“The Darkness of Depression is real even when you are living in light Of God’s grace,” (Hodges, Out Of the Cave, 2021, 2)
Before being diagnosed with depression thinking to myself depression it is only sadness I should just get happy. Then, shortly after my grandmother passed I came to learn that depression was real and it was something I had to learn to conquer or it will conquer me. So I said to myself if I just be happy it will go away. If I just increase the joy in my life the depression will just God away. I remember thinking to myself, I do not have a right to be depressed why is God doing this to me? Why can I not just be happy if I just have Jesus I should be happy, but I’m not. Than I was reminded of the words of Jesus, “ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world,” (John 16:33). I read these words of Jesus and thought and prayed what does ths say about my depression. Ok so I remembered thinking if I Just have Jesus the depression will not be there.
For too long, I believed the lie that I had to be strong even though Paul tells me, “my power is made perfect in my weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul tells us that it is ok to be weak so that our weaknesses could be a divine conduit for his strength to work in us and through uis to accomplish His purposes for His glory and our Good.
Lesson from Living with Depression
- It is ok to not be Ok.
- Depression does not mean the absence of God but an invitation to draw near to Him. James reminds us that if we just draw near to God, he will draw near to you (James 4:8).
- Admit your weaknesses so God can work through them to strengthen you.
- We can overcome because He overcame.
- Allow God to work in and through ones depression and weaknesses.
- Often in our weaknesses and times of depression, God is developing something in you that others may need in their time of hurt.
The battle is real and step 1 acknowledges that the battle is real as Jesus said, “in this life you will have tribulations.” The living bible quotes John 16:33 as, ” The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
I remembered Isaiah saying, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not,” (Isaiah53:3). Jesus is a man who understand what it is like to be low but He also knew God was always higher than his earthly situation. In John 11:35 we read , “Jesus Wept,” and than…,people said, “But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” in verse 37. How many of us fall into depression because we think God should have acted when he did not? Verse 41 continues So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me….Verse 44, The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Sometimes, when we think it’s over, God is just beginning to work a miracle. In depression if we are only focusing on the darkness we might miss the light of God’s miraculous power. Don’t miss what God is doing by only focusing on what we think God should be doing. Hebrews 13:5 reads, ” “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”’ One of the greatest truths to hold on to in the mist of depression is that God is with Us and will never leave us alone to struggle. He’s not done.
Everyday Miracles 