Body: | Bible help to Overcome Personal Depression!
Within the Pages of the Bible are the answers to man's most pressing needs.
At this moment, you may be very discouraged about life. Life may now appear
to you as an endless, tragic treadmill, not really worth living or having.
Perhaps you are saying, right now, life holds nothing for me, it is only a
bum rap, a lousy trip. Nobody loves me; nobody cares if I live or die.
In the midst of your despair, and your doubt, and frustration, and
hopelessness, I want you to realize that Jesus Christ offers to you another
view of life; a view that is truly beautiful. Jesus has some special words
for us: He said, "I came that they may have life, and have it more
abundantly" (John 10:10). With these words, Jesus lifts life above the
physical realm and assures us that the abundant life has a divine and
eternal quality. The Bible tells us that we were created in the very image
or likeness of God, and you can be sure that if God made us like himself,
then our lives must have tremendous meaning, destiny, and purpose.
Jesus came to give each of us a good life. And you can enjoy the benefits
of that abundant life right here on the face of this earth. Life can have
many beautiful moments which you can and should enjoy and cherish. It is
very true, of course, that life has it's high and it's low points. Being
moody and despondent on a temporary basis is a natural part of every
personality. However, please don't allow your deep and despondent moods to
control your very being. I know that you may be tempted to blame yourself
unduly for all the things that ever go wrong. You may want to punish
yourself and others for the deep personal problems which you encounter.
However, the abundant life which Jesus gives prepares our hearts with a
mature love which can endure pain and suffering. The Apostle Paul says that
this mature love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love never fails . . . " (I Corinthians 13:7,8).
Please listen to me very closely. It is important that you understand this.
God really cares for you. In John 3:16, we read, "For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish, but have eternal life". There are Christian people who
really care for you too. We care whether you live or die. We want you to
experience and enjoy that abundant life in Christ. We want to introduce you
to that love that never fails. John also tells us in I John 4:18, "There is
no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear . . .". This love really
can be yours and you can have and enjoy a life that is meaningful and
purposeful. If you would enjoy life, then serve the giver of life - God.
Again, the Apostle John says in I John 5:3,4, "For this is the love of God,
that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. For
whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that
has overcome the world - our faith".
Depression has become our nation's number one emotional illness, and it is
increasing steadily. Rising suicide rates, especially among the young, show
the final end to which depression takes people. Broken, unhappy homes and
wasted lives are often the result of unfettered depression. Some depression
is good because it tells us we need to stop and take stock, have a rest, or
perhaps have a physical examination to see if there is a medical problem
that needs to be cared for. However, depression is most often the result of
a selfish, self-pitying, ungrateful heart. The wise Solomon said: "For as
he thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7. In discussing
depression, we must believe fully that God has a remedy for every problem
and that we can-go to Him for help. Here are some positive, Biblical steps
to take to overcome depression:
Recognize that God created you in His image and therefore you are good. He
wants you to be happy. He gave His only begotten Son so that you might have
eternal life (John 3:16). Abraham Lincoln once said, "Most folks are as
happy as they make up their minds to be."
Believe that God is faithful to do what He has promised for you. Look for
His abundant life. God has promised to meet our every-need (Phil. 4:19;
Eph. 3:20; Matt. 7:11). It is not ours to worry about food, clothing and
shelter. God has promised that if we seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, He will add these material things to us (Matthew 6:25-33).
Let His spirit dwell in your richly, causing you to have a song in your
heart, an attitude of thanksgiving and a submissive spirit (Eph. 5:19-21).
No misery or depression can exist in such a heart. Practice thanksgiving
and praising the Lord for all things. To praise the Lord when things are
going against your will is to show a submissive spirit. Be thankful in
everything (I Thess. 5:18). ,
Think on positive things, things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely
and of good report (Phil 4:8). Realize that all things do work together for
good to them that love the Lord (Romans 8:28). Do not dwell on past unhappy
experiences, bad news in the world today, or ways in which life seems to
have cheated you. Think about all the ways life has been a blessing to you.
Have a forgiving spirit. Bad feelings or unforgiven hurts toward your
fellow beings can cause you to feel very depressed. Telling others you are
sorry you have wronged them or that you have forgiven them for something
they have done to you in the past can often be the most therapeutic means
of bringing about a peaceful heart.
Try giving yourself away. Luke 6:38 tells us how richly we will be rewarded
if we give of ourselves. One of the best rewards will be freedom from
depression. Gal. 6:2 tells us to help bear one another's burdens. Finding
some hard physical work to do, for ourselves or for others, is often the
very best medicine needed for depression. Plan with God's help and prayer
not to be depressed. Live one day at a time instead of taking on your whole
future life at once. Let God's spirit rule your life. Ask your Christian
friends to pray with you and for you about your depression. Hebrews 13:5,6
say, "Let your life be free from the love of money, and be content with
what you have; for he has said, 'I will never fail or forsake you"'. Hence
we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what
can man do to me?" Remembering this verse, we can "Rejoice in the Lord
always," as Paul suggests in Phil. 4:4.
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