Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing
Finding hope and beginning to fight
John 16:33; John 10:10; and Psalm 40:1–3
In South Africa, 14,135 adults are antidepressant-dependent as per the private health sector in 2011. In addition, 253 million prescriptions for antidepressants are issued in the USA alone, and that number is increasing constantly. Depression and anxiety do not discriminate against race, age, belief, status, or the stage of life we find ourselves in. Questions we may choose to ask are:
- What does God want for our mental and emotional state?
- Does God have remedies for depression, anxiety, stress, and even suicidal thoughts?
The answer is a resounding Yes. However, we cannot exclude ourselves from these illnesses just because we categorise ourselves as Christians.
The good news is that there is hope, because Jesus promises and provides an abundant life, full of joy, purpose, and peace.
There are additional components that are present over and above praying and reading the Bible, namely spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. These all need to be healthy to get to full recovery and freedom.
God created us to live a life that is full of faith, peace, joy, goodness, and hope. We may ask this question: is it possible to be a follower of Jesus and still battle with depression? The answer is a definite yes, because many great leaders and prophets from the Bible had to deal with despair, depression, and discouragement. Yet God used them all very successfully. Can you think of examples of such figures in the Bible who demonstrated depression?
What is important to remember is that we are not alone; our faith is not broken; God is for us, not against us; and He wants to walk with us into victory. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus, dig into the Bible, and begin to fight.
Fight for our heart
Psalm 51:10; John 14:27; and Psalm 94:19
We should start by asking: who is in charge of our heart?
Proverbs 4:23 – we need to guard our heart because everything flows from it.
As a follower of Jesus, we should look to the Word for guidance and do what David did in Psalm 42. He did not try to destroy his emotions but praised God despite these challenges.
Psalm 42:5 gives a wonderful recipe on how to deal with the situation, and not so much on who we should focus on. David shows us that we need to be open with God and, at the same time, absolutely honest. David went as far as to talk to himself, and then reminded himself that he should put all his hope in God and worship Him. God is bigger than any of our problems, and He is ever helpful in a time of need. God is always working towards the good in all things.
Fight for your mind
Philippians 4:6–8; and 2 Corinthians 10:5
It is estimated that we experience 50,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day. This brings to mind the following question: what am I thinking about? If we do not control our thoughts, they will control us. Thoughts can do two things that lead to very different results – they have the power to cause stress, anxiety, worry, sadness, and fear, but can also bring about peace, joy, gratitude, love, and freedom in our lives. It is our choice.
God gives us good news in that we do not have to keep these bad thoughts in our minds. God wants us to give those bad thoughts to Him.
1 Peter 5:7 says that we should cast our burdens on Him, as He cares for us. Now what is great to know is that God knew that we would have anxiety, cares, and worries. This shows that God cares for and loves us. Is it not wonderful to know that God does not want us to carry these burdens alone? Casting our cares on God through prayer allows His peace to guard our heart and mind.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said that they should ask for their daily bread. This highlights the fact that this is a daily, hourly, every-minute task for us to do. We need to align what God says about us each day through His Word.
Fight for your relationship
Galatians 6:2; Proverbs 17:17; and Proverbs 27:17
We need to spend time with the right people, and, as the Bible says, we need to be part of a community. The Bible clearly indicates that we cannot walk this walk alone; we need each other, and most importantly, God.
Isolation is the recipe for destruction – the more we want to withdraw, the harder we need to fight. Remember, laughter, support, a listening ear, and open arms are powerful healing tools. Look at Proverbs 17:17 again.
We should choose these people carefully, because we will have to be vulnerable and open up. Ask God to create the push in you to be able to move forward and fight for relationships.
Fight for servanthood
Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10; and Philippians 2:3–4
We need to fight against this self-centred society we live in. Servanthood combats selfishness in that it takes our eyes off our own problems. Science has also proven that serving improves emotional wellbeing.
Matthew 20:28 states that the Son of God came to serve, and not to be served. Do not forget we are called to be like Christ, and thus our actions should mirror His.
Depression, anxiety, and mental illnesses often cause us to live and think inwardly, and not as Jesus said: “Live outwardly, caring for the sick and destitute; eyes off yourself and focused on others. Your heart will be refreshed and encouraged.”
Society says “It’s all about me,” but our Saviour calls us to live with a “Kingdom Vision.” It is all about God and others. We need to do this – otherwise, how can we serve and reflect His love?
Fight to be fully alive
John 4:13–14; Psalm 16:11; and Romans 8:11
Saint Irenaeus once said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.”
God does not do half measures, and therefore we should live a full life – overflowing, filled to the brim, stamped down, and complete.
People need to have what you and I have. After all, God gave us the ability to give to others: sharing. A dull, meaningless, and cloudy life is not for us.
Depression and anxiety drain us so much that we struggle, sometimes even giving up before we reach the winning line. Jesus gives abundant life, God is fighting for us, and we just need to do our part.
Fight to wake up, get up, show up, be there for family and friends, your relationship with Jesus, go to church, and be fully alive. Remember: following Jesus does not come with a guarantee that problems will cease to exist, as Psalm 16:11 warns us.
Jesus has overcome the world and lives in us. Therefore, we can overcome anything. Let us embrace the peace He gives freely.
Choose life
Deuteronomy 30:19–20; Psalm 118:24; and John 10:10
Each day, we have a choice to either go down into the dark basement or climb up to the light.
In the basement the devil will confront you and tell you lies. It is at this point that we must decide to submit to him and lose everything, or choose to focus on God and live. I personally think that we should declare out loud, “No Satan, you lose. I refuse to quit. I choose Jesus and to live. I am climbing out of this basement. Jesus died for me and then rose again so that I may live and live fully.”
Prayer
Jesus, please join me on my victory path. Help me each step of the way out of this basement, and help me to strengthen my faith in You. Give me peace, I pray. Fill me with Your Holy joy. Let goodness and hope sprout forth out of me, making me a shining light for all to see. Amen.