Labels

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Purity 261: Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship

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?"

Isolation and Withdrawal

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!

 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.