It’s a question that echoes within you, isn’t it? How did you reach this point, where an overwhelming emotion has taken hold of your entire existence?
Conversations that should bring comfort now leave you drained at the mere thought, and in your silences, you’re screaming for someone to hear you.
When did this happen? When did pushing people away become more appealing than letting them in?
Yet, even as you distance yourself, a spark of hope remains that someone might pull you close and offer the healing you yearn for.
In the shadows, pain and discomfort seem like the only companions. At times, the notion of ending it all crosses your mind
Yet the weight of the burden you’d leave behind for those who care holds you back. Why is it that within your quiet moments,
The disharmony of voices in your head paints a picture of unworthiness, of being unwanted, of a diminished confidence in the person you were meant to become?
Why is accepting love from others so difficult, and why does it feel as if you’re an imposition on their lives?
Please, bear with me, for my intention in addressing this topic is fueled by empathy.
Society, especially certain communities like the Christian one, often mishandles the subject of depression.
We tend to forget that embracing Jesus Christ as our Savior doesn’t shield us from life’s trials and tribulations.
Even in our pursuit of God, depression can find a way in. Far too frequently, individuals are cornered into wearing a “life is great as a Christian” façade when, in truth, they yearn to break free from their internal chains.
However, I approach this topic boldly, for I’m aware that depression is a weapon wielded by the enemy.
My words are directed towards anyone grappling with this ordeal. Depression, that unforgiving monster, can ensnare one’s entire being.
It’s spreading among us, becoming a pandemic that we’re slow to acknowledge and often undermine. We treat it as a passing phase, assuming that it will fade away like a common cold.
Depression typically stems from emotional traumas that we fail to address at their core.
Lingering “what ifs” haunt us, reminding us of situations we believed we could have handled differently.
Unfairly, guilt and sometimes unforgiveness shroud our present moments, preventing us from fully embracing life.
The enemy’s whispers dominate our emotions, dictating our days.
What if the answer lays with the man who was nailed to a cross two thousand years ago? A man so in tune with human existence that he invites us to cast all our burdens upon him, even the relentless grip of depression (“1 Peter 5:7”).
It’s common in Christian circles to associate depression with a lack of faith or a weak prayer life. Such assumptions are judgmental and baseless.
While we are united in faith, our paths diverge, shaping us uniquely. Through Christ, we all have the power to break chains.
Trusting God through pain, in each season of life, is a path to overcoming any obstacle.
Amidst the darkness of the valley, where His presence might feel distant, hold fast to trust. Maybe you’ve heard countless people urge you to trust the process, and it’s become a refrain.
Yet, I repeat those words because they’re true. Trust that He can guide you out of depression, even when you’re at your lowest.
Find strength in Him, knowing He won’t forsake you. Surrender to Him means making peace with yourself and acknowledging that He’s in control.
Embrace the hope that lays ahead, recognizing that your past mistakes don’t define you.
Depression often drives isolation, but why not begin by opening your heart to the One who comprehends your pain?
Allow Him to pour self-love into your being, enabling you to see yourself as He sees you. This is your key to unlocking your heart to others.
Isolation often takes root from feelings of inadequacy and undesirability.
Yet, consider this: the Maker of the universe, who shaped everything, even you, knows you by name. His love predates your awareness of it.
Embrace the truth that you are cherished, and perfect love can find you.
A man I often related to when going through my season of depression was Elijah 1 kings 19.
A prophet after Gods heart who fell into a depression so hard that he felt His only escape from this was death.
And at the point where he reached the end of himself, God steps in and sends an angel to direct him to go on a journey to the mountain top to meet with God where he let out all his frustrations and complains and placed them at the feet of God, and as soon as He meets with God, He receives his next instruction and rebuilds His strength again.
Kind of like all of us, where life hits us left and right so much so that we feel distant from God.
And just when we reach the end of ourselves, we fall back to the feet of the highest God and he rebuild us and gives us fresh instruction to our next chapter of life
Just like Elijah our causes of depression though in different circumstances but facts still similar
1 fear– 1 kings 19 vs 3- “Elijah was afraid, and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there.
It is common for believers to feel afraid when it comes to our future or when we are going through spiritual attacks.
But remember, fear is only but the spirit that the enemy puts in us to make us feel unprotected by God
Hence, we run away from his presence and eventually going into a state of depression because we fail to face our fears knowing that God will stand with us.
It is important in moments like these to remember what Paul taught us in the book of 1 Timothy 1v7 ” For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid , but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
2 failure– 1 kings 19 vs 4– “while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. I have had enough Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am not better than my ancestors.”
The enemy really has a way of making us feel like we are not good enough and we will never reach the full potential of who God has called us to be.
By crippling our minds, he knows that with that, we will be able to make existence of what is in our mind (which is not true by the way) and begin to create of worthlessness and unwantedness around us and therefore causing depression and frustration in our lives.
But we are to fight the enemy with what the word of God has already spoken of us and begin to live it out just like God intended.
3 tiredness– 1 kings 19 vs 5– “Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.”
It is okay to be tired, we all burn out every once so often in our lives. But what is not okay is now beginning to function in that tiredness and act like everything is okay.
One of the many important lessons to be learnt from God is that even He rested Genesis 2vs 2-3.
Another note to take is that functioning out of tiredness really stops you from hearing God but rather doing things out of your own will which then leads to a turmoil of disfunction.
I do believe the reason God also encourages us to rest is so we can go back to His altar so He can pour in us what we need for the next chapter of our lives and not operate out of our will and emotion.
4 feeling worthless– 1 kings 19 vs 10- “He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
One thing to remember in your Christian journey is that none of us really know what we are doing but are just trusting God through the process.
Trying to analyze people’s behavior towards situations and the way they act will only put you on a downward spiral.
It’s important to remember that you are not God, you can’t understand everything as an finite being in this world we live in.
depression in this case comes when we are given a task by God and people don’t accept the contribution we are trying to make in the kingdom and therefore this makes us feel worthless to his people and not of use even to His kingdom.
The important thing to remember is that this is a journey of tribulation. If God placed something on your heart see to it that you do it with respect and honor.
Remember, it’s not a yes from people that you are seeking for, but rathe, a “well done my kind and faithful servant” from the Lord.
May these words illuminate a path toward healing. Remember, you are not alone, and there is light even in the darkest places.
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