Were you anxious about anything as a child? Or if you’re a parent, have your children ever been irrationally afraid of something?

If you feel comfortable sharing the story, have you ever been debilitated by fear or anxiety? What are your current anxiety triggers?

One in five people wrestle with anxiety, so it’s unsurprising we’re known as the Anxious Generation. In this session, as we watch Elijah capitulate to hopelessness despite God’s miracle power being displayed through him, we may well see our own anxious stories reflected in his. Yet there is hope because we serve a gracious God. As He rescued and restored Elijah, so He will rescue and restore us.

As you watch, take note of how Benjamin answers these questions.

• As believers, what is the theme of our lives?
• Why did Elijah flee to the wilderness?
• In what way is our cultural moment like a figurative ‘broom tree’ experience
• What are the three human behaviors we typically display or experience when we’re under acute stress?

Show SESSION #2: The Anxiety (12 minutes)

Benjamin asks the crucial question, ‘What if, despite outward, external success, we have a growing sense of awareness that something inside of us (that no one else can see) is not actually healthy?’ Describe a ‘Mount Carmel’ experience in your life. After that moment, what did you still yearn for?

Benjamin describes feeling joy and anxiety simultaneously after the birth of his first son. Can you relate? What makes you anxious now that wouldn’t have made you anxious ten years ago? Do you get more anxious about relationships or money? International politics or climate change? Your children’s future or your health?

God hears your anxious prayers and He’s at work to bring about your human flourishing in new ways. The theme of your life isn’t anxiety or pain; it’s the goodness of God. Do you struggle to believe this? If so, why?

1 Kings 19:2–4 tells the story of Elijah’s reaction to Jezebel’s death threat. It seems like an overreaction because Elijah is living in wondrous answer to prayer. We’d expect him to never doubt God again, yet his suicidal emotions stand in contrast to his recent public triumphs. Why did the miracle on the mountain not eliminate Elijah’s fear? Have you ever tried to succeed your way out of building a healthy inner world?

1 Kings 19:4 reads, ‘Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”’ Elijah’s mental health is at an all-time low and he seeks out a physical environment that represents the state of his inner world. Share about a time when you threw yourself a pity party. Did it help? In what ways does the post-pandemic world as we know it find itself in a kind of ‘broom tree’ moment?

Benjamin points out three typical human behaviors observable when someone is under acute stress: isolation (withdrawing from community), exaggeration (the tendency to amplify our problems), and desperation (the feeling that there’s no way out). Do you recognize any of these behavior patterns in your own life? Do you agree that we can’t heal outside of community? Why, or why not? If you’re comfortable doing so, describe a dark night of the soul you thought would never come to an end.

Within one day, Elijah swung from tremendous public success to private insecurity. He needed a soul reset, and God was wonderfully at work beneath the solitary boom tree. Why do you think God’s most powerful work in our lives is often done in times of solitude?

Genesis 32:24–29 is about Jacob, all alone, encountering God. What has just happened in Jacob’s life? What is about to happen? Have you ever felt alone and as if you’re wrestling with God? How did God bring resolution and peace, and show you your next step?

In the Old Testament, we read about the anxiety experienced by Noah, Moses, Hannah, David, Gideon, Job, Nehemiah, Naomi, Esther, Daniel, and others. In the New Testament, people like Elizabeth, Zechariah, Joseph, Peter, and others also went through times of anguish and fear. Choose a handful of these characters and discuss the ways God lovingly drew them aside, rebuilding their inner worlds so they could step confidently into His plans for them.

May you embrace the truth that you can’t outwardly achieve your way to a healthy inner life. May you be brave enough to face your anxiety, thankful that God has found you under your solitary boom tree. Allow Him to reset your soul. Although what you’re experiencing feels like a low point, may you see how it’s a setup for God to do something beautiful in your heart. If you’re isolated and anxious and wondering if you can rebuild anything with your life, know that God is at work in surprising and amazing ways in your life right now.

Select at least one activity below to complete before watching the next session.

Read: The prophet Jeremiah wrote a whole book about grief and anxiety. Spend time meditating on Lamentations 3:22–23 in a few different Bible translations. If possible, read these verses out loud, prayerfully speaking them over the situations in your life currently causing you anxiety.

Write: If you’re into doodling, sketch your idea of a solitary broom tree. On each branch, write down something causing you to worry, fear, or feel hopeless.

Pray: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you to what extent anxiety has eaten away at your insides. Pray for the courage to push pause on your outward activities if necessary, so you can begin intentionally and deliberately rebuilding from within.