God placed tools in the Bible in order to help us in our battle with depression. These same tools also work with anxiety.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
Part of being anxious or depressed is the belief that you don’t measure up. You don’t read the Bible enough, pray enough, or behave spiritual enough. However, we put a lot more on ourselves that God does. Instead of feeling discouraged that you are not a spiritual giant, God just wants you to WALK with Him. Walk. Not run. Not fly. Walk.
We allow ourselves to feel stress to accomplish great things. But His goal is to have a relationship with you. To walk with you.
Walk with God as a child walks with his/her father.
Psalm 145:14-19 – The Lord upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; he also will hear their cry and save them.
Have you made a mistake and fallen? The Lord promises He will help. Has someone tripped you and made you fall? He will hold you up. Are you bowed down with depression? He can raise you up.
God promises that He is near to all who call upon Him. If He’s not near to you, work on how you are calling on Him. When you are not feeling God, work on your faith. Your trust.
How? Counsel with your pastor and see how he can help. Keep praying. Don’t feel like it? That’s OK. Just keep it up. Eventually, the feelings will come.
Find verses that help and repeat them over and over. Make copies of them and put them all over your house.
When you read your Bible, say out loud, “This is God’s Word. It is the truth. It will help me.” Even if you are not feeling it at the moment, say those sentences over and over while you read your Bible. In time, faith will sprout and grow.
Faith will come. Feeling close to God will come.
Psalm 94:16-19 – Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul would soon have settled in silence. If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.
This world is scary. In the old days, we only heard of crimes and controversies once a day if we read the newspaper. Now they are pumped into our homes 24/7 by the internet and social media. We are bombarded with negativity and reasons to be fearful and depressed.
Studies show more time on the internet and social media often equals more depression. Turn off the internet. Turn off social media. Turn off the news. Not forever. But until you are feeling better.
Turn on Christian music. Turn to the Bible. Turn to prayer. God hasn’t changed. His mercy still holds us up. When we have a multitude of anxieties within us, God is there to comfort us.
2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
How often do you compare yourself with others? Too often, right?
Anxious or depressed people usually judge themselves harshly and come out worse than others. Then they are stressed because don’t measure up. Then they hate themselves and get more depressed.
Don’t. Just don’t. The Bible says it’s not wise. You can measure yourself against God’s Word, and you can compare yourself now to the person you used to be. To others – not wise. Teddy Roosevelt was right when he said, “Comparison is a thief of joy.”
Apples and oranges. Both are good in their own way.
Anxiety in the heart of a man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. Proverbs 12:25
Science shows that when you think negative thoughts, there are chemicals released in the brain that over time can change neural pathways and cause depression which causes more negative thoughts in a downward spiral. To combat this, turn the negative words into positive words.
| Old thought: I always mess things up. I’m so stupid. | New good thought: Sometimes I make mistakes, but I learn from them, and I am doing better. |
| Old thought: I always eat too much junk. I’m so weak. | New good thought: I can eat healthier today by doing this… |
| Old thought: I’m so pathetic. I can’t do this thing without anxiety. | New good thought: I have anxiety, but I’m working on a solution. What can I do right now to help solve this? |
When you think or say positive words, different brain chemicals are released in that make you feel glad and good. Saying positive words also is cheaper than pills and has fewer side effects.
