Its true that God is not giving you what you deserve. (Im pulling for the Rapture.). Our Father hangs our pictures upon his wall because Christ adorns them with the jewels of his own crown. Sin would grieve us less if it left us alone more often: if pride were not ready to rise on all occasions, if anger did not flame up from the smallest sparks, if foolish thoughts did not fill our minds so often. I didn't like it. He is right there with you, just as He always is, whether or not you can feel it. I put my arm around this woman and prayed for the things I had needed just a few months before. If youre in the thick of the dark and lonely place that is depression, I wish I could wrap my arms around you and cry with you, because I know how badly you hurt. We might come up with a variety of ideas or possible outcomes, but we may never uncover the real problem. Yet we should keep struggling to do it. Paul wants us to see that. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(21111333, '778303f3-e1f9-4a60-a008-d055993a6017', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(21111333, '507f9852-1279-469f-975b-280001cef19a', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(21111333, '272ef0b5-280f-41be-8b8b-c3fd00ffb892', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. Owen asks us to imagine a man with a numb leg. think they should be. 1 John 1:9-10(NASB). But its worth it. . And R is for reading and reflecting on the Word of God. (Avoid emotionally draining movies and music that will feed your negative thoughts.). I (Elizabeth) remember, during one of my lowest times, having an overwhelming feeling that nothing would ever be good again. toohaving heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and also I am a Christian, but depression tempted me to distrust God. As I was healing from a season of deep depression and anxiety, I got to sit next to a young woman who was in the thick of it. Yet, they have sinned and fear they are not really Christians. Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? Thats okay. Whatever fruit they bear seems covered with the mold of indwelling sin. When youve walked with God through something as difficult as depression, it gives you a greater ability to walk with others through difficult times. What makes something that we easily agree is importanteven crucialsuch a struggle? Tell her to help me!, Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed or indeed only one. LIE #1: As a Christian, I should live a perfect life. He wanted forgiveness he wanted God to love him. Rationally, I knew that probably was not true, but my emotions and anxious thoughts were screaming that there was no hope. with everything weve got to keep our place. Depressed or not, your relationship with God is more important than doing or serving. As we look more closely at these Again, depression is a serious illness. The more evidences that are true of you, the more you can be assured you are a Christian. If you are able, go to places where you can receive support and encouragement, like a church small group or a family gathering. Really hard. What is confession? Doctors have found many biological factors that cause or contribute to depression, including genetics, parts of the brain not functioning as they should, problems with neurotransmitters and neurons (nerve cells), and certain medical conditions. Who will set me free from the body of this death? If you do not feel like you can muster the initiative to get yourself out and go somewhere on your own, ask a friend to help. He will give you a new, powerful testimony about His faithfulness during suffering, like He did with me. important to say to you. Elizabeth Clayton Lee is a freelance writer in western New York. Jesus also understood the reality that we fail that standard. So in these verses, Paul is reminding us that our struggles as Christians arent something strange or unexpected. The assumption that depression or any mental illness is a punishment for sin is just as faulty as the disciples assumption that the mans physical blindness was a result of sin. While its true youll never be free from temptation or from the pull in your heart towards sin, you can experience victory. God ordained all this. So that God accepts a little, and Christ makes our little a great deal. And yet, we can be If we joyfully interpret everything that happens sickness, death, loss, poverty as actions of mercy rather than judgement, it will transform the way we live as Christians. Two Answers to Help. . This is how the apostle Paul faced suffering: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). having believed in himwere sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians So, Paul is saying, we need to keep reminding each other of this Starting out the Christian life is crucial but it is equally important to finish well. Our ability to interpret Gods actions towards us as good is inevitably tied to our contentment and joy. Even in Jesus day, people were eager to ascribe blame for illness and disability, but He challenged their assumptions. struggle for me?. SometimesChristians struggling with sin blow it big-time. But do you, for your part, resist? Sadly, Ive had a friend and a teacher who suffered from bipolar disorder die from suicide. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. struggle against spiritual powers, but this struggle is not primarily about That is why we need to discover and take responsibility for those patterns. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. comfortable, and we want them to stay that way. When we put our hands to the plow of our Christian lives, we cannot leave prayer behind. The human heart is impossible to satisfy with temporal conditions or earthly goods. Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. By this faith, says Paul, you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. has done. Actually, this lie stems from our pride. Psalms 44:21(NASB). The growth may not be perceptible at a particular point in time, but I know when I look back years from then, I am going to discover my life has been useful and fruitful, because He has promised so (2 Peter 1:4). struggle. Recognize Lust As Sin Physically, a bad heart can cause us to get out of breath as we walk. And were caught up in that struggle. Variation: Sharing someones struggles with mental illness without their knowledge lets other people know they need to be sensitive. or advancing or comfort or career. Notice the first words in Davids prayer were a plea for forgiveness. P is for praying. Depression also gave me eternal perspective. Though depression, like many medical conditions, may be a lifelong struggle, people often learn to cope well with resources like counseling and medication. This lie takes the false assumption of LIE #1 a step further. (1 John 4:10), Nothing can separate us from Gods love absolutely nothing. It's hard to resist indulging in lust. I believe I've been saved, but I still struggle with sin daily. And He loves you through it all because thats simply who He is. Depressive thoughts tend to spiral, and because depression overwhelms your emotions, its easy to believe the lies that your life is hopeless and no one cares about you. So, Paul is saying, we are to stand in the things Christ has already given us. Yet, with physical bodies in a physical world, we very often rely on getting our certainty through our physical senses of touch, hearing, smell, taste, and sight. Because ethnicity is part of the good of creation, we seek to honor and celebrate the ethnic identity of those with whom we serve as well as those we seek to reach. If we do not confess our sin after we sin, we will suffer. I hate being single, so I should settle., My spouse doesnt satisfy me, so I should get a new one., My job isnt fulfilling, so I should quit., My church isnt exciting, so I should leave., Life is full of misery, so I should end it., God doesnt make me happy, so I should reject him., God is the one who helps; therefore, we have nothing to fear. The Christian life is a struggle. And walking with Jesus doesn't mean I will never face hard stuff or have questions or be tempted or wrestle in my faith. She seemed to think it was something shameful. It has the idea of to leave or to send away. The word was used in Egypt to refer to the draining of pools. But I am going to keep trying, so that I may keep growing. Just as people with high blood pressure take medication to help their circulatory systems function better, you may need to seek out medication to help your brain function better. I was desperately seeking deliverance. Because you dont live a perfect life like you should, that means you were never saved to begin with. We are going to heaven. To say we are Christians because we asked Jesus to forgive our sins means we believe Christ will forgive us because He is our God, Savior and Lord. If you are looking to experience the Bible in a new way, join us for a year-long interactive study with maps, photographs, and virtual tour videos that helps bring context and meaning to Scripture. No one should try to guilt or shame you for not being able to do what you would normally do as your Christian service. When I (Mary) am depressed, I cannot read about Gods promises. We need more struggling Were on a mission to change that. Romans 7:14-15 (NASB), Wretched man that I am! (Contentment, Prosperity, and Gods Glory, 1). The most sensitive Christians, Owen writes, often find their hearts weak, and all their duties worthless. The only works that God accepts are those that have been washed in the blood of Jesus (Revelation 7:14). The proof a person is filled with the Spirit is that they will be sinning less (Romans 8:13-14). Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The shell that her peers admire conceals her discontentment and joyless Christianity. Why? Her writing covers a wide variety of topics including Christianity, spiritual growth, mental health, foster care, adoption, parenting, and culture. We can't always know why God is . I was tired. Psalms 103:12(NASB). If you have placed your trust in Jesus, that same Spirit lives within you. Please do not suffer alone, especially if you feel suicidal. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. There are no good works that we must do to get there all our sins are already forgiven. Showing God in action in and through His people. He wept for us. Freedom has a purpose: obedience. All who come to Christ, trust in Christ, and embrace Christ find the forgiveness that is with Christ. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Facing Depression as a Christian: Beware These Misconceptions, Helpful Things for Christians Walking Through Depression to Remember. Grief over our sin, far from disqualifying us from the kingdom, suggests that comfort is on the way (Matthew 5:4). When they got home, his mother threw the medication sample in the trash and said that depression was not real. Her discontentment has led her down a dark path of sin, searching for relief, but only finding death. A person is a Christian because they are trusting in Christ as the One Who died and rose to pay the penalty for their sin and has forgiven their sins. The word translated "struggle" was originally used to describe close combat. When youre depressed, you are probably not going to have those emotional experiences.