crazy? That something’s horribly wrong with you? That you’re broken? Let’s consider this: do those thoughts sound like they’re from God? Doesn’t it seem like Satan, the enemy of our souls, might want to keep us away from things that might lead us toward healing and wholeness? Simply put, insecurities and worries about seeking counseling are not from the Lord. As we’ll talk about in our next sermon series, “Camouflage,” we have an adversary who would very much prefer that we continue to trudge alone through whatever pressure we face.
But that’s not what God wants for us.
Seeking professional help is a good thing, especially when we’re dealing with difficult situations or emotions. If something isn’t right with my soul or mind, and if I feel like it’s an issue I can’t fix on my own, it’s going to be to my benefit to seek out counseling or community in order to better pursue healing for myself. I see no reason to think that God cannot use counseling or Christianity community to bring us into deeper healing and wholeness, so it’s absolutely a good thing to seek out help when we need it.
Here’s another question: when might we consider seeking counseling? Every now and then, at least, we all experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. That doesn’t mean that we have depression or anxiety, though. But, when those symptoms start to interfere with our daily lives, or when we’ve encountered a situation like the death of a loved one, a change in our jobs or families, or some other event that drains our emotions and energy, those are good times to seek out a counselor.
God also gives us the gift of community to navigate difficulties in our lives. For about four years, I was part of a small discipleship group that met on a weekly basis. We called this group a “band meeting,” like the ones from the early Methodist movement (no instruments or singing involved). It wasn’t a group where anyone’s job was to solve the other group members’ problems, but it was a group where our job was to pray for one another, listen to the Holy Spirit, and love and encourage one another. I think, often, those things are enough to help us navigate difficult seasons of life.
If you’re in need of a group like that, our Amarillo campus offers several class meetings (fear not: just like band meetings don’t involve instruments or singing, class meetings don’t involve lectures or studying). Class meetings also come from Methodism’s early days and focused more on how participants were living their lives. They, like band meetings, also offer encouragement, accountability, and prayer.
To close, I want to leave you with one question to answer prayerfully: how are you? Depending on your answer to that question, you may consider taking steps toward seeking professional help or deeper, Christ-centered community. If you need help finding a counselor or a small group to join, please email me, or call the church office at (806) 655-2851. We’re here for you.
