FEBRUARY 2017 STUDENT MINISTRY
Dear Church Family,
It has already been quite a year for some of us this past month. As I talk with students, there are still a lot of troublesome things going on in their lives. This could lead one to
despair and sorrow. For many, anxiety-driven depression can take hold and deal heavy blows to their lives. This is the reality that our students live in. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (https://www.adaa.org), over 27 million people
experience General Anxiety, Panic Anxiety, or Social Anxiety yearly. Most of these people start experiencing these feelings at a very young age. One of the most frequent conversations I have with students is about anxiety and depression. One wonders how this could be. What is the cause of such hopelessness in the lives of our young ones?
There are probably a million factors as to why students experience anxiety and
depression. If we wanted to eliminate all of those factors in order to secure an anxiety and depression free life for them, it would be impossible. Is the problem social media? Is it bullying? Is it self-esteem issues? Is it boredom? Is it cell-phones? Is it entitlement? In one sense, it is all of these and many more. In another sense, it is none of these. These things are symptoms of much deeper heart issues. As any good doctor knows, if you treat the symptoms but not the illness, then the patient will not recover. So what is the illness? What is the solution?
This is a problem that I think the Word of God ultimately answers. The definitive problem is our sinful desires. This does not mean that God or the Bible simply overlooks all those things like bullying or self-esteem. Those are very important issues that the Bible speaks to; and the Word of God gives us everything we need to overcome those issues. Ultimately, Christ is the One who gives students the grace they need to overcome worldly woes. As sin causes us to be bound to depression, addiction, fear of man, lust for entertainment, unhealthy relationships, and the like, Christ gives us all we need to overcome and live healthy, godly lives. 2 Peter 1-3 says:
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
This means that Jesus is what our students need. Don’t get me wrong; students may need to see a professional and talk about the problems in their lives. There may be symptoms of the problem that need immediate attention. But that should not replace the antibiotic of the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached to them in their circumstances. Do not doctors often prescribe medicine for the symptom and an antibiotic to kill the illness? That is what the gospel is for our lives. The cure to our anxieties and sorrows.
This month, if you or people in your family are suffering with anxiety or depression or anything really; remember that Christ is the final solution. In Him you can find peace and grace to overcome this world.