Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5, NIV
I’ll tell you something most people didn’t know till they read my book. For many years, I battled depression. Yes, it continued even after I received Jesus as Savior. Although my temperament lends to it, I’ve also had my fair share of life’s experiences that fed into it as well. I hated how it consumed me at times and wondered why I didn’t experience the joy given to believers.
Thank God for the truth! The more I’ve focused on Jesus’ love for me rather than proving my love for Him, the more the overcast over my soul cleared away. I still have moments like anybody else, but I’m no longer depressed. Praise God!
The other morning, while reading Psalm 42, the Holy Spirit showed me the root of that depression and how I came out of it.
Hope in anything or anyone other than God.
If you depend on your efforts OR the efforts of others OR just the right circumstances to produce a particular outcome, you’re setting yourself up for discouragement and despair in your soul.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the Holy Spirit who was given to has poured the love of God out in our hearts us. Romans 5:5
Real hope is hope in God, who is faithful and well-able. When you put your hope in Him, you’re never disappointed. It’s a hope based on His love for you and His love is sure!
NOTE: In this post, I share my personal experience with depression. Everyone’s experience is unique. While counseling and prescribed medications are necessary treatments for many with depression, this post is about the role my faith played in my recovery. That said, this post does not provide medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a health condition.
And for more on healing the little girl in you, I recommend my book, DADDY’s Girl Forever, available on Amazon. In it, I empower you to move past the limits of your relationship with your father to find identity, acceptance, and unconditional love in the ultimate DADDY-daughter relationship with God.
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Vanessa A. Harris 