The dark hole of sadness, fear, and discouragement is swallowing you up. You feel hopeless. There on your fb page is a post, “How to Overcome Depression” and you wonder if it is really possible. You hesitate. Out of curiosity or desperation you click the blog address and read…
Congratulations! You have just taken your first baby step toward freedom!
Before we begin our journey, let me first give you a warning. You must be totally committed to finding the truth about your depression. No matter how painful, humiliating, or shameful the truth may be, you need to be committed to accepting it because “…the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) If you are not willing to go through this journey with an open mind, then read no further.
With the warning given, let’s begin the journey. Immediately we come to a fork in the road. One road sign reads “Believe and You Will Be Free” and the other road sign reads “Unbelief, Continue in Bondage”. What does this mean? Jesus Christ says, “…you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5) You cannot overcome depression on your own. Only through believing in the Truth will you find freedom. Jesus claims, “I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] except through me.” – John 14:6.
You may ask, “How do I believe in Jesus Christ?”. It is very simple if you are committed to finding the truth.
The first hard truth to accept is that you are a sinner. We all are. (Romans 3:23) Let’s face it, we would not be in a depression if we were perfect and the people around us were perfect now would we? No, we wouldn’t. I challenge you to make a list of all the bad things you have done no matter how “small”, for example: losing your temper. Remember, be committed to the truth.
Are you ready to go on? Now look through your list. All those things on your list keeps you separated from God in this life and in eternity because God is holy and perfect. It’s as if you painstakingly painted a beautiful work of art. Before the paint dried, someone walks up and touches it leaving a finger print on the painting. You would no longer consider the painting perfect but marred. Our sin no matter how little we may think it might be is still a “finger print” on God’s perfect masterpiece.
The next hard truth to accept is the fact that there really is a literal hell. (Mark 9:42-49) Because of our sin, we are all destined to go there (Romans 6:23), but the exciting news is that we have been given hope. John 3:16, a familiar passage, tells you of God’s great sacrificial love for you. Here’s another challenge, substitute your name in the passage:
For God loved _____________ in this way: He gave His One and Only Son,
so that if ____________ believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Ask yourself this question, if you are such a good person and could earn a place in heaven, why did Jesus have to die? He died because you can’t earn a place in heaven. It is a gift that is freely given and not earned. All you have to do is accept or reject this precious gift. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
If you are still committed to finding the truth, then you will acknowledge that you are a sinner bound for hell. You will believe that Jesus Christ took your punishment by dying on the cross and that He rose again in victory. (Romans 5:6) If you accept these facts as truth, prayerfully repent of your sins (Luke 13:3, I John 1:9) and believe in what Christ has done for you. Believing means to trust, to depend on Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. (John 3:36)
When you have made this decision, you are now a child of God! Hell is no longer an option for you only eternal life! (John 10:29) As a child of God, you now have the power to overcome your depression! (I Peter 1:3-9, II Timothy 1:7)
If you have been a believer for a long time, begin praying about your depression. Ask God to reveal the truth about what is bothering you, “…you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5) You will be ready to take the next step in the journey when you begin praying.
Salvation is the most important step to take in overcoming depression. Without Christ, you cannot proceed any further on the journey. I encourage you to take this step toward freedom. Please contact me if you have any further questions about salvation. Step two in overcoming depression will be discussed next week, so keep looking for the post on fb!
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