Emotions are like Roller Coasters... you go up, you go down and you scream!
This month we're holding discussions on "Overcoming Emotional Roller Coaster". Yesterday we began by look at how to overcome DEPRESSION. It's amazing how depression has grown from rarely ever being talked about publicly... to now it's talked about everywhere. There are so many variables to trigger depression in people. Man that makes it tough to be prepared.
Studies show that 1 out of 5 adults will face a major depression in the life.
Women are twice as likely to face a major case of depression.
Depression hits people off all ages and races.
Depression is one of the top reasons kids commit suicide.
How sad are those few facts!
I have to admit, I haven't personally gone through a depression state. I have had several major events in my life that easily could have helped get me severally depressed. I never slipped that low. (Thank God... really!!!!!) Yes, I have faced the blues... we all do. But depression is different. It's longer, darker, colder, and emotionally embarrassing for many to admit to.
Jeremiah, the OT prophet, was known as the "Weeping Prophet" by his people. That's a man with a serious depression problem to overcome. Yet, he did overcome it. He learnerd to be real and face it. Sadly it never really went away, not even after 40 years of serving God. I guess that's what gives me hope. I can look at a real life example of a man 100% sold out to God, laughed at by many people, depressed and deeply hurt... yet he fulfilled his calling by God! He stayed in the real work, walked the streets of his city, faced the people and even survived prison. HOW?
He was real with God and others. He believed that God was bigger, stronger than even his depression. His heart was pumping compassion and love... even as his words rang out "doom and gloom". Yes, medicine can and does help people with depression. But the real medicine can only come from God and Godly people committed to helping others overcome the ugly, out of control emotional roller coaster called depression.
I pray, when depression hits me... I can be like Jeremiah and overcome because I know "Jesus has overcome the world".
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5 comments:
I'll likely be slipping into depression soon....I will write more details later...perhaps in the prayer blog...and am very much looking forward to coming to group Tuesday night(and Thursday) and sharing this most trying moment I've had so far in my life.
"Big Daddy" what you posted was right on and so revealing.... thanks!
The trick with depression, our discussion last nigt confirmed it, what helps one person... may not help another. Depression is such a personal and mysterious thing. Yet, you're right it can be overcome and we have to be realistic that it will reappear. Med's may be a source to help give us a "leg up", but in the end a lot overcoming depression comes from how hard we want to "fight" it and reach up to God, out to other and be real (as you just were) about the THE REAL CAUSE of the depression.
Depression affects way more people than I (we) ever could imagine.... I pray that the church rises up to help many people overcome this big rollercoaster of life.
Emotional Roller Coaster #2 - LACK OF SELF-WORTH
Have you ever been on a rollercoaster that has a loop or two on it? Loops that make you unaware if you're really up or down. That's the roller coaster that many of us (me included growing up) battle on a regular bases. Often we are unware of our upside down self image and what we value, compared to where we should be looking for value and worth.
I love the story of Moses (Exodus 3 & 4), because he faced many of the same emotional ups and downs that I have in my life. I also love discussing the real person of Moses, compared to the Charlton Heston and Hollywood version. Reality is Moses had really poor self-worth. For almost 80 years he felt he was worthless, just a slave and wanna be prince, that had killed a man and couldn't speak well. Yet, God spoke through the firey bush experience and reminded Moses, it's not self value that is important... it's value found in God, the creator of the universe, the creator of our mouths, eyes, ears and more.
Moses got put right side up on the emotional roller coaster and followed God on an great adventure just as he was. Knowing that has helped more so much, to stop the comparison game and simply trust / follow God... just as I am.
This week our life lesson / discussion was on FEAR.
What is it that you fear the most, that stops you in your tracks?
Fear is the ememy of advancement, of forward movement. As Jesus followers Jesus said "go".
The number one thing God says all throughout the scriptures is "have no fear." Yet as a people and a church we fear so much. The church was actually a movement in the first century a force that moved at such a pass it changed the world. The world actually feared the early Jesus movement. Imagine that, a world afraid of people sold out to a living "Faith, Love and Hope" out at a high, high level.
Yet today the world does not fear the movement of Jesus Christ. Instead it laughs at it as Goliath laughed at the army of Isreal... that froze in fear.
Wouldn't it be great to live in an age where we saw the world once again afraid that "faith, love & hope" might over take the world. Won't it be great to see followers of Jesus advancing instead of retreating.
The Bible says this, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 2:17)
Have no fear and advance for God today.
ROLLER COASTER #4 - Failure
Sunday we looked at the classic story of the prodigal / lost son that Jesus tells to the crowd in Luke 15.
The point that hit's me the most about overcoming failure is when Jesus said, "He came to his senses."
Often as we face what we believe to be a "failure" we struggle with "coming to our senses." Looking at reality is never fun. Admittig the truth about how your actions and attiudes put you where you are at in life is really tough. But, once we come to our senses then we have a chance to move forward again. Denial is a power thing, here's hoping we get more and more real so we can overcome failure and return home to freedom.
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