Is God Mad at Me If I Feel Anxious or Depressed? | Dr. Vince Vitale

Summary

The speaker addresses the mental health crisis, acknowledging the pervasive feelings of anxiety and depression. They critique a commercial's shallow response to life's brevity, suggesting that Christianity offers a more profound understanding. It validates the chasm between current reality and the ideal, and Jesus as a counselor who empathizes with human suffering. The speaker emphasizes Jesus' identification with our pain, his scars as a testament to shared suffering, and the hope that our own scars may one day reflect his glory.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker commends the courage of openly discussing mental health issues like anxiety and depression, recognizing the current mental health crisis.
• 🎮 The speaker critiques a commercial's message that life is short and suggests using distractions like Xbox as a coping mechanism, instead advocating for a deeper understanding of life's purpose.
• 🔍 Christianity is presented as a worldview that acknowledges the gap between the current state of the world and the ideal, providing a framework for understanding feelings of anxiety and depression.
• 📖 C.S. Lewis is referenced to illustrate how people may settle for less than the best life has to offer because they can't imagine a better alternative.
• 🏡 The concept of 'exile' from the Bible is used to explain feelings of not belonging or separation anxiety, suggesting that Christians understand their true home is in heaven.
• 🤔 The speaker challenges the notion that anxiety is always irrational, arguing that sometimes fears are grounded in the harsh realities of life.
• 🙏 Jesus is described as the ultimate counselor who understands human suffering because he has experienced it, offering a source of comfort and hope.
• 🤲 The speaker recounts a story of a therapist being asked to touch a patient's scars as a sign of genuine care, highlighting the importance of empathy and connection in healing.
• ✝️ The incarnation of God is presented as an act of descending into human suffering, with Jesus' scars serving as a tangible symbol of his identification with human pain.
• 🌈 The speaker concludes with a message of hope that, through faith in Jesus, the scars of life can bear the glory of the one who was scarred for us.

Q & A

What is the speaker's view on the mental health crisis and the role of a worldview in addressing it?

The speaker believes that the country is in a mental health crisis and that a worldview must address the issues of anxiety and depression. They argue that Christianity offers a different perspective that acknowledges the gap between the current state of the world and how it should be, providing comfort and hope.

How does the speaker interpret the commercial with the baby growing old and dying?

The speaker finds the commercial's message 'Life is short, play more Xbox' both funny and devastating. They critique it for suggesting that distraction is the best response to life's hardships, rather than addressing the deeper issues.

What does the speaker say about Christianity's response to anxiety and depression?

The speaker asserts that Christianity acknowledges the feelings of anxiety and depression by recognizing the disparity between the current reality and the ideal state of the world. It provides a narrative that explains these feelings and offers hope through the promise of a better future.

How does the speaker relate the concept of 'exile' in Christianity to feelings of separation anxiety?

The speaker explains that Christianity teaches that believers are in exile, not truly at home on earth, which can explain feelings of separation anxiety. It also indicates a natural state of separation from God, which can be a source of anxiety.

What does the speaker suggest about the nature of fears in the context of cognitive behavioral therapy?

The speaker acknowledges that cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful in addressing irrational fears. However, they also argue that in a broken world, some fears are grounded in reality and are not overestimated but very real.

How does the speaker describe Jesus' role as a counselor in the context of mental health?

The speaker portrays Jesus as the ultimate counselor who has experienced human suffering and can empathize with those struggling with anxiety and depression. Jesus is presented as someone who understands the depth of human emotions and offers help.

What does the speaker say about the promise of a future without pain, mourning, or death in Christianity?

The speaker refers to the Christian belief in a future where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain for those who trust in Jesus. This promise provides hope and a different perspective on life's hardships.

How does the speaker interpret the act of touching scars in a therapeutic context?

The speaker sees the request to touch scars as a metaphor for being willing to engage with someone's pain and brokenness. They relate this to God's incarnation, where God descends to touch human scars and identifies with human suffering.

What does the speaker suggest about the significance of scars in a Christian perspective?

The speaker suggests that in Christianity, scars are not just reminders of pain but can bear the glory of the one who was scarred for us. They indicate a hope that one's scars will reflect the grace and sacrifice of Jesus.

How does the speaker use the story of Doubting Thomas to illustrate trust in Jesus?

The speaker uses the story of Doubting Thomas to show that Jesus invites trust by allowing Thomas to touch his scars, demonstrating that Jesus understands the need for tangible evidence and is willing to be trusted with our deepest doubts and fears.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Mental Health and the Christian Perspective

The speaker begins by commending the bravery of addressing mental health issues like anxiety and depression, acknowledging the current mental health crisis. They critique a commercial that trivializes life's brevity and the human condition by suggesting distraction as a solution. The speaker contrasts this with Christianity, which recognizes the gap between reality and the ideal state of existence. Christianity affirms the feelings of distress as valid due to this disconnection, referencing C.S. Lewis's analogy of preferring mud play over an imagined beach holiday. The speaker discusses how Christianity provides a framework to understand and cope with separation anxiety, as believers see themselves as exiles from their true home in heaven, which helps contextualize feelings of not belonging or being separated from God. The paragraph ends by suggesting that while cognitive behavioral therapy might address irrational fears, it falls short when it comes to the very real fears rooted in the brokenness of the world.

05:00

🙏 Jesus as the Ultimate Counselor

In the second paragraph, the speaker recounts a conversation with a friend experiencing a mental breakdown due to anxiety, emphasizing the need for a counselor who understands the depth of the struggle. The speaker introduces Jesus as the perfect counselor who has experienced human suffering firsthand, providing a unique understanding and empathy. The narrative includes Jesus's experiences of betrayal, abandonment, and emotional torment, highlighting his ability to relate to human pain. The speaker also shares a story of a therapist who was asked to touch a patient's scars as a testament to genuine care, drawing a parallel to God's incarnation and willingness to be physically present with humanity's pain. The paragraph concludes with the idea that Jesus not only understands and touches our scars but also invites us to touch his, symbolizing a mutual trust and identification with our suffering. The speaker encourages trusting Jesus with our scars, as he has shown his trust by bearing his own for us, offering hope that our scars can reflect his glory.

Keywords

💡Anxiety

Anxiety refers to the emotional state of worry, fear, or unease about future uncertainties. In the video, anxiety is discussed as a prevalent issue in modern life, often stemming from feelings of separation, fear, and the brokenness of the world. The speaker emphasizes that Christianity acknowledges these feelings, offering a sense of hope and understanding rather than mere distraction.

💡Depression

Depression is a mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in life. The speaker touches on depression as part of the broader mental health crisis and argues that Christianity provides a meaningful response by recognizing the emotional chasm between how things are and how they should be, offering comfort through faith.

💡Worldview

A worldview is a framework of beliefs through which individuals interpret the world and their place in it. The speaker contrasts different worldviews, highlighting how Christianity, unlike others, offers a comprehensive explanation for anxiety and depression, rooted in the understanding of human separation from God and the hope for eventual restoration.

💡Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety refers to feelings of distress caused by being away from familiar people or places. The speaker uses this term to illustrate how Christianity explains this sense of dislocation as part of the human condition, pointing to the ultimate separation from God and the yearning for a spiritual home.

💡Broken World

The concept of a 'broken world' refers to the idea that the current state of the world is far from its intended perfection, filled with suffering, betrayal, and death. The speaker uses this term to explain the source of human anxiety and depression, arguing that Christianity acknowledges this brokenness while offering the hope of a future restoration.

💡Jesus as Counselor

The speaker presents Jesus as the 'wonderful counselor,' someone who has experienced suffering and can offer comfort to those dealing with anxiety and depression. Jesus is portrayed as empathetic and understanding, having faced betrayal, isolation, and intense emotional pain, making him uniquely qualified to guide people through their own struggles.

💡Fear

Fear is an emotional response to perceived threats or danger. The video explores the idea that not all fears are irrational, as some are grounded in the real difficulties of life, such as the fear of death or loss. The speaker suggests that while cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) addresses irrational fears, Christianity speaks to the deeper fears rooted in the brokenness of the world.

💡Incarnation

The Incarnation is the Christian belief that God became human in the form of Jesus Christ. The speaker emphasizes this concept to explain how God 'descends' into the human experience, sharing in human suffering and scars. This act of divine empathy is presented as a profound way that God connects with humanity’s brokenness.

💡Scars

Scars symbolize both physical and emotional wounds. In the video, scars represent the deep pain and trauma people carry, often related to anxiety and depression. The speaker shares a story of a woman who felt that someone’s willingness to 'touch her scars' would signify true care. This leads to the idea that Jesus not only touches human scars but was scarred himself, symbolizing his deep connection to human suffering.

💡Hope

Hope is a central theme in the video, referring to the Christian belief in a future free from suffering, where God will restore the world to its intended state. The speaker contrasts the fleeting distractions of modern life, such as playing video games, with the profound hope offered by Christianity, which promises healing and eternal peace.

Highlights

The speaker applauds the courage of discussing anxiety and depression, acknowledging the mental health crisis.

A worldview should address the reality of anxiety and depression.

A commercial's depiction of life's brevity is critiqued for its superficial message.

Christianity offers a different perspective on life's struggles compared to secular views.

C.S. Lewis's quote about mud and the beach illustrates the longing for a better life.

Christianity acknowledges the gap between current reality and the ideal.

The Bible helps make sense of feelings of exile and separation from God.

Anxiety can be a rational response to the brokenness of the world.

Cognitive behavioral therapy's approach to anxiety is discussed.

Jesus as the ultimate counselor who understands human suffering.

The importance of acknowledging real fears rather than dismissing them as overestimated.

Jesus's understanding of betrayal and isolation as depicted in the Bible.

The invitation to come to Jesus with burdens and find rest.

The promise of a future without pain, death, or tears in the Christian faith.

A story about a therapist and a client discussing the importance of touching scars as a metaphor for empathy.

God's incarnation as an act of descending to touch our scars and identify with our brokenness.

Doubting Thomas's story as an example of Jesus inviting us to touch His scars.

The hope that our scars will one day bear the glory of the one who was scarred for us.

Transcripts

[Music]

i really applaud the courage of of just

asking

this question and being open about

anxiety and depression i mean we are in

a mental health crisis in this

country and i do believe that any world

view that you're going to commit to has

to speak to that and i don't think that

everyone does i i remember seeing a

commercial a while back and um the

commercial depicted a baby being born

and then over the next 30 seconds sort

of an odd commercial but over the next

30 seconds this this child flew through

the air and went through all the

different stages of life so this kind of

infant became a toddler became an

adolescent and an adult and then started

to become elderly and then kind of

became more hunched over and gray as

this person now descended out of the sky

and crashed into a grave dead

and then the screen went black

and words appeared across the screen and

said life is short

play more xbox

and i reacted just like that you know

like i sort of like i sort of like

instinctively left i'm like that's funny

and then i was like

but that's also devastating

like really

is that the best we've got life is short

and it's full of anxiety and depression

and loss and betrayal and relational

conflict and but there's nothing we can

do about it anyway so you know just try

to distract yourself just you know spend

more time on social media and just play

more xbox like is that really

the best that we've got and

i believe that christianity says

something very different and it says

something that affirms in one sense

those feelings of anxiety and depression

because it says that there is a large

chasm between the way things are right

now and the way things are supposed to

be and christians feel that deeply too

it was cs lewis who said

that we're content to play in the mud

because we can't imagine a holiday at

the beach we can't imagine the goodness

of actually living life with god and the

community he desires and how good that

would be eternally so we're content

sometimes in in the mud but but

sometimes it also goes the other way too

like once we

get a glimpse as a christian

of the goodness of living with god

it can then be very difficult to kind of

come back and

live in the mud

of this broken world so i think that

this the anxiety the depression this is

something which is felt across the board

whether you're a non-christian

or whether you're a christian we need a

worldview that says something to it we

need a worldview that answers the

question why do i feel this way

and we need a worldview that answers the

question who can help

and i find that the christian faith says

a lot about why we feel that way right

first in a general sense there's this

chasm between where we are and where

things are supposed to be but let's even

get more specific how about one form of

anxiety take separation anxiety one type

of anxiety

okay anxiety caused

by a sense of not having a home

or being separated from

people

who are supposed to be significant in

your life

the bible tells me

that i'm in exile

that i'm

a foreigner

that my real citizenship is in heaven it

tells me that there's a significant

sense in which i'm not home it helps to

make sense of some of those emotions and

it also tells me that my natural state

on this earth is separation from the

person that i'm supposed to be in

closest relationship with with god

himself

so it makes sense of some of what we

experience

and oftentimes in the context of anxiety

we're told

that what has happened is that we've

overestimated

our fears

that we have fears that are out of

proportion with the reality of the

circumstances that are causing them

a lot of cognitive behavioral therapy

that's one of the thrusts

now sometimes that's right okay

sometimes that's good like if you have

an irrational fear of spiders in a place

where there are no spiders

then great like let's let's talk about

that let's fact check that let's get

some new neural pathways going like you

know let's let's deal with that

but

what about when the fears are grounded

very firmly in the reality of this

broken world

now what about when the fears are that

the relationships that mean the most to

you might not last what about when the

fears are of betrayal what about when

the fears are the hopes that you have

for life are going to go unfulfilled

what about when the fear is death what

about when the fears are not

overestimated

but

they they are very real

in this broken world then what are we

supposed to do

and maybe it's not so much that we've

overestimated our fears but we've

underestimated who can do something

about it

and i remember when

my best friend had a mental breakdown

caused by anxiety and i remember him

saying to me

only a counselor who has been through

what i am going through can help

and i thought that was such a

significant statement from him and i was

able to talk to him about jesus being

our wonderful counselor

being the counselor who actually has

been through it who has

suffered with us and not in just some

general sense right he sweat blood

in the garden

right does he understand the experience

of the walls

closing in

okay

when he was arrested everyone deserted

him and fled i've always thought it's

one of the most devastating lines in all

of the bible but he understands that

sense of being betrayed he understands

that sense of isolation on the cross as

joe said him crying why have you

forsaken me he understands an emotion so

deep and visceral as forsaken-ness is

jesus mad at us for these emotions that

that we have no i think he's mad with us

i think he's mad with us because he

really understands in a very specific

way

and the world is not the way it's

supposed to be and he's enacted a plan

for eventually the world to be very

different

both right now where he says you can

come to me

come to me all of you who are weary and

burdened and i will give you rest you

will find rest for your souls for my

yoke is easy and my burden is light

you don't have to convince yourselves

that your fears are overestimated

you can acknowledge that they're real

but you can hand them over to me right

now and then eventually one day there's

going to come a time where there can be

no more death or mourning or crying or

pain

if you put your trust in me and i will

be the one who wipes away

every tear

jesus understands and jesus can do

something about it i remember a friend

a clinical therapist a good friend of

mine

and he told me that

there was a woman who came to him and

she had a long history of cutting

herself and they had their first

session together and then at the end of

the first session she said there's just

one more

question before i decide whether we can

work together or not

and then she said will you touch my

scars

and he asked her why that was important

to her

and she said well that's the only way

i'll know if you really care about me if

you're willing to cross a divide to

actually reach out and touch my scars

and my wounds and what my friend said to

me was he said what she was saying

was are you willing to viscerally

descend into the darkness with me are

you willing to be identified with my

brokenness

are you willing to actually touch my

being

with with yours

and through the process of

their counseling he had the opportunity

to share with him that that is exactly

what god has done in the incarnation

god literally descends

to touch our scars he literally puts his

being into our being and reaches out and

is identified

with

our wounds

and

through that she

gave her life to christ

and he was able to also share with her

that even beyond that jesus not only

reaches out and touches your scars but

he was scarred for you

even invites you to touch his scars to

think of doubting thomas right he says

i can't put my trust in you unless i

actually see the scars and can reach out

and touch them and jesus appeared and

said peace be with you and

he said reach your hand and put it here

reach out your hand

and put it into my side we can we can

trust jesus with our scars because he

was scarred for us and then beyond that

he literally invited us to reach out and

touch his scars he trusted us with his

scars so we can trust him

with our scars

and through this this woman was able to

see that jesus was the one that she

could put her trust in and she

eventually said this beautiful stunning

word she said i know now that my scars

likely will not disappear

she said but i have hope that one day

they will bear the glory of the one who

was scarred for me

every one of us will have scars in this

life they will often have a lot to do

with anxiety and depression

but can we turn to the one who gives us

hope that one day they will bear the

glory of the one who was scarred for us