Salvation Sunday: Be not Afraid!

Even though the month of February is the shortest in our calendar year, it can be the longest for some people who struggle with depression. Usually by this time of year you see less of the sun outside and are tired of being cooped up indoors with cabin fever. Your heart seems just as cloudy, cold, and dreary as much as the weather outside.

Yesterday, Sarah shared her story about depression. Since I have struggled with depression on a number of occasions including post traumatic stress, I can relate to her feelings of despair, numbness, dread, insecurity, and the feeling of being trapped in a dark pit without a way out. I also know extreme anxiety that causes panic attacks and lack of sleep.

Be not afraid though, for here is hope!

At my darkest hours, God has been there to pick me up, carry me, and move me forward in seen and unseen ways. Looking back, I see His hand working. Literally, I would cry out to God like in Romans 8:15, "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Perhaps the promise that so often that kept me going day after day (even today) is found in II Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Whenever I felt really down in the pit or crying again for the third time that day, I would recite this verse over and over.

I took this promise's meaning literally.

During my struggles, I knew that this spirit of fear (depression) was not ordained or of God in any way. This allowed me to seek God's assurance of peace and joy. God promised that he would cast out fear by giving me power or rather strength through the Holy Spirit each day. And when you are depressed, you can only take an hour or a day at a time. But each hour and day, know that God will provide just enough strength at that moment whether that means making it through your next meal or sleeping through the night.

God also dealt with my fear through the perfect love of God that bridges all insecurities. God did this by placing the support of loved ones in my life to help me deal, cry, and walk with me throughout this time. Issues like depression bring people closer together.

This sounds funny but I would literally ask God to give me a "sound mind." Overcoming the stigma and shame of thinking irrational (you are not yourself or think like yourself when you are depressed), I cried to God to help me to think clearly. He made my brain and therefore He could take control of it.

As a depressed person, you may not feel anything or are simply afraid to ask for help. At the very least, please write these verses down and carry them around in your pocket. When you feel alone, have a panic attack, or have no hope, pull these out and say them out loud. Even reciting them over and over will keep your mind from giving into your fears.

Also, know that you are not alone in your struggles. God is there! Afterall, He promised to give power, love, and a sound mind! I am so thankful for those promises.