Depression
Depression is a continuous low mood or sadness. a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness, including low self-esteem. When we are feeling low our depression tends to deplete us of all our desires. We no longer have a desire to do much during the day or in the days ahead.
The Path Of Life
The future is an untraveled path with all sorts of twists and turns and there may even be some detours along the way.
When our spirits are high we are flooded with optimism, hope, and pleasant expectations. Even the best route you take isn’t without a rugged terrain you may even go through some rather dark valleys.
But, when our spirits are low disappointment and discouragement exposed we entertain feelings of raw disillusionment.
We usually hide the plunging inner being from others, protecting ourselves with a thick coat of false public image using social media. embellished with a cliché or two.
If you’re the type who honestly and truly never gets low or feels the oppressive pang of periodic depression. then you’ll not understand my choice of words. But if you’re like me you’ll need a guide to help you through low times that often follow some form of high times.
Overwhelmed with self pity?
Self pity is when someone exaggerates their misfortunes and when they may feel hopeless because, they can never catch a break. They can never get ahead so to speak.
Imagine
Lows that accompany great vision is that all there is to this vision. Having the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom. Then, you feel low like the wind was knocked right out of you.
We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us. While at the height of accomplishing a vast encompassing vision Paul in the bible tripped and fell into a deep well of sudden despair.
Weary, lonely and emotionally drained the seasoned apostle Paul hit bottom.
Low occasionally accompanies vision, a malady not limited to century-one saints. And there are those low that attach themselves to great valor. Is that all is that all there is to valor? How painful yet how essential.
Without
Without it, the changing…becomes a predictable boring body of being with no mysterious marriage, lacking its romantic, magnetic appeal. There would be no need for ministers to be anguished …no knee for visionaries to fall in deepness on their faces before God and no need for the valiant to be reminded of their source of strength.
Is that all there is too low times? No there is much more most of which can never be described only discovered.
Many people are facing terrible storms in their life; brokenness, financial losses, unemployment, financial struggles. Some may even feel they are the disaster in their circumstances. So where do we turn, who do you turn to?
Are you interpreting your circumstances as an indication that God isn’t paying attention to your trials and tribulations?
The Depression Rescue
All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesús the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.
We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort we get a full measure of that too. When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation.
Our Benefit
If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word that also works to our benefit, spurring us on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.
Then he got in the boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were i a severe storm. Waves were crashing into the boat and he was sound asleep! They roused him, pleading, Master, save us! We’re going down!” Jesus reprimanded them. “Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?” Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became smooth as glass. The men rubbed their eyes, astonished. “What’s going on here? Wind and sea stand up and take notice at his command!”
Matthew 23-27
Trial of Depression
Since God has so generously let us in on what he is doing, we’re not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times. We refuse to wear masks and play games.
We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.
If our Message is obscure to anyone it’s not because we’re holding back in any way. No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see.
Stone-Blind
They’re stone-blind to the day spring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get.
Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started with God saying, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that.
Depression Settles
You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.
What they did to Jesus, they do to us trial and torture, mockery and murder what Jesus did among them, he does in us he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!
Console Someone
How can you console someone today even if it’s by text or by phone? Who do you know that is having a season of grief or heartache?
- Be prepared for some low time moments. Look at your upcoming commitments and anticipate ahead of time when you might feel like your spirits will go low.
- Read about depression so you can better understand it and perhaps help someone who may be experiencing one of life’s deepest struggles.
It takes honesty to admit that we are ill-equipped to go through life alone and in our own strength
