Overcome Depression 2

Broken crayons still colour.
Life sometimes comes with tough challenges and heart aches. In the midst of these challenges all hope seems lost, this article is not about those with a physical fracture but about those whose scars can be only found in the heart.

For instance; Joseph the dreamer was one young man who was betrayed in the Bible by his family, his blood brothers sold him out. He went from pit, to being sold and to prison. Its sad when you suffer for doing nothing wrong. But it is meaningful when you are punished for something you did wrong. Joseph was also falsely accused by Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39) and served a Prison term he did not deserve.

Joseph was lonely, with not one to trust, no one to speak to, no shoulder to cry on. Loneliness is a time when God reveals Himself to us. Genesis 3:8 establish a fact that God was in the habit of visiting Adam and Eve in the Garden. It was His presence Adam and Eve acknowledged and thought they could hide from Him. The Hebrew phrase translated “the cool of the day.” This could be literally translated “the wind of that day.” Regardless of what form the Lord visited Adam and Eve, the point is, God created man to have fellowship with him. But many times we are so preoccupied with activities of the world we do not listen to God or spend time with Him. Loneliness brings us closer to God

Family and friends may leave you at sometime, God will never leave you alone.When you feel abandoned remember these words from God Himself: Isaiah 41:10-"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand". There is a Supernatural hand holding us, waiting on us, He has always been there and He longs for a relationship with us. God is a heart collector who refuses no one.

God is interested in hearts, He is not seeking for perfection, he wants to mend the broken hearts. He is a heart collector. Jesus came on His knees to wash His disciples feet (John 13:1-17). Jesus came to heal the broken heart. Jesus demonstrated His love for us when He paid laid down His life to save us.

Furthermore, to know Jacob’s story (Genesis 32) is to know his life was one of never-ending struggles, he was a man full of fears and anxieties. Sick of his father-in-law's treatment, Jacob has fled Laban, only to encounter his embittered brother, Esau. Anxious for his very life, Jacob concocted a bribe and sent a caravan of gifts along with his women and children across the River Jabbok in hopes of pacifying his brother. Now physically exhausted, alone in the desert wilderness, facing sure death, he’s divested of all his worldly possessions. Restoration came when Jacob and God wrestled, he ended up with a broken leg, but we read that God “blessed him there”(Genesis 32:29). Broken crayons can still colour. God does not throw away broken pieces.

In Mat. 14: 19; Jesus took the loaves, blessed them, broke them and gave them to the disciples for distribution. The Bread was broken for multiplication, you cannot feed a multitude until you are broken, the Lord uses broken heroes to heal the broken. You cannot share what you haven't experienced. Jesus went around doing good and healing the sick but salvation came when He was stripped off His garment and died for you and I.

Another broken hero in the Bible is Job, he said; "And now my heart is broken. Depression haunts my days"( Job 30:16). Beloved, do you rarely laugh anymore, feel exhausted, and lack joy in your life? God is the author and finisher which means if He author something in your life, He will finish it. He knew you before you were born.

 

God may have promised us good things but just like Job nothing seems to be working out. I have good and bad news for you. The good news is there is hope but the bad news is, sometimes it can be tough.

In Western culture and even in our churches, we celebrate wealth, power, strength, confidence, prestige, and victory. We despise and fear weakness, failure, and doubt. Though we know that a measure of vulnerability, fear, discouragement and depression come with normal lives, we tend to view these as signs of failure or even a lack of faith. Frederick Buechner, one the most read authors by Christian audiences, characterizes Jacob’s divine encounter at the Jabbok River as the “magnificent defeat of the human soul at the hands of God.” It’s in Jacob’s story we can easily recognize our own elements of struggle: fears, darkness, loneliness, vulnerabilities, empty feelings of powerlessness, exhaustion and relentless pain. 

Even the apostle Paul experienced similar discouragements and fears: “We were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2 Corinthians 7:5). The truth is, God does not want us to face trials, fears, tears and pain but He wants His name to be on the script of your life for the purpose of soul winning. The devil will throw balls on your face but God will turn those balls to flowers. We are not called to build hotels and houses, we are called to win souls. The Bible did not say there will be a banquet in Heaven when you own a building estate, but for a lost soul. The essence of Naaman's miracle (2 Kings 5)was not to just heal him from leprosy, the miracle was an evidence to prove the sovereignty of God and bring the Syria to Jehovah. The Syrians practiced Idolatry at that time, God healed one of the greatest men in Syrian to express His love for them and prove His existence.

Although God does not cause everything to happen, He allows it. But there is a purpose behind your sorrow and be self assured God will announce your victory and give you double for your trouble. Zechariah 9:12 - Return to the stronghold [of security and prosperity], O prisoners who have the hope; Even today I am declaring that I will restore double [your former prosperity] to you [as firstborn among nations]. Your pain often reveals God’s purpose for you. God never wastes a hurt! God often allows us to go through a problem so that we can then help others. God can use the problems in your life to give you a ministry to others and you will be celebrated through Him.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1, verses 4 and 6, “God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things” (NLT).

This is called redemptive suffering. Redemptive suffering is when you go through a problem or a pain for the benefit of others.

Shalom!