Anxiety, Depression, and Jesus: Finding Hope in All Things

By Aaron Hoover

For those of us feeling the weight of mental illness, we don’t only need hope that our pain will go away. We need hope that even if it lasts, God is still good. He promises never to leave us, and he’s sovereign over every minute of our pain and difficulty.

In Anxiety, Depression, and Jesus, Aaron Hoover normalizes the relationship between faith and suffering. Aaron is a pastor who has battled anxiety and depression for two decades and is compassionate and empathetic toward the similar experiences of others. If you are suffering—Aaron’s writing is a great reminder that you’re not alone, you’re not crazy, and there is a God who is with you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664290006

Aaron Hoover

Aaron Hoover has lived with clinical anxiety, depression, and OCD for more than two decades and has seen God’s faithfulness in the midst of pain. He is a pastor at Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has served in full-time ministry there for eight years and holds a bachelor’s in religious studies and a master’s in evangelism and church planting. He and his wife Megan share three world-changing sons: Wesley, Abram, and Roman.

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-9001-3 (sc)

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ISBN: 978-1-6642-9000-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023901053

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/03/2023

ENDORSEMENTS

Aaron Hoover has written an engaging, hopeful book for anyone living with depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts – especially for Christ-followers who might carry the unnecessary weight of guilt and shame. His honest, vulnerable account of his story as a pastor with mental health challenges dispels the false narrative that pastors don’t feel ‘that way.’ The truth is – many of us do. Aaron shares the practical help he has found along the way, as well as the confident hope that even in our suffering, God is still good and can be trusted.

—Kay Warren, Co-founder Saddleback Church

Vulnerability and hope is a powerful combination. Aaron writes with an abundance of both. Growing up in a family that struggled with mental health, I nodded as I read. I smiled. I laughed out loud a few times. And I got teary more than a few. This is such a helpful, timely, and hope-filled read! There’s a lot of things in life that are over-rated…hope is not one of them.

—Mike Breaux, Teaching Pastor

"This book is an honest dialogue of hope and validation for every Christian struggling with anxiety and depression. The stories and conversation Aaron brings let readers know that authentic faith and community are available and within reach for anyone struggling with mental health. His voice as a pastor whose faith is strong and compassionate meets an essential need on this topic in the Christian community.

—Brenda L. Yoder, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, School Counselor, and Author of Fledge: Launching Your Kids Without Losing Your Mind

Not only do I wholeheartedly recommend this book, I wish I could somehow wave some magic wand and have it read by the thousands upon thousands of people—suffering in silence—who need to know they are not alone in their fight. I pray this gets to them. I also pray that every leader who serves in the name of Jesus would slow down and pay attention to Aaron’s hard-earned wisdom. It could save lives.

—Joseph King Barkley,

Executive Coach, Author, and Keynote Speaker

CONTENTS

Foreword

Chapter 1     The Problem of Right Now

Chapter 2     Jesus Isn’t the Problem

Chapter 3     The Problem with Loneliness

Chapter 4     Brokenness Isn’t the Problem

Chapter 5     The Power of Redemption

Chapter 6     Your Story Has Power

Chapter 7     The Power of Even If

Chapter 8     Desiring Heaven versus Considering Suicide

Chapter 9     The Stigmas of Mental Illness versus God’s Word

Chapter 10   Leaning In versus Spiritual Warfare

Chapter 11   It’s Not Faith versus Medicine

Final Encouragement

About the Author

FOREWORD

I don’t think it will surprise you to hear that mental health has become one of the most significant challenges facing our culture today. If you’ve picked up this book, it is likely because you are looking for some insight, encouragement, and hope (either for yourself or someone you love). The latest statistics on this crisis are staggering. The sheer number of people grappling with it is heart-breaking. As a pastor, I hear from people struggling with it on almost a daily basis. As a father of teenagers growing up in this current cultural climate, I’ve walked alongside each of them in their own unique battles with it. Every time I preach a message on anxiety, worry, and mental health, the response from people is overwhelming.

Through all of this, the one thing I’ve learned is that what seems to bring more comfort and healing for people is not my insights about mental health, or how to overcome the crippling seasons of anxiety when they arise (and they will). What I’m learning is the most powerful thing each of us can do is to identify with others in their battle by sharing our own story. This is a crucial part of demystifying the unfortunate stigma that so often accompanies conversations around mental health.

If my memory serves me correctly, I first preached a specific message about anxiety back in 2018. I know, I know—I was a little late to the party. I’ve learned over 25 years of preaching that the message really doesn’t connect with people’s hearts until the communicator shares with the audience where he/she has wrestled with the very thing you’re talking about. At the time, my most significant struggle with anxiety had been back in 2005, when I was in my twenties. I shared that story in my 2018 message and it helped people. Little would I know my most significant battle with anxiety was yet to come. 2020 was just around the corner.

I realize 2020 was difficult for everyone for a variety of reasons and I was no exception. It was the worst year of my life. June 2020 was the worst month of my life, the second week of June was the worst week of my life, and Tuesday of that week was the worst day of my life. By nature, I’m wired as an achiever and a helper. However, during COVID-19, I felt like I wasn’t achieving anything or helping anyone. In fact, it felt the exact opposite! It seemed as if things were falling apart, and everyone was mad at me! No matter what I said (or didn’t say), regardless of what decision I made (or didn’t make), it seemed that 50% of the people were going to get angry with me...and they did. Many of them sent detailed emails informing me of how they felt and then left our church. It was painful. During the second week of June, things had reached a fever pitch within our country, our culture, and our church. As I was doing my best to pastor others through the crisis, my mental health unraveled. That Tuesday morning, as I was preparing to write a challenging message from God’s Word that spoke directly to what we were seeing within the culture, my mom called to inform me my grandmother had passed away rather unexpectedly. The family wanted me to preach at her funeral later that week, which meant I would need to finish writing a message filled with all sorts of cultural landmines by the end of the day and record it in front of a camera the next day so it could be shown on the weekend while I was out of town!

I lost it.

It was the closest I’d ever come to resigning from a job I absolutely love and a church I adore. I didn’t want to do it anymore. I couldn’t think of any legitimate reason why I should. I could feel the anxiety in my body as my thoughts ruminated on worst-case scenarios. I spent the rest of the day writing and weeping (and praying for God to release me). Finally, with the encouragement of my wife, I called a friend and asked him to come over. I told him I didn’t need him to fix anything, provide any answers, or to even cheer me up. I just needed him to sit with me. And he did. We sat on my front porch and cried together. That was the beginning of healing and hope for me.

What I love about the book you’ve got in your hands is that Aaron Hoover provides this sort of listening ear, ironically, as you read his written words. Working with Aaron over the past several years, I’ve had hours of observing how thoughtful and wise he can be in the midst of challenging circumstances. I’ve witnessed the compassion he has for every person he crosses paths with. I’ve observed how he’s navigated his own bouts with anxiety and mental