Purity 261 11/10/2020
Good morning and Thank
God It’s Tuesday!
For those with the day off for Veteran’s Day on Wednesday,
today is sort of a mini-Friday so rejoice!
Today’s photo comes from friend who’s recent morning view from
Flagstaff Arizona, included this unnamed
mountain peak and the surrounding desert fauna that reminds us that the world
is bigger than what’s in our own back yard and that there are new heights to experience.
One realm of our existence that we may not explore and causes
continual problems in our lives is the soul.
The soul is our mind, will, and emotions, what we may call our “self” or
our personality.
Theorists with more experience and education than myself have
stated that our emotions are directly associated with the way we think. The good
news is that if we monitor and control the way we think about life we can
manage the way we feel.
One verse of scripture that I stand on since coming to Christ
is Romans 8:1 that says:
Romans 8:1 (NKJV)
1 There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Thoughts of condemnation like: “I’m no good.” “Nobody likes me.” “I can’t do anything right.” “I’m stupid.” “I’m ugly.” “I’m all alone.” “I’m different. “I’m weird.” can really affect our outlook on life.
Instead of looking at things according to God’s perspective, when we have a mental conversation of condemnation, we live in a world that is cold, dark, dangerous, and in opposition to us.
That’s why our faith in God is so important. There is little or nothing in this universe that will validate your existence. In the terrra firma, we see things shrivel up and die. To the naked eye life seems pointless but for those of us who believe we know there is more than meets the eye.
Thankfully, God knew how we doubted anything we couldn’t see so He sent Christ to demonstrate His reality in the flesh. Christ’s sinless life, supernatural miracles, and resurrection showed all of humanity that God was real. So, even though Christ ascended to heaven, His appearance on earth and the hope of His eventual return give us cause to know there is something beyond all this.
Amazingly, not only the hope for eternity exists, if we place our faith in Christ, seek His wisdom, and follow His ways through faith and surrender, we can experience a peace and joy that doesn’t go away. But in order to have it and keep it, we just have to keep our minds and hearts on Him. So, pray. Read His word. Seek Him in your life. All those thoughts of condemnation are lies, but you will never know it unless you believe what God says about you. God has given us the power to direct our thought. Direct them towards Him.
In the introduction to “Finding Hope Again”, Anderson states that: “To see yourself as rejected, unwanted, and useless is to be deceived. To see the circumstances of your lives as hopeless is to take your eyes off Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith, To think you are unloved, unappreciated, and unworthy is to believe a lie, because you are a child of the King who has rescued you from the domain of darkness, and transferred you to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
It's time to ascend that mountain out of the darkness, take Christ’s
hand and He will lead to new heights.
Today we continue in Finding Hope Again where Anderson &
Baumchen present depression’s mental and emotional symptoms:
Mental and Emotional Symptoms
The most dominant symptoms of
depression are emotional. Some other mental problems also indicate severe to
mild depression, but keep in mind that what a normal person thinks or believes
is also a potential cause for depression. The following are the most common
emotional symptoms and resultant mental states of those who are depressed.
Sadness
Depression is most commonly
characterized by a deep sadness. The "blues" seem to creep up slowly,
and bring with them a spirit of heaviness. Crying and brooding or just
"being in a funk" are common in depressed people. Some can hardly
control the steady stream of tears. The sadness they experience is the
antithesis of joy, which is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22, 23). Proverbs 15:13 aptly says, "A joyful heart
makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken."
Despair
Despair is the absence of hope.
Despair sees no light at the end of the tunnel, no hope at the end of the day
and no answers for the endless round of questions that plague the mind of the
depressed. Three times the psalmist cries out, "Why are you in despair, O
my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall
again praise Him for the help of His presence" (Psalm 42:5; see also Psalm 42:11 and Psalm 43:5).
Hope, despair's opposite, is the
present assurance of some future good; and the psalmist knew where his hope
lay. Jeremy Taylor said, "It is impossible for a man to despair who
remembers that his helper is omnipotent." The problem is, depression seems
to impede the normal process of memory.
Irritability
and Low Frustration Tolerance
Depressed people have very little
emotional reserve. Small things tick them off, and they are easily frustrated.
They have a low tolerance level for the pressures of life, and can be
frequently heard saying, "I can't deal with that right now," or
"I just can't take it any longer." One lady I was counseling said
what others feel also: "How can I plan for tomorrow when survival for the
day is at the top of my list?"
As Henry David Thoreau said,
"The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." John Gray observed
that typically, males in such a state retreat to caves, while women climb into
holes. Men tend to isolate themselves more readily, but spend less time in
their caves than women do in their holes. Most men are generally less
image-conscious and less introspective than women. Many will go away and lick
their wounds, then come back as though nothing has happened.
It is hard for some men to reveal
their souls. The tendency is to cover their pain with work or vices.
Consequently, they are more likely to become workaholics or alcoholics.
It is common to see people who
suffer with depression pulling away from other people. They feel embarrassed to
be with people when they feel so low. They don't want to be a wet blanket in
the group and drag others down by their depression. Although some may think
that isolation is a viable short-term solution, avoiding people often adds to
the downward spiral of depression.
Negative
Thought Patterns
Generally speaking, depressed people
have trouble thinking and concentrating. Their minds won't stay focused.
Constant distractions rob them of any mental peace. As water seeks the lowest
ground, depression seeps in and drowns out optimism. It seems easier to see a
problem, think the worst, predict failure, find fault and focus on weakness.
First, people who are prone to
depression have difficulty believing positive and good things about themselves.
Feelings of worthlessness become the breeding ground for thoughts of
self-destruction (see "Thoughts of Suicide" below). Their struggle
with guilt prompts them to become irrational, unreasonable and even delusional.
Second, they cannot think positively about the future. They can't stop worrying
about tomorrow. They dread it, instead of looking forward to it. Third, the
circumstances in which they find themselves are interpreted as negative. This
is the well-known depression triad that cognitive therapists see repeatedly in
their practices.
Thoughts
of Suicide
Sadness, isolation, loss of energy,
strained relationships and physical problems contaminate one's perspective of
self and the future. As helplessness and hopelessness stir in the mind, many
begin to think of suicide as a way of escape. Others just wish they were dead,
or that God would take them home!
In short, depressed people become
self-absorbed. Mental exhaustion causes them to take the easy path, which is to
think negatively about self, and makes thinking of others extremely difficult.
They will avoid hearing any more bad news or taking on any more responsibility.
They feel overwhelmed. It is a syndrome filled with misery, shame, sadness and
guilt.
Finding Hope Again: Overcoming Depression.
------------------------------more
tomorrow----------------------
God
bless you all!
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