Have you ever experienced a time when it felt like life was falling apart? Or when you hurt so bad and your emotions felt so raw that you weren’t sure you could handle anymore?
I don’t know about you, but I have experienced times when the agony in my spirit seemed more than I could bear.
Read more for what to do when it feels like life is falling apart.
I recently had the opportunity, given to me by a very brave pastor, who asked me to preach on the fact that even Christians get depressed.
I’ve talked to many pastors, who have told me that no one in their church suffers from depression. I then scratch my head and wonder what planet they are on. You only have to open up your Bible to see that Jonah, and Elijah, and Job, and David struggled with depression. David said numerous times, “Why so downcast oh my soul?”
“Why so downcast oh my soul?” I could have written that line back in the day when I walked through the valley of depression.
Read more for hope to overcome the giant of depression.
Nobody wants to be the poster child for depression. But now that I have gone through that and am on the other side, I’m thankful for my experience. Truly thankful.
As a doctor, as a neuropsychologist, I was always filled with a lot of compassion and empathy for my patients. Now that I have journeyed through the dark night of my soul myself, I have even more compassion for others. Even more empathy. I can step into that place and say, “Me too.”
I really do get it. I really do understand. Now I have a much better appreciation for so many in the Bible who suffered. Not that my suffering was as great or as prolonged as theirs, but to read the stories of Jonah, and Elijah, and Job, and David. I have a better appreciation for what they went through.
Even in hard times, you can rejoice. How do you rejoice when times are hard? And, why is it good to do so?
No doubt, she was starving herself. She was unhappy with her image and was getting bullied for it. She had chosen to starve herself to lose weight. She had become bulimic to fool her family. Cracked lips and tired eyes plagued her life and she could barely pay attention in class. All based on the thought “Maybe, just maybe, this will work. Maybe now I will be accepted.” But the thought was not hers. The voice had crept in fooling her mind but it couldn’t fool her body. The voice told her, “You want to eat? Bite your tongue….” She laid on her bed and cried, trapped.
Read more for avoiding the trap of the enemy with Bryce Bengtson #HopeForTheNextGeneration
Traveling this journey of life, do you feel as if the path is dark and you’re unsure how you’ll get to your destination? Will daylight come? Faith-filled encouragement for a life full of unknowns.
