Hey you.
This winter has been hard for many of us that struggle with this thing called Depression. Yours may be a chemical imbalance, a situational thing, or a seasonal thing, or maybe all of the above.
Nevertheless, it can be a very lonely place because those around us who have never struggled simply, “don’t get it.”
So I thought maybe I could encourage myself today and you at the same time. Scripture tells us David encouraged himself in the Lord. (1 Samuel 30:6) And maybe, that’s what we need to do today is to encourage one another.
I figured out one of the most debilitating things about depression.
We already know the part of our brains that aren’t feeling well keeps us telling us we aren’t enough. Then, because we can’t do the things we normally would have the energy to do, we feel worse because doing helps us to feel worthy.
But really, does “doing” make us worthy?
Or does it masquerade as worthiness cloaked in perfectionism?
When our brains are sick, everything feels overwhelming and big and our concentration is just not there. And because of that, I feel the Lord is telling me to only focus on two things right now:
Do one simple small thing at a time and receive My Love.
How about you and I stop with the ginormous lists (which only makes our load feel even heavier) and instead concentrate on one simple thing at a time for now?
And if we get one simple thing done, praise God.
If we get two or three, or ten done, praise God.
Regardless, here’s what you and I must believe and keep believing:
Our worth does not come from how much we do in a day. And our worth is not of less value because we struggle with depression or any other mental illness or disorder.
Our worth simply comes from Jesus and Him alone.
Our job right now in this hard place is to open our hands and simply receive His love. To know that success in God’s eyes is when we know our worth because He calls us His Sons and Daughters.
So, let’s stop, take a deep breath, inhale the Peace He gives, and stop looking to the world and their definition of success and instead look to our Savior. And as we keep our focus on Him- He will help us to take one small step at a time.
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*Hey friend- if you struggle with depression or any other mental illness would love for you to share below in the comments on what helps you during the hard days.
(imagesource:canstockphoto.com)
Hi Holly. Great article! I have suffered intermittently with depression throughout my life, and of course my faith and prayer have always helped me through… but I have found through dōTERRA the amazing benefits of essential oils for mental and emotional health. It’s one of the reasons I have found my joy and purpose in sharing these oils. They literally change our chemical response in the brain to stress and negative emotions. Just wanted to share what has been working for me and so many others. 😊
God bless and thank you for sharing your heart and faith through your writing!!!
Janice, Thank you so much for coming by and sharing with me bout the oils! I definitely need to check those out! Love you friend! xo