During this pandemic, many people are struggling with anxiety, loneliness, or depression—sometimes a heavy mix of all three. How can we help?
1. Ask God for help. In God’s economy, the helpers always need help, because every shepherd is also a sheep. A ropeless bucket, like a prayerless pastor, won’t offer fresh well water for long. So we should ask for cleansing, for mercy, for wisdom, for words (Matt. 6:12; Eph. 4:29; Heb. 4:16; Jas. 1:5). God will keep the valves open on his supply line of grace, and we’ll have what we need to help others (Jas. 4:6).
2. Pursue the heart. “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out” (Prov. 20:5). Consider two types of questions. Water skiing stays on the surface but covers lots of ground: How are you doing? How long have you felt this way? How are you eating, sleeping, exercising? Scuba diving goes deeper and explores one area in-depth: When do you feel most anxious? How intense is it? Triggers? Themes? Together, water skiing and scuba diving will show you the dimensions and depths of your friend’s struggle. Meanwhile, for your hurting friend,
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