"Inside Out 2" is the much anticipated sequel its 2015 predecessor. "Inside Out 2" explores themes of growth, change, transformation, and maturity. These are all important elements of our spirituality and faith, so come and reflect on how we can grow in our relationship with Jesus!

INTRO

Today, in our “At the Movies” series, we are going to look at the #1 hit of 2024, Inside Out 2. Inside Out 2 has respectively found itself on the top 10 top lifetime grossing film in its short time out competing with blockbuster hits like Avatar, Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War, and The Lion King. So far, it’s my favorite movie this year and I enjoy because it talks about our emotions and what happens when we transition from being kids to teenagers. Let’s watch the trailer to get an idea what it’s about!

[PLAY TRAILER]

In the first part of Inside Out, the 5 primary emotions highlighted were joy, sadness, anger, disgust, and fear. Inside Out 2 introduces 4 new emotions: anxiety, envy, embarrassment, and ennui. And of these 4, anxiety is highlighted and contrasted with joy. This morning, we’re going to take some time to talk about anxiety.

What is anxiety?

What exactly is anxiety? Anxiety is the feeling of being worried or nervous about something you expect to happen or something you think could happen in the future. And we all experience it. Let me share with you how I’ve experienced anxiety.

As a kid, I was anxious walking home from my bus stop after a dog chased me. Whenever my bus stop came up, I started to feel tense and scared. When I passed by the house where the dogs lived, I’d constantly look back to make sure they weren’t there. It was the least favorite part of my day.

As an adult. I took an internship and after the first few weeks, my boss got upset at me about a mistake I made and said some mean things to me. It made me feel so bad that I couldn’t go into the office the next day because I was worried that I was going to make another mistake. It was hard to even drive near the office because I felt nervous of seeing my boss again.

Again, anxiety is something we all experience. A little bit of anxiety can be healthy because it can help motivate us to prepare for what we’re worried about, but a lot of anxiety is unhealthy because it can cause us to do things that are unreasonable.

In the movie, Inside Out 2, anxiety is the emotion that wreaks havoc in Riley’s life. We find out how anxiety causes Riley to do things that isn’t normal for her. Riley gets so worried about what will happen or what could happen that it causes her to makes decisions that negatively impact her and the people she cares for. And similarly, the Bible is filled with anxious people too. One particular person in the Bible who let anxiety control him was Saul. We heard a little about him during scripture reading and we’re going to go in depth and learn more about him to help us discover what the Bible says about anxiety.

God

Saul was the first king of Israel. In 1 Samuel 8 the people of Israel asked Samuel, a prophet, to give them a king. Samuel was a prophet who represented God and he got upset because God was their king, but God revealed to Samuel that the people rejected him because they wanted to be like the other nations. They wanted a human king to lead them into battle, so God gave them their first king, Saul. Saul was tall and handsome person. He was someone who looked like the part, but unfortunately, Saul was driven by his anxiety, which resulted in him making bad decision. He looked like a king, but he didn’t act like one because of his anxiety.

In 1 Samuel 13, Saul and the Israelites were going to go into battle against the Philistines, but they needed to wait for Samuel to come and make an offering. This is first mentioned in 1 Samuel 10:8. Right after Saul is anointed king, Samuel commands Saul to wait for him so the offerings can be made. The purpose of these offerings was to demonstrate a person’s trust, obedience, and dedication to God. Offerings were only carried out by priests, but in 1 Samuel 13 we’re told that Saul’s army is “quaking with fear” and his soldiers were beginning to leave. Saul’s anxiety causes him to do something that he isn’t supposed to. He doesn’t wait for Samuel and decides to make the offering himself. When Samuel arrives, this is how he respond to Saul’s actions,

11 “What have you done…13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. [7] 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

Sure, priests were the only people who carry out offerings, but the real issue was the condition of Saul’s heart. Out of impatience, fear, and self-reliance, Saul’s anxiety causes him to disobey God’s command. He takes it upon himself to control the situation to prove to his soldiers that he is in control instead of trusting in God through his prophet, Samuel.

We get a clearer picture of Saul’s anxiety in 1 Samuel 15. Before Saul goes into battle with the Amalekites, Samuel gives Saul a message from God to spare none of the Amalekites or their belongings. After Saul defeats the Amalekites, he takes the king captive and plunders the best of the livestock. Samuel confronts Saul the next day asking why he disobeyed God again and Saul offers a reason in in 1 Samuel 15:24. This is what Saul says,

“I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.

While some argue that Saul isn’t taking ownership of his disobedience and finding excuses to shif the blame to others, I think it’s worth considering that in 1 Samuel 13 he carried out the sacrifice because his soldiers were leaving him. Some of Saul’s anxiety stemmed from what others thought of him, which caused him to do unreasonable things. Instead, God wanted Saul to focus on God’s desire, not others. God wanted Saul to feel certain about his identity in God, and not others. Unfortunately, Saul’s disobedience results in God rejecting Saul as king and choosing David to become Israel’s new king, but before David becomes king, Saul anxiety continues to steer him to do unreasonable things.

After David defeats Goliath, he joins Saul’s army and becomes a successful military career completing the missions Saul sends him on. When they return home, the people praise David over Saul for his success. This makes Saul jealous. Saul is no longer the center of attention so to steal back the spotlight, Saul tries to kill David many times but fails. Saul who is driven by anxiety, pride, and his own desire eventually comes to his own demise and his kingdom and reign collapses.

APPLICATION

To avoid Saul’s ending, we have to consider what we need to do about our anxiety. I wish I could tell you that we can avoid anxiety, but we all experience it to one degree or another. We have to be mindful of how much we let anxiety control us. So, what should we do with our anxiety when we experience it? While Saul is the perfect example of what we shouldn’t do, David is the perfect example of what we should do.

David is referred to as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), but by no means was David perfect. David had an affair with Bathsheba and plotted to get Bathsheba’s husband killed so he failed in his own ways, but what made David different Saul was his desire for God. David was aware that God was in control of his life so he studied and meditated on God’s word throughout his life. We see this in some of the Psalms that he wrote like Psalm 119:47-48. David also lived a life full of gratitude to God. In Philippian 4:6-7 it says,

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

And David demonstrated his gratitude to God in the Psalms he wrote. Psalm 100:4 says this,

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

David was also sorry of his mistakes. He admitted his faults unlike Saul who shifted the blame to others. Earlier, I mentioned that David had an affair. In 2 Samuel 12:13, David admits to Nathan his sin and Psalm 51 is a prayer of repentance to God. I’m just going to read the first few verses, but I encourage you to read it for yourself to see how sorrowful he was of his sin. This is what it says,

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

What we can learn from David regarding anxiety is this. It’s ok to let go of things out of our control and give it someone who can help us. When we begin to get anxious, take a deep breath and question your thought pattern. Challenge the things that cause you to feel worried and nervous and determine what’s actually true and what you imagine to be true. Take control of what you can and simply let go of things you can’t. Let go of what you can’t control and give it to God. This is what 1 Peter 5:7 says,

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Give our anxiety to God because he cares for us. When we give up things that make us anxious, God will in turn give us his peace. So, this morning, I want us to take just a minute give to God what makes you anxious. Are you worried about the new school year? Are you going into a new school with no friends? Are finances tight? Do you have relational issues with your boss? Your parents? Your family? Your kids? Your spouse? Are you unsure that you can provide for your love ones? Are you unsure of your health and wellbeing? What causes you to be anxious? When you have it, I want you to pretend like you’re holding that thing in your hands and I want you to place that thing in front of you. And when you’re ready, I’d like you to open your hands releasing it to God. We’re promised that when we present what makes us anxious to God, he gives you his peace and so when you sense that you’ve let go what makes you anxious, I’d like to invite you to imagine God trading his peace for our worry. And when you feel a sense of peace that you’ve given your anxious thing to God, I want you to close your hand and grasp onto God’s peace and say a quick prayer thanking him for his peace and his care for us. Let me pray for us.