Depression

For some reason, I woke up this morning thinking about depression.  It occurred to me that if we have depression, then we have accepted something that doesn't belong to us.   As children of God, we are not intended to walk in depression. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.  (2 Timothy 1:7)

It's the same with obesity...or more specifically, with compulsive eating and the baggage that comes with it.   When we walk this earth with baggage that weighs us down (figuratively and literally) we are missing out on the life that Christ intended for us. (And we are missing out on being a blessing to others, as God intended.)  Depression is one piece of the set of luggage that needs to be lost in a sea of unclaimed baggage!   

It’s time to toss a few things back into the sea.

   

Depression used to sneak up on me every now and then...usually around the Thanksgiving/Christmas season.   One year, it was particularly bad.   I was trying to get my tree put up, my daughter was helping me, but I just couldn’t seem to function.  Outside I was making the proper moves, putting the artificial limbs in the matching color slots; but on the inside, I was on the floor in a puddle of uselessness.  

There was a fight inside my head, because part of me wanted to wallow…but God was patient and kind to remind me that I am, after all, a believer in the Most High God.  You may think I’m crazy to say this, but I spoke out loud and I said, “I stand up to you, depression, in the name of Jesus, and you have no authority in my life, and you must go!”  And it did.  If I ever felt it creeping back around, I pulled the Jesus card on it again.  I may have some “off days” here and there, but I can’t tell you the last time I dealt with any type of real depression. 

Now, confusion?  I’ve had to deal with that a lot.   More tomorrow.