HOPE thou in GOD!
2016 was a year that so many struggled through. Just a glance down my Facebook feed and people have very strong opinions that this year just needs to be done! While I would agree the year was difficult, I am thankful I was able to make it through. There were things I needed to learn in 2016. One of my biggest lessons was that I NEVER want to go through that again!!! So as not to repeat something we need to learn from it, so here are a few of my lessons.
1. God is good! Always.
2. God will never leave us or forsake us - truly.
3. He is not hard to find.
He is like the father waiting for his prodigal son. He tells us if we seek Him we will find Him.
4. Sin often starts small like a seed - a thought, a whisper from the enemy.
5. Sin grows when left unchecked and will choke out the good "fruit" in your life.
6. Depression is not God's perfect plan.
Do Christians struggle with depression? Yes. I did. For about a year. I have a couple of posts about it. Now I want to recant some of my statements. I thank God that He continues to reveal Himself.
I struggled with depression, because I took my eyes off of Christ and put them on my own circumstances. "Why do downcast, O my soul? Put your hope in God." I put my hope in all the wrong places:
- people (husband, friendships, family, church members);
- home - beautiful as it is, it will not satisfy;
- shopping - no amount of stuff can compare to the God of the Universe;
- job - I cannot escape life by working harder;
- TV - living vicariously through the characters on the screen did not help
- Insert your own coping mechanism here...
For me the biggest cause of my depression was looking back! I kept thinking back to what my life could have been like. I questioned decisions we made. I blamed my husband. I blamed God. I blamed myself. It started out as a little seed and grew and Grew and GRew and GREw and GREW!
It grew to the point where it began choking out everything in else in my life. The fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control - do not grow next to bitterness, resentment, fear, disillusion, pride, hatred, and anger.
Wow! just typing those words catches my heart. How ugly those things are. But wait... what is the title of this post? HOPE! (in all caps) HOPE! Worth shouting from the rooftops!!!!
"Why so downcast, O my soul? Put your HOPE in God."
What is the cure for despair, depression, and all the other weeds of sin growing in my life? HOPE.IN.GOD
I did not just wake up one morning and everything was fixed. In fact, I'm still working through this. I just knew I couldn't keep living this way. You see, I have "tasted and seen and know that the Lord is good." I can testify of so many amazing things God has done in my life, but I allowed my discontent to choke out the memory of good. Over the next few days I will be sharing what God is revealing to me and how He is walking me out of this season of despair and into HOPE!
There is a quote floating around the internet... "Today is the first page of a 365 page book. Make it a good read!"
Happy HOPE-filled New Year!
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