It's scary not being able to trust your own mind. You only have one, and it's failing you. You're anxious...all the time. You have no one to talk to. You're worried that if you do, they'll judge you. And if you do seek help, what does that mean about you?
"Am I crazy? Oh my God, am I...depressed?!
Please, God, no!"
"Is therapy cool, now? People don't seem to hide
that they go to therapy anymore."
"I'm ashamed to admit I need help. It's the stigma."
"I don't want people to think I'm weak. Am I weak?"
That's what's playing in a lot of minds right now. A lot of minds. More than you think. Trust me.
It's playing in yours, too, isn't it? I bet it is. You're not reading this by coincidence. God sent you here for a reason. He wants you to know:
What people seem to forget is that God knows everything. He sees everything. He knows how many nights you've been crying yourself to sleep. He knows your pain. He feels it with you. "He's close to the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalms 147:3) Yes, God has feelings. Who do you think invented yours? So, on to the question of the hour: Why are you depressed? The answer is simple: you're scared and unsure.
You're scared you won't be able to handle tomorrow because today was too hard. Yesterday was too disappointing, so the future must be bleak. For some odd reason, you're not feeling good about yourself. Every time you try to find happiness, something goes wrong. It's been too long since you smiled freely without anything being on your mind. Now, you're wondering if you need Zoloft or something to get you through the day.
Don't get mad when I tell you what's been going on. Ok?
God did not create you to worry. He did not create you to fear. So, when you start feeling those things, worry and fear, it means something's wrong--but not what you think.
What's going on is God's not leading you. You are. And you don't know how to direct your future anymore. You've gotta ask yourself:
I asked you not to get mad earlier because people tend to get defensive when I tell them they're not as in control as they think. Wait till I show you that's exactly how God wants you. But we're getting waay ahead of ourselves here! First, the basics...
When you're depressed, your mind is telling you it's missing some things. It's missing confidence, joy, direction, certainty, love...hope. Guess what. God is made of ALL those things. So, without that Ultimate Source, your mind starts to wander. It starts to fade. You start questioning life and your place in it. You start wondering who your true friends are, wondering who you can trust. When those questions don't produce good answers, you start looking inward, thinking something must be wrong with you. And then the worst happens!
You start retreating into yourself, overthinking things. All of a sudden, you don't want to hang around people anymore. Not your friends or your family. You start wondering what would happen if you weren't here anymore. And then, next thing you know, the ULTIMATE worst happens...
For a split second (or more), you wonder if you should off yourself and be done with it.
Folks, that's depression. Pretty ugly, huh?
What if I told you I just described a formula of negativity and despair that, when HACKED, can produce the happiest and most joyful life for you? Would you believe me? I hope so because I'm living it, and it's true. Are you ready to find out how I did it? Yes? Good.
Whether your depression is clinical (you were born with it) or it's situational (due to your current circumstances), there IS a way to combat it for good! God always provides a way out of things, including our negative minds. But you have to be willing to let go. Let go of:
the pain
the guilt
the past
the terror
the trauma
the suffering
the fears
the worries
the anger
the suspicious thoughts
Are you willing to? Before you answer, think about it. If you're willing to let go of those things, you're telling yourself you want to be happy. Here's where the mind plays tricks on you. There is a part of you right now that may be saying:
"I don't want to let it go."
"If I let it go, what else will I think about? Who will take care of it?"
Exactly!! And THAT is where the HACK I mentioned above will take place!
There is a part of you that wants to sit in misery. It wants to wallow in self-pity and sorrow. It's like a crying baby that won't be satisfied, unless you feed it poison. But we don't call it poison. Do we? We call it, "I'm just thinking," or "I don't want to forget," or "I don't want to forgive," or "I'm too angry to forgive." We call that kind of thinking normal. Well, I hate to break it to ya, but it's not! To God, it's not. It's completely abnormal. Because the bible says:
"For God has NOT given us a SPIRIT of fear,
But of POWER, LOVE, and SELF-CONTROL."
~2 Timothy 1:7 (BSB)
People! Do you know what that means? It means that God DID NOT GIVE YOU a spirit that fears or worries. He GAVE YOU one that's Strong and Disciplined! That means you have the POWER to OVERCOME your depression AT ANY TIME. No time like the present!
If you were born with clinical depression, like me, it means that you have a naturally occurring chemical imbalance in your brain. It's like being born with a broken arm. It's nothing to be ashamed of, just something to take care of. It's a part of you. Accept it. It does not define you. But PLEASE don't forget that God gave you a SPIRIT of POWER. (Read 2 Timothy above again.) That means He also made you an OVERCOMER:
"You BELONG to God, my dear. You have ALREADY OVERCOME, because The One who is IN YOU is GREATER than your problems."
~1 John 4:4 (translated)
If your depression is situational (you lost your job, you got divorced, you broke up with someone, you lost your home, the sky fell in on you), your thoughts can still be CHANGED before your situation does! You can HACK your thoughts whenever you want...IF you're willing.
THAT 2 Timothy scripture is how you HACK the negativity and despair that spilled from my fingers onto the screen in the beginning. You'll remember WHO you are and WHOSE you are. You WEREN'T born to FEAR or WORRY. You WEREN'T born to be timid and weak. YOU WERE BORN TO OVERCOME. And since God is an expert at making the impossible POSSIBLE (Matthew 19:26), you have the strongest power in the universe cheering you on to:
Get Better
Be Stronger
Be Better
If you allow God to HACK that evil formula of negativity and despair that's been circling your brain for forever, the bible says:
"The Lord HIMSELF will FIGHT for YOU. Just STAY calm."
~Exodus 14:14
"So be strong and courageous! DO NOT be AFRAID and DO NOT panic before them. For The Lord YOUR GOD will PERSONALLY go ahead of you. He will NOT fail you OR abandon you."
~Deuteronomy 31:6
So, now that we know how to HACK that formula of negativity and despair, let's get practical. How do you access AND put to practice all of this great POWER? It's easier than you think:
The next time someone cuts you off in traffic, say, "God, make me patient."
The next time someone betrays you, say, "God, give me better friends. Help me forgive them."
The next time someone makes fun of you (for any reason), say, "God, I know you made me amazing. Help me not care what they think."
The next time someone snubs you or makes you feel "less than," say, "God, I know you made me important. I know You made me unique and strong. Keep reminding me every time I get disrespected out there."
The next time someone tells you they don't love you, say, "God, they may not love me, BUT YOU DO. And that's ALL that matters. Please, bring me people, who will genuinely Love me."
The next time you tell yourself you don't know how to love someone back, say, "God, show me how to Love."
The next time you feel depressed, guilty, low, unworthy, pessimistic, ugly, fat, undesirable, not creative enough, not smart enough, insecure, bad, too much, too little...or anything else negative, say,
"God, I don't feel great about myself right now. Help me feel the way YOU feel about me. AMAZING!"
Folks, I just taught you how to speak life over yourself, how to speak positivity and LOVE into the atmosphere! I just showed you how to ask God for help with anything. The alternative is verbal and mental death. AND YOU WANT TO
God loves everything about you, and He gave you the POWER to think and speak positivity over your life (Proverbs 18:21). Depression DOES NOT define you. It only signifies something that needs changing, adjusting. THAT'S IT!
So, get up! Live life the way GOD always wanted you to: Victoriously.
See yourself the way GOD sees you: Lovingly.
Live your life the way GOD always intended: With Him and POWERFULLY.
If you have to get on medication to give yourself an emotional floor, go on medication. If you have to speak with someone to get it all out, GO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE! (Make sure they're positive, though. We don't want the blind leading the blind here.) If you have to go for tons of walks, GO FOR TONS OF WALKS! Do whatever you have to do in the physical to get yourself right in the Spiritual. God DID NOT make you weak. Therefore, KNOW THAT YOU ARE STRONG in ALL ways, including your mind.
Take Care and God Bless Always.
~ From Brown Girl In The World
Gr8 inspiration & beautiful words. Thanks for sharing!