Life is hard. As someone who is in a position of leadership, I understand that all too well! But all of us experience highs and lows. We get anxious, we get depressed, and we can’t figure it out because the Bible says “be anxious for nothing!” and to “cast your anxieties on Him for He cares for you.” Yet, we also know that Jesus sweat drops of blood in the Garden at Gethsemane, and Paul said
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)
Anxiety and depression are not something that Christians DON’T experience; we do! But how do we counter them? And so we’re on the same page, I’m not discussing the chemical imbalances that people experience, but the depression and anxieties caused by the experiences we go through. How do we, then, as Paul said, “rely…on God who raises the dead?”
Simply put, learning to praise and thank God through our challenges and trials. To be grateful for our trials is to give it to God, and to trust that He will deliver us from them, and that He will strengthen us through them. In some of Paul’s worse moments, He wrote of joy after being beaten, and freedom while being chained. His eyes were not on his circumstances, but the God waiting at the end of all things. His hope was in Jesus, and His eyes were on eternity. It is through Praise and Thanksgiving that we keep our eyes fixed on eternity, remembering also that we have a Helper, the Holy Spirit of God, dwelling within us to keep us grounded, and focused until we reach our final destination. Keep your eyes fixed, loved ones, and praise and thank God today, and always, no matter what you’re facing.
Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Romans 8:19-39
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Yorumlar