Welcome back to week 39. We hope the past week has been a blessed one for you. Last week we briefly considered the topic of anger. We saw that anger can be righteous or sinful and that the way in which we deal with it can be, too. 

This week we will briefly examine some typical homework assignments for one who is depressed or anxious. These short examples should be helpful in getting you started. It is basically a given that we will encounter depression and anxiety during our counseling / discipleship time so here are some actual examples of homework.

Since we do not want to be merely hearers of the Word but doers (James 1, 2), and because God will not change anyone without them putting in effort (1 Tim. 4) the following types of homework assignments should be assigned for: 

Depression:^[1]

1. Philippians 4:4 is a command to be joyful in the Lord regardless of your circumstances. Thus, it is suggesting that being a joyful person and overcoming depression will require your personal effort and responsibility. As you think and do what God wants you to think and do your depression will start to fade away. Study the following verses and note what you mustdo to overcome your depression.

a. Psalm 1:1-3: 

b. Psalm 16:8-9:

c. Psalm 32:1-2:

2. Make a list of your responsibilities (on a separate sheet of paper). Note which responsibilities you have been fulfilling well, and which ones you have been neglecting because you have not felt like doing them. Ask God to help you do what you ought to regardless of how you feel. Next, plan a schedule that gives you time to do all you ought to do. Then, get started fulfilling your responsibilities. 

Do not focus on how bad you feel, or on how much you dislike the task. Focus on functioning to glorify God because that is how He intended you to operate (Is. 43:7; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 5:9). Trust the Lord that He will empower you to obey Him regardless of the task’s difficulty (Phil. 2:12-13; 4:13). 

Worry:

1. Study the following verses and write down (on a separate sheet of paper) everything they indicate about anxiety and worry: Lev. 26:14-18, 21, 23-24, 27-28, 36-38; Psalm 38:6; 77:4; Prov. 15:15; 28:1; Ezk. .4:16-17; Luke 8:14; 21:34.

2. Worry and anxiety come from treasuring and storing up the wrong things. Write the answers to the following questions on a separate sheet of paper: 

a. According to Matt. 6:19-20 what wrong things are you treasuring? 

b. According to Matt. 6:21 what does wrong treasure do to your heart?

c. According to Matt. 6:24 what have you been loving and serving?

d. According to Matt. 6:25-33 what does God command us to do about our worrying and why does He command it (pay special attention to v.3 3)? 

Fear: Study the provided verses and note everything they have to say about fear (e.g., fear’s results, causes, and solution). Specifically write down what causes your fear, its results, and a Biblical strategy for overcoming sinful fear. Keep a daily fear discovery journal which includes; time of fear, place of fear, what happened, whom you are with, what you think about and what you do when tempted to be fearful. 

Compare your thoughts and reactions to what Scripture indicates they should be. Did you Biblically handle your fear? If not, how did you fail? How, specifically, should you change your response when you are tempted to become fearful again?

Fear verses: results (R), causes (C), solutions (S).  (Write answers on separate sheet of paper)

Lk. 21:26(R), 1 Jn. 4:18-19(C and S)

Prov. 29:25(R), Prov. 28:1(C), Ps. 112:1, 7, 8(S)

Prov. 10:24(R), Prov. 29:25(C), 2 Tim. 1:7(S)

Matt. 25:14-25(R) ,Jn. 7:13;20:19(C), Gen. 32:7-12(S)

We hope our short time considering homework examples for depression and anxiety was helpful. They should be useful in getting you started in homework compilation. Lord willing, next week we will examine how to deal biblically with sin in counseling. Until then may our Lord bless you and keep you.

---

Welcome back to week 39. We hope the past week has been a blessed one for you. Last week we briefly considered the topic of anger. We saw that anger can be righteous or sinful and that the way in which we deal with it can be, too. 

This week we will briefly examine some typical homework assignments for one who is depressed or anxious. These short examples should be helpful in getting you started. It is basically a given that we will encounter depression and anxiety during our counseling / discipleship time so here are some actual examples of homework.

Since we do not want to be merely hearers of the Word but doers (James 1, 2), and because God will not change anyone without them putting in effort (1 Tim. 4) the following types of homework assignments should be assigned for: 

Depression:^[1]

1. Philippians 4:4 is a command to be joyful in the Lord regardless of your circumstances. Thus, it is suggesting that being a joyful person and overcoming depression will require your personal effort and responsibility. As you think and do what God wants you to think and do your depression will start to fade away. Study the following verses and note what you mustdo to overcome your depression.

a. Psalm 1:1-3: 

b. Psalm 16:8-9:

c. Psalm 32:1-2:

2. Make a list of your responsibilities (on a separate sheet of paper). Note which responsibilities you have been fulfilling well, and which ones you have been neglecting because you have not felt like doing them. Ask God to help you do what you ought to regardless of how you feel. Next, plan a schedule that gives you time to do all you ought to do. Then, get started fulfilling your responsibilities. 

Do not focus on how bad you feel, or on how much you dislike the task. Focus on functioning to glorify God because that is how He intended you to operate (Is. 43:7; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 5:9). Trust the Lord that He will empower you to obey Him regardless of the task’s difficulty (Phil. 2:12-13; 4:13). 

Worry:

1. Study the following verses and write down (on a separate sheet of paper) everything they indicate about anxiety and worry: Lev. 26:14-18, 21, 23-24, 27-28, 36-38; Psalm 38:6; 77:4; Prov. 15:15; 28:1; Ezk. .4:16-17; Luke 8:14; 21:34.

2. Worry and anxiety come from treasuring and storing up the wrong things. Write the answers to the following questions on a separate sheet of paper: 

a. According to Matt. 6:19-20 what wrong things are you treasuring? 

b. According to Matt. 6:21 what does wrong treasure do to your heart?

c. According to Matt. 6:24 what have you been loving and serving?

d. According to Matt. 6:25-33 what does God command us to do about our worrying and why does He command it (pay special attention to v.3 3)? 

Fear: Study the provided verses and note everything they have to say about fear (e.g., fear’s results, causes, and solution). Specifically write down what causes your fear, its results, and a Biblical strategy for overcoming sinful fear. Keep a daily fear discovery journal which includes; time of fear, place of fear, what happened, whom you are with, what you think about and what you do when tempted to be fearful. 

Compare your thoughts and reactions to what Scripture indicates they should be. Did you Biblically handle your fear? If not, how did you fail? How, specifically, should you change your response when you are tempted to become fearful again?

Fear verses: results (R), causes (C), solutions (S).  (Write answers on separate sheet of paper)

Lk. 21:26(R), 1 Jn. 4:18-19(C and S)

Prov. 29:25(R), Prov. 28:1(C), Ps. 112:1, 7, 8(S)

Prov. 10:24(R), Prov. 29:25(C), 2 Tim. 1:7(S)

Matt. 25:14-25(R) ,Jn. 7:13;20:19(C), Gen. 32:7-12(S)

We hope our short time considering homework examples for depression and anxiety was helpful. They should be useful in getting you started in homework compilation. Lord willing, next week we will examine how to deal biblically with sin in counseling. Until then may our Lord bless you and keep you.

---

^[1] All sample homework assignments contain elements adapted from: Wayne A. Mack, Homework Manual for Biblical Living (P&R Publishing: Phillipsburg, 1979), 14-15, 58-62, and 72-74.