How To Stop Depression

Have you ever been piled up with failures and disappointments that led you to depression? How can an imperfect world that constantly fills us with disappointment bring us satisfaction and joy? Is it possible to stop depression while living at a world that will never live up perfectly to our expectations? 

Not only can this world disappoint us, but so can our loved ones. So how do we stop depression? 

I have recently been struggling with depressing feelings that I have kept inside for a while without even realizing it. I have been trying to submit my blogs to a magazine website that my friend referred to me, but that plan did not end the way I wanted.

I got a response back and they gave me suggestions to improve my blog for re-submitting. So, I revised and submitted with full hopes that this time I would get accepted. But until now, no answer back. I felt sad on the inside, but tried to forget about it and focused on writing new blogs to overcome this failing feeling I had on the inside. I did everything I could to overcome my depression, but found myself only deepening the depression.

What really became the climax of my depression was when I asked my boyfriend what he thought of my blog from reading it that morning. His response was, "I actually forgot what you wrote about." It was at that moment when I felt like I was at the bottom bit of my failures and disappointments.

I believed that I had failed as a blogger and was close to stopping everything that was originally my passion and dreams. I prayed to God and it was then that he revealed to me my mistake. 

When we are at a depressing state, we tend to put the blame on others and not see fault in ourselves. 

We believe that it was something or someone else that caused us to be depressed, but in reality, depression comes from us. 

What went wrong here? I was no longer writing for God, but writing for the approval of others. I gave my decision to be happy to the hands of others - not God. My blog started from my passion to glorify God and to satisfy him, but it turned to satisfying myself and others.

Doing things to satisfy yourself can also depress you because even you cannot satisfy yourself. You were made to satisfy God, and God was made to satisfy you. You will find yourself depressed if you live a life chasing your own dreams rather than God's dreams for you.

I was reminded by God that I am writing not for the approval of others or of my loved ones, but only for the approval of God. When I write for God, I know that I will never be disappointed because he is never disappointed at the good works that we do to glorify him.

When I found myself trying to satisfy others, I was continuously let down because this world was never made to satisfy me. Only God was made to satisfy me.

When you depend on others for your happiness, you will always find yourselves on the other side of happiness because no one is perfect. The only one who is perfect and capable of giving you perfect happiness is God. Psalms 136:1 says, "Praise the Lord! He is good. God's love never fails." God's love is the only promise you can depend on for your happiness. When you put your hope and joy in the hands of others, you are opening the doors of depression into your heart. However, God's love for you will never leave you at a depressed state. 

So how do you stop depression? It starts from you. Stop doing things to satisfy others, but do everything to only satisfy God. When you do things for God, you will always feel regenerated and joyful because that is God's job - to fill you with love and joy. 

Ask yourself this: Am I doing things to satisfy myself or God? 

I was confused at first when my blog got rejected. I thought it was going to be the perfect blog because I even had a far friend personally message me how this blog touched her. I could not understand why the magazine company did not see my blog post the same way my friend did. 

My blog was not accepted by the person who I wanted to accept it, but my blog did touch the lives that God wanted to be touched. Let go of your own expectations and plans because God's expectations and plans are better. There is no need for depression because God is proud of what you are doing and he has his own special plan just for you. 

I took my blog from God's hands into my own hands and found that it didn't bring me as much joy as when it was in God's hands. Take your life out of your hands and give it to God; that will be the best thing that you could ever do for your life. So remember, God is the way to stop depression. 

Get Up and Go

What does it mean to get up and go? It sounds simple to do, but if you were once broken, getting back up is not always as easy as it sounds. So how do you get up and live the new life that God has called you to do? 

I too was once broken down and forced to live a life with my bad past defining me. I could not erase my past mistakes, and thinking that many people would instantly define me as who I was did not give me any encouragement to get back up. 

I felt trapped from being able to live a new life and pursue my calling from God. I had dreams of who I wanted to be, but believed that I could never rise up to any of my God-given dreams. 

What finally revived and changed me was allowing Christ to come into my life and change me. I couldn't change myself, but Christ could. I finally found someone who was able to take away my sin and erase all the shame - that person was Christ. But accepting Christ and his forgiveness was not enough to change me; I had to get up and go. 

God will not lift yourself up for you; he will give you the power to get up, but it is up to you to take the initiative to get up and live a changed life. So how do we get up and go? It requires 3 things: 

1. Faith in God

2. Let go of your old label with a new label from Christ

3. Stay up

When Jesus healed the laid man, he didn't help the man get up. He told the laid man to get up and it was up to the laid man to take the initiative to get up and believe that he was healed. John 5:8 says, "Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your matt and walk." When we hear this story, it can be easy to picture the laid man getting up easily. But have you ever realized what it actually took for him to get up?

Faith In God

The laid man needed faith in Jesus to have the courage and power to get up and believe that Jesus healed him. Fear could have stopped him from getting up, but his faith in Jesus was greater. 

We must do the same and get up as how the laid man did. For us to rise up to a new life requires us to have faith that God will carry us through our troubles and believe that he has a great plan ahead of us. Faith is what will give us the power of God to accomplish what he has inspired us to do.

Let Go of Your Old Label with a New Label 

The laid man was known as the "laid man" in town for 38 years, and he had to live with such a label for so long. Before he could be healed, he needed to let go of his old label as a "laid person" and claim his new label as a child of God. He had to let go of who he was, with who he wanted to be in Christ.

To get up means to forget who you were -  forget your past and believe that you are now a new child of Christ. Through Christ, you can rise up and become greater than who you were. Stay up and continue to accept God's grace and healing for your new changed life. God doesn't want to see you broken, he wants to heal you.

Stay Up

God did not just tell the laid man to get up, he also told him to walk, and the only way to walk is to stay up. 

If we do not stay up, we will never be able to walk the plan that God has for us. The only way to see God's miraculous power in our lives is to walk it through. If the laid man never chose to walk and go, he would never have seen Jesus's healing power on his life.

To see God's amazing plans happen in your life requires you to walk in it until the end. Don't give up on God; have faith that God has prepared an amazing plan ahead of you. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

My past was not at all perfect and good, but from getting up and doing what God has called me to do, I now have a new life ahead of me. My past has not stopped me from changing and living a life to glorify God.

Don't let your bad past block the good future that God has planned for you. Because you are new in Christ, your bad can be used for the good; it has been God's plan from the day he made you. Accept Christ and know that you are his beloved Child. 

We all have a great future ahead of us, and as long as we have faith in God and know that we are his child and masterpiece, we can stay up to finish the good works that he has planned for us. So remember, get up and go. 

Is God Hiding?

Have you ever had times when fear and silence became your best friends? Wondered where God was during your darkest moments? Believed that God was hiding from you?

Events like the terrorist attack in Paris can make us wonder where was God? Why didn't he stop this when he could of? Although we may have many questions and concerns in the midsts of our trials, God never has any questions. God has all the answers and he knows what is happening and what is yet to come.

There are 3 things you must remember when you feel far from God:

1. God is good

2. God is with you

3. God loves you

God is Good

It can be tough to see God as good when we have just lost the most important people in our lives, or have lost that great opportunity that we have been waiting for. However, we must remember that God is always good - good under no exceptions and under every circumstances. No matter how bad we are or how bad our situation is, God's goodness stays firm.

God only contributes to the good and he only works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.." God never creates harm - that is all the work of Satan. God however can allow bad things to happen, but if he does, he will always have a plan to turn what was meant for harm into good.

God will always have his way of using the bad for the goodness of his glory. Whatever you are going through right now, believe that God is good and that he will take your tears and pains and place it into his perfect good plan. Don't trust in your situation, but trust in your good God. His good plan for you is just around the corner, wait on it.

God is With You

What is more worse than going through the darkest moments in your life? Going through it alone. God never wanted you to suffer alone; he wants to be there to comfort you. Just as how any parent would want to be there for their child, your God wants to be your father. Lean on him and let him guide you from the darkness into the light.

Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "..Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." No problem is ever too big for God to handle, and nothing ever happens without him knowing. God will never leave you to face a problem alone; he will go with you throughout any storm you face.

God Loves You

Romans 8:38-39 says, "..neither death nor life,  neither angels nor demons,  neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse shows us how great God's love is for us. Our sin and any power that exists cannot separate or stop God's love towards us. God's love never fails and it will never hinder him away from us. If God loves us, then why would he ever leave or harm us?

If you are going through a dark time, hold on to God and know that he loves you. Don't give up, but trust that God will use your situation as a tool to create a stronger you to bless others. If God allows bad things to happen, it is only because he has a plan to use it for a greater good. God has a plan, and his plan is to always love you.

I have never lived the "perfect Christian life", however, my mistakes and the bad things that have happened to me has not stopped God's grace in my life. I am now able to share to others my weaknesses and glorify God through it. If it wasn't for the mistakes that I have made, I would have never been able to appreciate God's grace as I do now. Bad things that happen to you now, will never stay as bad things. Soon enough, you will see why God allowed it and how it fits into his perfect masterplan.

Is God hiding? The answer is no. God is our savior, and he is a savior that will never hide from his people. God will never hide from you or your problems; that is a lie that only comes from Satan. God might seem absent in taking action in the midst of your troubles, but behind the scenes he is working the best for your situation.

God is fighting for you, so don't lose hope. God sent Jesus to suffer and to die on the cross so that you may live life to the fullest. Do you think that God did all of this to only hide from you when trials stir up on this Earth?

Hebrews 12:3 says, "Consider him (Jesus) who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Jesus endured so much for us so that we could be saved and live boldly for him. Hold on to the love of God and never lose heart on him. So remember, God is not hiding.

Which is the Better Deal?

Have you ever found yourself feeling happy over a good deal that you got but was not supposed to get? Stayed quiet when you got charged less than what it should be? It can be easy to see all of these things and call it a lucky day, but are all of these things really the better deal for us?

I was a victim of thinking that getting the extra meat at Chipotle with no extra cost was a better deal than paying the actual cost, or staying quiet when the bill was incorrect. And even when I did the right thing, I felt like I was losing out on a great deal. So which is the better deal? Doing the right thing or letting the wrong thing happen for our own benefit?

It might sound obvious that the better deal is gaining something that we don't deserve, but the truth is when we do the right thing, we are actually getting the better deal. 

Proverbs 10:2 says, "Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death." Ill-gotten by definition means to acquire by illegal or unfair means. The verse is saying that when we attain things through unfair means, it will have no lasting value..but why? It can be easy to choose the wrong way and think that we got the better deal, but have you ever thought of what happens after the temporary benefit?

Ill-gotten treasures do bring value in the short term, but its value disappears in the long run. When we gain things through deceit and unfairness, it takes away the righteousness of God in us, and it is only through righteousness that we can have life. Proverbs 10:16 says, "The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death." 

Life always bears fruit, but death does not. Think of a tree - a tree full of life will bear fruit, but a dead tree cannot bear fruit. If we continue to acquire things through unrighteousness, then the things we acquire will bear no fruit. Our wrong acts will slowly lead us to the path of death. 

We need to change our perspectives and see in the long term. Choosing righteousness will always have more value than ill-gotten treasures. The verse uses the term "treasure" because the things that we do get unfairly are still in a sense a treasure; they do bring a benefit in our lives, but whatever the benefit may be, do not be deceived by its temporary value.

The true treasure is not in the treasure itself, but is in the one who gives the treasure which is Jesus. Do not take in other ways, but only take what Jesus gives you. Choosing the unrighteous way is the same thing as choosing the way of Satan, which leads to death. Doing the right thing is the better deal because we attain righteousness, which brings life.

If you are not sure which choice is right or wrong, choose the choice that bears righteousness. The choice that bears righteousness is the one that will open the doors of blessings through Jesus. So remember, righteousness is the better deal.

Is Perfect Peace Real?

Is it possible to have perfect peace in our busy and ever-demanding lives? How can we have peace when life is full of risks and worries? Life will never stop bringing us troubles and worries, however, there is a way to attain perfect peace throughout any situation we will face. 

Recently, I have been busy with my full time job as well as preparing myself for graduate school. I was not doing too well on the practice exams and my final official score was sure not the score I wanted. My stress turned to worry, and my worry carried on to different parts of my life. I started to question my career and future, and found myself losing the peace I needed to live my life.  

I'm sure all of us have our own "what if's" in our lives. What if I can't afford this home? What if my business fails? What if my relationship will not last forever? What if I never find the "one" in my life? It is the "what if's" that prevent us from having that perfect peace we all dream for. 

Our "what ifs" will never go away, but they can be replaced with "I knows" that only come from God. 

Jeremiah 29:11 says, ""For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." With God, he can turn all of our "what ifs" to "I knows". In the midsts of our uncertainties, we know that our God is for us. What if I cannot afford my home turns to I know that God is my provider, what if my business fails turns to I know that my God will never leave me nor forsake me, what if I will never find the "one" turns to I know that my God loves me. 

God has many promises in the bible that were all meant to give us peace to live in the world we are in today. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." 

This verse says that God will give us perfect peace. So what is perfect peace? Perfect peace is having 100% peace in any situation we face. It is the peace that perfectly rests in your heart despite the storms you go through. Perfect peace means not having even the slightest doubt when you face challenges. 

Is perfect peace real? The answer is yes, and it only comes from God. Nothing in this word can give you perfect peace; your money, family, and job will not provide you that perfect peace. God is the only source of perfect and unfailing peace. 

The verse says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you."We can only attain perfect peace when we focus our minds completely to God. If we let our minds focus on other things, then that is when we give doubt an opportunity to come into our lives. 

Don't depend your peace on other things, because it is only God who can give you that perfect peace you need in your life. God is our rock eternal (Isaiah 26:4 "..the Lord himself, is the rock eternal") the one who's promises will never fade away. Other things in our lives may seem to be rocks that are stable, but through time, they will all fade away. God, however is our rock eternal and he will never fade or fail. 

Let God's perfect peace sink deep into your heart and flow over your life. His peace will stand perfect through out any storm your life may bring. So remember, perfect peace is real.