It’s no surprise that we face things in our lives that are very heavy. We lose people we love, we have people completely demolish our thought process, we deal with circumstances beyond our control that we feel is our fault, the list goes on and on.
I was reading in 2 Corinthians this morning and in verse 6 it says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We also see in Matthew where it talks about us being the light of the world.
There are days when we aren’t that. We aren’t a city on a hill. We aren’t feeling like we are the light of the world. Sometimes we are so overcome with dread and doubt that we can pull ourselves into this pit of darkness and don’t feel like we can get ourselves out.
Does that mean you aren’t a christian? No. Because if you have accepted Jesus as your savior nothing can change that. Does this make you a ‘bad christian’, I don’t believe that it does. I believe that we go through seasons that are hard. I have gone through things where it’s felt like I am in a boxing ring and being held down to get the crap knocked out of me. And I’m sure you have been there too.
But I have also been taught that in the end, we win. The battle may seem like a loss but we win in the end. I’m not saying that this is instantly going to restore your joy. 2 Corinthians goes on to say we are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Which I scoffed at when I read it because I know some people who are going through some of the darkest times in their life and they would feel that way.
When I have friends who come to me dealing with the heaviness of depression I have defaulted to tell them to read Psalm. David was a man who expressed his emotions quite openly. I also tell them that they need to openly express to God what it is they are feeling. Just like David did. Psalm 22 opens with “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.” Doesn’t that sound familiar to you? Read the full Psalm and see if you have ever felt like David has felt.
I looked through an article this morning on gotquestions online and found it very interesting what this particular author said about depression. He encouraged the reader to examine their life. Search for spiritual issues that may be left unaddressed. For example.
Do you have unbiblical beliefs about yourself and/or your relationship with God? If we aren’t walking in the word correctly this could cause us to have a wedge between us and God. Not because God has moved, but because we have. If the word says that we are his chosen people, then you cannot continue to tell yourself that you aren’t wanted or loved. If the word says that you are set apart, you cannot continue to walk in the ways of the world. If the word tells you that God knows you deeply, you cannot go around telling people that no one understands how you are feeling or what you are going through. God isn’t surprised by anything that happens in this life so our first response should be to run to him and seek his guidance.
Are there things in your life that have damaged you that you have not fully dealt with? This is a hard one. We all have baggage. We all have stuff in our life that we carry that we shouldn’t. Some people have deep rooted issues that they have never uncovered because they haven’t spent the time or resources to do so.
Are you harboring unforgiveness and bitterness in your life? We can hold onto hurt for so long that it changes our perspective of things. When we get hurt by someone or something, it can completely drive us away from people, from our ministry, and our Father. Walking with unforgiveness is like holding onto a poison and expecting the other person to be affected by it. It does nothing to them but damages us from the inside.
Are there things you did in your past for which you feel guilty? When we look back over our lives I’m sure there are things that we regret and feel bad for. When we hand those things over to the Father we aren’t supposed to continue to pick them up. We also can’t walk in those actions over and over. We have to walk away from them and repent. We can’t go through life looking through the rearview.
This author feels that Depression is a battle of the mind. I know that the mind is a powerful thing. I also know that there are things that we cannot control in our DNA. Diabetes, Cancers, Depression, ADHD. There are medications that are on the market to help with those things and I’m sure God gave people the ability to make them. I do feel like we, as christians, we have a hard time coming to terms with some of those questions that were asked before. We have to spend time examining ourselves.
When you do talk things out with someone, I want you to remember ONE THING. Romans 8:35-39, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that love us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You may feel miles away from him. He is still there and he still loves YOU. Don’t go through this alone. If you know someone who is walking through a season of darkness, don’t abandon them. Love them through it. Walk with them. You never know the power of a text, a call, or a hug.
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