EP 89 Overcoming Anxiety: Part 2 - Debbie Barker

God didn't take stripes on His back just for physical healing. That's for emotional healing. So if you're out there and you're like, Debbie, this is what my whole mind has been, there's hope because the Word of God is true and it's true for you. And He can bring healing and wholeness to every issue and depth of your soul and bring that light into your physical body too. Welcome to another episode of iRefresh, and we are actually doing two parts of this incredible teaching from Debbie Barker. Thank you. Thank you. Glad to be with you. I'm glad to talk about this subject. And the subject is? Being anxious for nothing or careful for nothing, not allowing fear and anxiety to take hold of your life. And I didn't even say this for the first time, but, you know, your background is obviously we both came from Oral Roberts University. You also went to Ramo Bible, doing a lot of teaching in her church and mentoring and on and on. And she and her husband also have a website, and it's BarkerMinistries.org. Yes. And it's a great resource. If you really want to get filled up with the Word of God, this is a great place for you to go to their website and... learn a lot more about them and their ministry, but it's also the teaching is just a solid foundation. We have a lot of things out there on the word in a lot of different ways you can get it. So go out there and we'd love to help you out with that. That's really our heart is to help people be equipped and to to grow in God's word. We had looked at earlier about being careful or being anxious for. Nothing. Yes. And that God is telling us this, but he's anointed us to do this. And so at the end of it, we were looking at first Peter. And I think we've got to go back to first Peter, chapter five, and began to go through that again and just see that God will anoint us and equip us to do what he's called us to do. So in the New King James Version, it says casting all your care. or anxiety, your worries, or your fears upon him, for he cares for you. Then he goes on to say, be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom may devour. Verse nine says, resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. So I want you to hear that God anoints you and equips you for these things to overcome. I think for me, that was a big key when I realized I'm not alone. God loves me. He knows what my background has been. He knows exactly how I was raised. He knows that I was more feeling. I'm more of a feeler. And then I was, I was very in tune with my emotions, maybe in a very, you know, maybe I was led by them more than I needed to be, but I was very, you know, some people just don't feel nothing. And I was a feeler. I, music moved me. If I could feel like, you know, I love that part, but I had to learn as I grew in the Lord, um, Feelings can't dictate my faith. Feelings can't dictate where I'm going because they can come and they can go and they can and they can be deceiving. You know, if they're not something that's truth that you can depend on, feelings are really manifestations, if you want to call it, or attributes of what you've been thinking on. So your feelings are in direct relationship to what your previous thoughts have been. So if those thoughts haven't been lining up with, as we looked before, things that are true and just and pure and lovely. then I may have the wrong type of feelings. And so if I base my life or how I'm going to walk out on that, I could be going down the wrong path. So, so important that we are allowing the word to. So we have to get redirected. Yes. Where we get caught up in the emotion. Absolutely. Which we all can do that. As girls, we do it well. We do it really well. too well at times, but God, you knew me. You knew how you created and made me. So help me God to take your word and to really, I, I, I'm, I'm that simple. When I talked to him, like, okay, now Lord, you just said, casting the whole of your care amplified ladies version, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns. And the amplifies says once and for all on him. Hmm. Once and for all. So when you hear once and for all, what does that mean to you? It's like, that's bottom line. It's gone. It's done. Yeah. Okay. Period. We're not going to go back and pick this back up. And I think that's sometimes what we do is we, I'm going to give this all to you, God. I'm going to, I'm not going to take this thought. I'm going to, you know, pray about it. I'm going to take your peace. And then you, that thought comes back and rather than going, no, I'm going to resist it. I prayed. I believe God. We kind of like, we're out there fishing and we just, you know, bring it back in. Right. And all of a sudden we're thinking about it again. And then, and then, then we use this excuse many times. Well, I just couldn't help it. I mean, I don't know. I couldn't control my thoughts. I just couldn't. And I'm like, I couldn't, or I chose not to. Mm-hmm. When we realize that God doesn't ask us to require something of us that he doesn't equip us and anoint us to do. He says that he equips us and he will give us all that we would need, that we would lack for nothing. And that's why James probably talked about the trials. The trials are there to have to refine us, but he said that he would always provide for us, even in the midst of whatever we're walking through, he's trying to get us to understand that I am present, I'm there to help you. So even when it means overcoming our fear and our anxiety and the thought process, Those thoughts can give you a heart palpitation. My goodness. I mean, the blood pressure goes wacky. I mean, right? It's true. I mean, when it's ever happened to you, sometimes you all be thinking, I'm too big. I don't have that issue. And then when it happens to you, I'm like, oh, now this is what they're talking about. Why are panic attacks so prevalent? Oh, I have heard that. Because the world has been filled with anxiety. And the body can only take so much stress before it naturally reacts. So no condemnation for anyone that has that. A lot of people have had a lot of traumatic things they've walked through. I want you to hear this, though. God didn't take stripes on his back just for physical healing. That's for emotional healing. So if you're out there and you're like, Debbie, this is what my whole mind has been. There's hope because the word of God is true. And it's true for you. And he can bring healing and wholeness to every issue and depth of your soul. And bring that life into your physical body, too. That's so important for people to understand. Oh, yeah. There's nothing too big. Nothing too big. And, you know, it's sad to me when I see so many people struggle with these things. And a lot of times you could always, it goes back to maybe a big or several. traumatic moments in their lives. But if they don't really receive the truth, it's more than just talking it out. That's a part of processing, but it's really allowing the word to release that pain to him. Let God bring the healing and, and then receive that restoration that he has for you. Now that will actually change our thought process. When you get that emotional healing, it naturally, the working of the Lord is so beautiful that he literally changes our thinking. So what might have been a trigger before, now it doesn't have the same effect. Because once the Lord has done something in us to bring healing... It is shifted more than just that emotional healing. It's changing the thought process, which was so that trigger is no longer a trigger, right? You could hear that very same thing or word and it no longer sends you back to that place because he's healed and restored. Amen. So powerful. Yes. Yes. So hear that that is for you today. So he goes on to say, casting the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns once and for all, once and for all on him. Why? For he cares for you affectionately and he cares about you. He cares about you watchfully, the Amplified says. Then it goes on to say, now Amplified says it, be well balanced, temperate, sober of mind. Be vigilant and cautious at all times. Why? For that enemy of yours, the devil, he likes to roam around like a roaring lion. in fierce hunger, seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Now, that's a very descriptive picture of how the enemy is described by God and that he is looking. Didn't say he could. He said he's seeking one. He's seeking one who's really an open prey for this. He's seeking to do something or to I don't want that to be a scary thing to you because we're talking about not having fear. But he's giving you a warning. But he's saying, be well balanced. Be sober of mind. Be vigilant and cautious. He's asking us to take responsibility. And it's something that even just recently, the Spirit of God really was stirring up in my husband and I, walking through some scenarios. And I felt like the Lord was saying, hey, you did really good here, but I need you to be more proactive in this way. I want you to use your authority that I've given you. And so sometimes until the storm hits you or whatever, you go, oh, yeah, I need to cover us with the blood or I need to be proactive. And I felt like he was saying, again, I want you to be proactive and not just assume it's a given, but be proactive. I'm being sober. I'm being well balanced. I'm being temperate. I'm being sober of mind. I'm being cautious because the enemy is out there. It's like now it's summer and it's beautiful, but I still don't leave my front door open. Right. Why? Well, I don't need little critters coming in or any other type of, you know, slithering critters. I don't need any part of that. So I have a boundary so that my inside of my house stays safe. Right? Well, this is my house that I live in, and I need to have a great spiritual boundary that I don't allow the negativity, the thoughts of this world, the media and all of the things that are on that. I mean, you don't even have to watch the news. Say it's just social media. There's enough in what people put in there that you don't even subscribe to to come up. You get it no matter your. Yeah. It's coming from everywhere. So I have to keep that boundary. Mm hmm. I'm just being well balanced. I'm being sober. I'm being vigilant to guard my temple. And the word of Proverbs says to guard my heart with all diligence. Why? Because out of it flows the issues of life. What I guard, what I keep this healthy boundary is going to help me that I take and continue in that God path that he wants me to be. Withstand him, the enemy, be firm in faith. And then I love this. It says rooted in faith. established, strong, immovable, and determined. That's how he wants us to be. And I can remember years ago reading this and going, okay, I don't really feel very rooted right now. I'm not thinking I'm feeling really strong or immovable. But I'm like, God, that's what you're calling me to do. You're telling me that if I give you this care and that I'm looking to not let something come in that shouldn't, then I will be able to withstand him through you. But he's given you, to me, it sounds like he gave us the ingredients to how to avoid the stumble, avoid the tactics of the enemy, because we know how ruthless he is. And so many times we try to blame God. And yet God just right here, she just read it, that God is giving you an understanding of being proactive and watching because what the enemy wants to do, if he can distract us, divide us, even as believers, when we become divided, we are easily offended. Yes. Where is that? Like, if God is love, what is that action? It is contrary to who God's character is. So I need to be the bigger person and humble. You've spoken in the other session of if we humble ourselves before the Lord, it doesn't matter if I was right or wrong. If I humble myself, I release, I forgive someone. They may not even know what they've done. and allow it not be a root, an open door, for the enemy to taunt me or them and pray for them. Another part we've talked about is prayer. Because one of the things I learned when I was at school, I was a head RA and the dorm director The first few weeks, people were like, oh, I didn't want that roommate. Oh, I'm not going to get along with that roommate. I'm like, you just met them. How do you know? So I loved it. Her name is Jane Sweet. She would say, okay, they cannot change roommates until they've been together for two weeks, and they have to pray for each other every day. Oh, that's awesome. And I'm like... oh, that's going to be hard for some of these people, and their character, because their character was really not like Jesus. And it was amazing how many people we wouldn't hear back from two weeks later, because the power of prayer that breaks down our stuff, it gets us in a place of humility, because if I'm going to pray for you, it's hard to be mad or upset, or like, I don't like your stuff, because now we begin to see you from the perspective of God once. So the things that you've been sharing with us is, God's perspective to help us to not go into the place where we allow the enemy to come at us so easily. We are an easy target if we don't not use the equipping of being balanced, watching and avoiding things. Yes. And another great place is to put your armor on. I mean, there's so much that he gives you in his word that, you know, this shield of faith is held up because of the truth of God's word. Right. that sword of the spirit, that belt of truth. You know, when we really apply what his word says, we are fully equipped and anointed and strengthened by God and his word, his anointing to overcome any situation. Because greater is he that's in me and you and you than he that's in the world. And I sometimes have to, you've got to stay renewed in that revelation. The greater one is in you. We overcome. We know how this is going to end. We are the victors. We are the winners in this. And there's a purpose and a plan. I so believe that God is wanting each one of us to find our place in the body of Christ, be active, fulfilling that purpose and what it is he's destined for our lives, and be that witness, be that disciple, disciple maker, So that he can come back for us. But see, if you're so full of the cares of this world, if you are so full of anxiety, if you're in a fence with your brother or your sister, you're not in that position to be that vibrant light that he's wanting you to. And so he doesn't get you away from Christ. but it gets you distracted, diverted to not fulfill your purpose. Right. And it's, you know, the enemy wins every time that we allow that. And, you know, that it's, it's called discipline. And it's really what, you know, what we're hearing is, Very simple. Like she said, the armor. I like the sword personally. Because really, you know, like, I love how David in the Psalms was saying, like, yeah, take out my enemies. Like, strike them. I'm like, yeah. You know, like, I don't have to do anything because the Lord says revenge is his. I don't have to. If somebody does something, it just doesn't matter. In the span of eternity, I know God's got them. And God's got me. I just need to stay in my lane when you're talking about that, what our purpose is. We need to stay in our lane, not compare ourselves like, oh, but I wish I could be like Debbie. I wish I could talk as elegant. I wish I could teach the word as good as she. Or, okay, what does God call me into? I think you have to break it down is, God, what have you called me to do? I always compare myself with Moses because I've had a speech impediment and I stumble over words. They go a certain way. But I do know that my heart's willing. I know if I have a willing heart, God will use me in spite of my things. And that's the thing is I've had to walk over fear or the embarrassment or people have shamed me when they corrected me in front of other people. And then I can get teary-eyed again. But I choose to stay in what God's purpose for me, even though they had it hurt. But God's going to help me. release that because the greater purpose that we can do things for the kingdom of God to be the light, that's more important. And that's where I'm just going to encourage you, stay in that place where God's called you, no matter what's happened, even if you feel alone, at minimum, God is with you at the minimum. And that is actually sometimes it's the safest place while the rest of us are getting more conformed to his likeness. Absolutely. That's good. That's a great word. There is a purpose and plan for your life. Ephesians 2.10 says that he's predestined. He's prepared. He's made ready ahead of time. Good works for you to walk in that you will continue to live what that good life is for you. And I think sometimes that spirit of comparison and competition is of the world. We're brothers and we're sisters in the Lord. And I want you to succeed. If you're having trouble with envy or jealousy, it really is a pride issue. And your reflection is you. And you have to go back to go, why am I allowing giftings in my sister to make me feel small? Why am I allowing those giftings or things for me to compare and then for me to measure what my value is? It just is a good indicator that you need to know who you are in him. Because when you know who you are in him and you have heard and known what he's called you to do, you really don't want to do anything else but what he's called you to do. That's good. I'm not called to do what Cheryl does. I don't know if I am sometimes either because I don't want to do it all. But I'm going to stay in my lane and I'm going to walk in the fullness of what he has me to do. And when each one of us get in our place and get in our part, then we'll be like a body that functions well. And that's truly what he's coming back for. A bride without spot, without wrinkle. But united. Absolutely. And the thing is, here's the great value is, when she and I are doing what we're purposely doing, watch how God intermingles that calling together to be able to thrive. And really, much more can be done for the kingdom of God. God was really in Ephesians talking about what the body of Christ was supposed to look like, united. And when we're united, We're not doing that. We're missing out. And it's not just we're missing out. Our disobedience, that is actively, God is not happy with that. We have to be obedient to the Lord. We have to have accountability with one another. I mean, that's what the deacons and the elders were for, to keep the body of Christ, that we are accountable. Instead of competing, I would rather, let's keep each other accountable. I mean, she spoke some truth to me in the past, and I'm like, well, well. In love. Yeah. But you know, you take those things in and you pray them through and you're like, okay, if someone's wanting me to be better of what God called me into, like, let's walk that path. Let's go to the place where God's purpose in, which is fear less. And not anxious and walking in his peace. Yes. Yes. You know, it's hard to hear his will when you're full of all that other stuff of anxiety and fear. I want us to look quickly if you want to go to Matthew passages that we've heard that we're familiar with that are part Matthew chapter six. So if you first look at verse twenty five. It says, therefore, I tell you, Amplified, stop being anxious and worried about your life. Stop being anxious and worried about your life. New King James says, therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, nor about your body, what you're going to put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? If you read through these entire passages and you go through this, you're going to see how God is speaking to us to not be anxious, to not again. That's what our theme is here, to not allow even the cares of this world dictate our peace or lack of peace. And then he goes on to say, look at the birds of the air. Have you ever stopped and truly looked at the birds of the air? Neither they sow nor reap nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth more than they? And who of you by worrying or being anxious can even add a unit of measure, a cubit to his stature or to the span of his life? Has worrying ever worked for you? Did it make things better? Did it help the situation? Never. Right. So that alone, naturally, it never makes it better. So why would I perpetuate those thoughts? They're not going to bring life, and they're not going to bring a solution to whatever it is I'm being anxious about. And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon and all of his magnificence was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed into the furnace, will he not much more surely clothe you? Oh, you of little faith. Think about that. How many times we have gotten care filled over the things of what I'm going to eat, what I'm going to wear. And he point blank tells you here, but he says again, verse 31, therefore, do not worry. Do not be anxious saying, what are we going to have to eat? Or what are we going to have to drink? Or what are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles or the heathen wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things. And your heavenly father knows well that you need them all. But seek. Aim at, strive after, first of all, his kingdom and his righteousness. That means his way of doing and being right. And then all these other things taken together will be given to you besides. And he ends with verse 34. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow. For tomorrow will have worries, anxiety is his own, sufficient for each day is his own trouble. Yeah, they're there tomorrow too. Yeah. So his mercies are new every morning. His grace is there. But I felt to go back and look at something so simple. But we always, I love, it was one of my daddy's favorite scriptures, Matthew 633. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. All these other things are going to be added into you. So many times we fill our lives desiring and wanting things and thinking that we have to be the one to take care of it. Um, I, so many times I'll hear people say that, well, God gave me a brain I was supposed to use. I'm like, you are, please use your brain. He gave it to you, but he's not wanting you to take on that full responsibility that it's all on me. You know, it's the same way when you pray and you believe for your loved ones, for someone, even for healing. I'm not the healer, but I can stand on his word and believe and release my faith. But he's the one who's the healer. And I think many times in our humanness, we like to take we take on that responsibility that I'm trying to do his part where he's saying, I'm just asking you to believe me. I'm just asking for you to trust me. I'm just asking you to lean on me. Let my word be alive to you. Seek me first. Seek me first. Seek me first. The kingdom of God, my righteousness, all these other things, they're going to be added into you. And I just really feel to encourage somebody out there who's maybe been listening to the news and to all the other things that are out there and go, what about this? And what about that? Don't allow those things to water down your faith or what you're truly believing in. I think it's so important in the days that we're living on to live this balanced life. We're going to have to really truly look at and measure how much of the outside thoughts and worldviews that we're putting in in compared to the word of God. Right. Because it will water down what God's truth is. Well, we need to go with the word of God and let it measure all the other truths. Yeah. Measure up to that. Right. And we need to, there's times where I've chosen to be very limited in what news I hear and then try to get enough to know how to pray into things. But I think, you know, you're right. We have to do that with everything, even with people. If people are toxic or people have that negativity around us, I think we have to watch what's around us and recognize, okay, am I strong enough to... to be around that atmosphere, or do I need to have a reprieve to make sure that I stay in that place of peace and know, and I want to speak judgment. I'm not judgmental on that. We all have our days, but I think there's a grace, too, of like, I'm like, I'm out. I don't have to say anything to someone, but sometimes I'm like, I don't have the energy for this. Extend grace to yourself. Recognize sometimes we just need a time of quietness, Allow the Lord just to fill you back up. I think sometimes we think we have to get filled up by so many other things. And yeah, God is all enough. Keep on hearing every time she's saying some scriptures, it's about trust. He's asking you, God of heaven who created all things said, will you trust me? Proverbs 3, 5 and 6. Okay. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not into your own understanding, but in all your ways, all, all your ways, acknowledge him. That's prayer. That's being submitted to him. And then he says, I'll direct your paths. But I first have to trust him. Okay. So if we are, if you're looking for direction in your life and things are not clear, You just gave the answer. What do you have to do to get clarity? I'm first going to trust God with all my heart. That means I'm truly going to trust him with all my life. Now think about it. You were the creation of Almighty God, the creator. He made you. He made you for a specific plan and purpose, just like this beautiful cup that we have here. It was made for a purpose to hold hot and cold liquid. Now I can use this cup for a lot of other things, but it's design made by the creator was to hold hot and cold liquid. You were created for a specific purpose. Trust him that he knows what that plan is for you. So I trust him with all of my heart. I don't lean on my own understanding and me trying to figure it out naturally. But I acknowledge him in all my ways. And that acknowledging means I'm submitting my life to God. God, you know more than me. I want your infinite wisdom guiding me, directing me in these particular situations. Or God, show me what my divine purpose is. Or if it's something specific you're praying, I'm acknowledging you. In this way. Then he said, acknowledge me in all of my ways. And I will then, what? Direct your path. That means if the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord, he's known every one of my thoughts before there was one. He says he has divine order steps that even the steps of the righteous goes brighter and brighter to the full light of dawn. I just quoted you two to three passages that talk about the steps of a righteous man. They come out of me because I've put them in me and I've memorized them and I believe for them to be what my path is. Then I'm trusting him. I'm seeking him first. I'm acknowledging him. Now I know he's going to direct my path and I choose them to believe, which is faith and to trust God's going to get me there. I mean, how many times have we had the miraculous in our life? We laughed just as we were starting this because she, something so simple as her glasses flipped off and she's going to grab and then goes, Oh, those lights need to go on. Now that's really simple, but it could have really affected us filming this if we didn't have them on. But the Holy Spirit was so good that even when she didn't know something, he allowed a circumstance so you could see that truth. That's how great the Holy Spirit is. He's your helper. He's also called your counselor, perfect counselor. And he has no charge fee. He's the perfect counselor. And he doesn't go, okay, you're 40 minutes or up. You know, I mean, he'll listen all day if you need to. He's going and going. He's the perfect counselor. That's good. And he's there for you. I think Sharon and I so want you to hear that God so loves you. And he cares about you. And whatever that is that has been a concern of yours, he wants to take it. And he wants to bring light and life and truth. And this beautiful life that he has given you. He wants you to enjoy it. You, this creation made by God, just like this beautiful cup, you are his beautiful creation. And he has a God plan for you. And he doesn't want to see you living this life far below what he intended for you. He wants you to live that victorious life. And that's his promise through his word for each one of us. Hey, I do want to be, I do people want to see, because I think sometimes we think, well, that means I'll never have a test or a trial. He says, oh, yeah, there'll be testing. There'll be trials. But be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. And then he even said, you know, many of the reflections of the righteous. But I deliver them out of the world. He does deliver. Yeah. So you have to be in a valley. Yeah. You know, to get out of it. He says he would deliver us. So whether we're walking through something, life was not meant on this earth to be easy. Yeah. Once we receive Christ, our purpose is that we would be a reflection of his glory so that all men would come unto him. So really, it's not about us. But it is about us as well. He desires to use you and me. So he's really, this has been a powerful message, Debbie, for us just to refocus our mindset because it's just one thing that distracts and keeps us being in that place of fulfillment. So as we're closing, why don't you share in a closing just something that would just help to encourage the people and walking in a new place free from the fear and anxiety or knowing how to take it off and take it on his perspective. Yes. He says to cast your cares on him because he cares for you. And it's not a perfect way of saying it as much as just saying, God, take out of me and off of me what's not you. Now, I have responsibility to give it to him. So in Jesus name, I'm going to release every part of the cares of this life that I've been carrying. And I'm going to choose to trust you. You're my provider. You're my healer. You're my peace. You're my joy. And I just pray for you right now, no matter where you're at or what your circumstances are, that Father God, by his spirit, is going to meet you right where you're at. And he's going to renew the hope inside of you to believe again. And that faith is going to rise up in your heart to know you serve the true and living God. And his word is alive. And that word has been sent to you today to bring abundant life, abundant health, and that you will walk in the fullness of why God Almighty created you. You are a beautiful, beautiful vessel of God. And he has great things, great thoughts. great plans for you. And we are agreeing in Jesus' name. You're going to walk in every one of them. Amen. Well, thank you, Debbie, for sharing. Thank you.