Aaron Capito
This week was a standalone topical message on mental health. The goal was simple: help students see that God is not looking for people who have it all together. He is looking for honesty. Even the strongest people in the Bible had days they wanted to quit, and God's response was not disappointment. It was care.
Aaron opened with a question: if you had to describe your week with an emoji, which one would it be, and which one would you actually post? The gap between those two answers is what the whole night was about.
Passages: 1 Kings 18-19, Psalm 55:22, 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, Philippians 4:6-7
Students have grown up in a world where social media has become a competition to look put together: the best outfit, the best makeup, the latest sports win. Nothing posted is ever really casual. There is an unspoken rule about what is allowed. But nobody is perfect, and nobody is "normal." Everyone carries their own weight and troubles, and none of it shows up online.
Mental health was defined as a state of mental and emotional well-being that lets people cope with life's stresses, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their communities. The problem is that most of us know very little about it or how to handle it. So we copy the culture and pretend. We put on a fake face, even with the people who care about us.
The Bible does not tell us to come to God looking okay. It tells us to come as we are. We come broken, and He makes us new and gives us joy.
Elijah had just had the biggest spiritual win of his life. He challenged the prophets of Baal: whichever God showed up would win. Baal's prophets cried out with no answer, and Elijah laughed at them. When Elijah called on the Lord, fire fell almost immediately and burned up the offering. Everyone saw God show up. That victory enraged Queen Jezebel.
One threat from Jezebel, and Elijah ran for his life, sat under a tree, and asked God to let him die. "It is enough; now, O Lord." "I am no better than my fathers." This came right after his greatest victory, when you would expect him to be confident and fearless.
The takeaway: there is nothing wrong with feeling defeated in scary moments. As Christians, we admit our shortcomings and know we are weak, and the threats of the world can get to us.
Aaron shared that near the end of his freshman year at Liberty, life was going great. On the night of the NFL Draft, his mom called. His brothers were coming to bring him home, he had to finish finals two weeks early, and he needed to leave within two days, because his dad was dying.
He crashed just like Elijah. He ran to his room and wanted to be alone. He was honest that in those moments he doubted God. He could not see how God could meet him at the high and then throw him down low. But he did the only thing he knew to do in desperation: he called out to God. Four years later he still walks through low points after his dad's passing, and God is still leading him through the valley every day, keeping him dependent on Him.
When Elijah cried out, God did not answer with anger or hurtful words. He sent an angel to comfort him and make sure he ate and rested, with a cake and water.
Calling out to God did not make Aaron circumstances go away. His dad passed away. But God began to make sense of it and showed him how his story could be used in his ministry. God did not punish him for questioning or doubting. Psalm 55:22 tells us to cast our burden on the Lord, and He will sustain us. When we lay our burdens at His feet, He is not angry. He cares for us.
We probably will not see angels bringing a meal to the house. But God sends people, Scripture, and opportunities. Friends, family, and church people came alongside our leader to make sure he felt loved, as the Spirit moved them to love him.
God did not show up in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He showed up in a gentle whisper.
Many people treat God like a genie, or a "break in case of emergency" glass. They expect Him to show up big and loud, and only when something huge happens. But God is present in the small, personal spaces too. You will miss Him if you only look for a big move.
After his dad died, Aaron kept asking for a big sign. He did not find God in the dramatic sign he was looking for. He found Him in the personal, intimate times: reading His Word, praying through tears, and being with other believers. God controls the big things, and He also takes close care of the small details of our lives. Sometimes He shows up quiet and close, and we miss it if we are only watching for something dramatic.
Paul got personal in his letters. He wrote about a "thorn" that was tormenting him and asked God three times to take it away. God answered that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness. Paul's response was to boast in his weaknesses, because when he is weak, then he is strong.
God uses our hardships to help us cling closer to Him, so our circumstances become opportunities to grow in faith. Paul only understood that by bringing it to God, and not once but three times. God meets us when we cry out, encourages us to do it, and uses what we go through to make us more like His Son.
Philippians 4:6-7 does not say "don't feel anxious." It says bring it to God, specifically and out loud.
Aaron was honest that there are still many days he is not okay. He still misses his dad, and some days that is hard. But four years in, he has learned he can bring his worries to God, and God meets him there, the same way He met Elijah in the whisper. And God has used his story the way He used Paul's thorn: to teach dependence and to be an example for others.
It is okay to not be okay because we have access to the remedy: Christ and His completed work. Living in a fallen world, it is okay to be hurt, anxious, or scared. But it is not okay to sit in it. Bring your worries to God, and He will bring you through every trouble you face.
These are the questions students talked through in small groups:
A few easier openers if you want to start smaller: