hello..struggling with depression.

[beachykeen14]

thank you so very much for your response this morning,.. i just cant thank you enough...God has done an amazing work in my heart and my spirit today,.. he is starting to move me out of this dark phase i've been in, .. and the first thing He used were all these wonderful, biblical, so encouraging responses from this forum,.. It is so God because every single one of the responses i got today,.. ALL HAD THE SAME THEME.,... all of you addressed the things i needed to hear,.. only God can do that!.. the thing you wrote that helped me so so so unbelievably much was when you said 'Christ has already done everything that is necessary to bring us into a right relationship with God.'..AMEN. .. that is one of the big things i've been struggling with,.. i have been walking with the Lord since I was 13, I know Him i love Him i trust Him,... and never in my Christian walk have i doubted my salvation,.. until this past year,...I needed these exact reminders from you all from scripture that I AM SAVED,.. God has not given up on me,...Unfortunately one of the things thats been tearing at my heart and making me very confused lately is, and I didnt mention this earlier,...my youngest son who is a wonderful christian, husband, father, person etc,.. he also loves the Lord and has walked with him and been saved since he was 12,.. he is 30 now,... he is an elder/committed member of a certain denomination a church.. i dont want to mention it by name but ive come to realize this past year,.. there are a few doctrines they teach that i really REALLY believe are in error,.. bigtime biblical error,... i dont want to get into that here but,.. he has been doing bible studies and discussions with me etc. and he's been telling me things like ..i'm probably not saved,... salvation is not just grace alone but works too,.. the fact that i am not a 'member' of their church makes him think i might not be a christian,.. etc,. things like that,.. and coming from my son who is such a godly man and i know he knows and loves God,.. and i love and respect his opinion so much,.. I actually started to get very confused about this. I pray God will soon and very soon..show him (and hopefully his church) the things they are in error about and turn them back to Gods truth. ..Him telling me these things really got me confused and lost,. and it breaks my heart to say this too but my sweet granddaughter who is only 9 and loves God with all her heart,.. asked me with tears in her eyes 'i dont know if i'm saved,.. i've tried to be saved,.. i want to be saved,..but daddy tells me i can't be saved yet, .and that i'm not saved because i don't read my bible enough'.. my heart just broke,... Anyway sorry,.. not to get into that but,... ...All the responses I got from this forum today were ALL IN AGREEMENT, biblical agreement, ... and reminded me of the fact that JESUS HAS DONE THE SAVING. it is not by works but by grace and belief in Jesus Christ period. Sorry this is so long,.. i want to thank you so very much for what you said, Christ has ALREADY done what is necessary for me to be right with god. amen. amen. thank you. bk

 

[beachykeen14]

I`ve had my share of problems in life, my experience is comparable to yours including depression, health problems, issues of perfectionism etc. I`m just saying I understand where you are coming from with all this.

You referenced a verse from Hebrews, sin easily besets. Often there is no rhyme or reason with sin. It`s just the flesh running amuck and sin will always take you further away from God then you intend.
You open yourself to evil influences that take you as far as it can down the wrong path. Depression is yet another fiery dart of the enemy. Those happy sinners you talk about are simply people the enemy leaves alone. That`s the difference between you and them.

Spirituality isn`t always about how you feel. Joyful Christianity is wonderful but it`s not about being happy all time. It`s ok to be unhappy and God is able to minister to your soul in your unhappiness. He will meet you where you are at.

I wasn`t fond of James when I was a young man but he has grown on me over the years.
I find James 4 to be very good as I try to grapple with my problems. It suits my mood and helps me to know that God doesn`t have a problem with me if I don`t feel like being a happy happy joy joy Christian today.

 

[beachykeen14]

Rick thankyou SO much for everything you wrote, .. it is amazing to me that God just randomly put the idea in my head this morning to find a christian depression forum, .. write down what i'm going through, .. ask for prayers and advice, . and then wow,.. all of the encouraging, biblical responses i got this morning are ALL saying the same thing! and exactly what i needed to be reminded of... who but God could coordinate that? ... the thing you said that struck me and encouraged me the most, was when you said 'those happy sinners you talk about are simply people the enemy leaves alone, thats the difference between you and them;.. ' oh i so needed someone to say that. thank you thankyou thankyou. I've kindof felt like job during this awful phase ive been in,.. (not at all saying i'm anywhere near as holy or faithful as job..but)... when Job was stating his case to God and to his friends, saying, .'Look around, be honest here,... the godly saints seem to just suffer and suffer the most, . and the more wicked a person is the more smoother, happier, more wonderful their lives are! they are sucessful, happy, their children do well and dont seem to suffer much, . their lives work well,.. they seem to just get blessed with heaps of blessings from God, even though they care nothing about god at all,.. while us saints who serve God with all our lives, who do good all the time,... who give and help and love and sacrifice and cling to God and obey him with everything we have,.. we go through famine, poverty, sickness, death, suffering, enemies,.. ' ... what he was saying is true!!!!! .... its so REFRESHING to know other believers still can admit this too!! ..even though i know that the bible is also filled with Gods promises of blessings for us who believe and obey,.. proverbs is chock full of them.. the godly man will be kept safe, be blessed etc,.. that IS TRUE,... but,... its just that in some phases of life, .. it looks like the WICKED are just sailing through,.. and us believers are getting nothing but TRagedy!.... sometimes it IS like that, .. and that calls for the perseverance of the saints, .. i mean read hebrews,... im ashamed to tell God this sometimes but sometimes I dont want to read hebrews 11 because it talks about 'the wonderful godly servants, who served so faithfull etc,... and they didnt receive their blessings on earth at all,.. some were beheaded,.. hated,.. tortured, ..etc.etc,.. but in heaven they'll be rewarded,...'.... shame on me but this chapter scares me,.. who has the strength to face that?... but as i grow in my walk with God he brings me to new understandings of things, .. i think that its up to God who suffers and who has an 'easy life' and its really none of our business to try to figure out 'God why are you doing that, thats unfair'.... we won't understand it all until heaven,... sometimes we just have to obey and walk with NOTHING BUT FAITH,... and keep going,.. even when it seems to make no sense to us.and James 4:9... OH THANK YOU FOR POSTING THAT!... in todays world we do not EVER hear things like this. not that we should go around mourning all the time but.... SOMETIMES, .. we SHOULD!.. todays world looks at you like youre a horrible weirdo if you are even unhappy for more than an hour!.... The truth is my absolute favorite verse in the whole bible is this: Isaiah 53:3'He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with bitterest grief; He was despised, SMITTEN BY GOD AND AFFLICTED.'.. This is JESUS its talking about! ... so if Jesus is our perfect example of Christianity,,..... if HE was a man of bitterest grief, sorrows, smitten by God (which is too deep for me to even try to understand,.).... how do we think it strange when we go through seasons of mourning, grief, and depression?... I believe those are just Seasons... and God doesnt want us to ALWAYS feel like that, .. but we WILL go through those!.. i'm sorry this is so long, i just want to thank you so very much , your response encouraged me very very very much,.. thank you,...bk

 

[beachykeen14]

I`ve had my share of problems in life, my experience is comparable to yours including depression, health problems, issues of perfectionism etc. I`m just saying I understand where you are coming from with all this.

You referenced a verse from Hebrews, sin easily besets. Often there is no rhyme or reason with sin. It`s just the flesh running amuck and sin will always take you further away from God then you intend.
You open yourself to evil influences that take you as far as it can down the wrong path. Depression is yet another fiery dart of the enemy. Those happy sinners you talk about are simply people the enemy leaves alone. That`s the difference between you and them.

Spirituality isn`t always about how you feel. Joyful Christianity is wonderful but it`s not about being happy all time. It`s ok to be unhappy and God is able to minister to your soul in your unhappiness. He will meet you where you are at.

I wasn`t fond of James when I was a young man but he has grown on me over the years.
I find James 4 to be very good as I try to grapple with my problems. It suits my mood and helps me to know that God doesn`t have a problem with me if I don`t feel like being a happy happy joy joy Christian today.

 

[beachykeen14]

I am very sorry about all you have been going through. Sometimes we have to think about the things we do still have and count our blessings. But still im no stranger to going through a "Job season" as i now like to call it. I pray God gives you strength to persevere through it and brings it to an end soon, ushering in a new season of joy and happiness and peace. I pray this is in the Lords will for you, Amen!

 

[beachykeen14]

I am very sorry about all you have been going through. Sometimes we have to think about the things we do still have and count our blessings. But still im no stranger to going through a "Job season" as i now like to call it. I pray God gives you strength to persevere through it and brings it to an end soon, ushering in a new season of joy and happiness and peace. I pray this is in the Lords will for you, Amen!

 

[beachykeen14]

thank you so so much,... for saying you'll pray for me, and for saying that you've also been through 'Job seasons',... this comforts and strengthens me so so much,.... i just find it rarer and rarer that Christians either go through 'Job seasons', or they do and dont admit it,... but it just reminds me that 'no temptation has come to me except that which is COMMON,.. '... and God is faithful,... it is so healing just knowing i'm not horrible for having a season of depression and struggling with faith,.. thats another one of satans old tricks,.. whatever the 'horrible thing' in our lives is that we each go through, .. he tries to get us alone and convince us 'hey, youre the only one going through this,.. feeling like this, acting like this, .. whats wrong with you? youre the most horrible horrible person who ever lived! Gods done with you.'.... once we realize our struggles are common to Christians, ...and also today I read back over the verse about one of the KEY steps to getting out of a ..besetting sin/stumbling block in our lives,... something that keeps tripping us up,.. one of the key things we must do is: James 5:16 'Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.' why is this verse not taught more in churches?.... i may just be speaking for myself but, in the churches ive attented over the past 10 years,.. they honestly are not places where you can do this... be real,.. be honest,.. a place of confession, forgiveness, nonjudgement,.. The churches I've been disillusioned by were ones where every group meeting and most sermons were filled with 'lets pretend everything is great, we are all great',.. and just not a safe place to tell your true struggles, which the word tells us to do. Thank you for reminding me many many Christians are also going through Job seasons,.. and I will also pray for you as well, ..bless, you thank you so much...bk

 

[beachykeen14]

I am very sorry about all you have been going through. Sometimes we have to think about the things we do still have and count our blessings. But still im no stranger to going through a "Job season" as i now like to call it. I pray God gives you strength to persevere through it and brings it to an end soon, ushering in a new season of joy and happiness and peace. I pray this is in the Lords will for you, Amen!

thank you so so much,... for saying you'll pray for me, and for saying that you've also been through 'Job seasons',... this comforts and strengthens me so so much,.... i just find it rarer and rarer that Christians either go through 'Job seasons', or they do and dont admit it,... but it just reminds me that 'no temptation has come to me except that which is COMMON,.. '... and God is faithful,... it is so healing just knowing i'm not horrible for having a season of depression and struggling with faith,.. thats another one of satans old tricks,.. whatever the 'horrible thing' in our lives is that we each go through, .. he tries to get us alone and convince us 'hey, youre the only one going through this,.. feeling like this, acting like this, .. whats wrong with you? youre the most horrible horrible person who ever lived! Gods done with you.'.... once we realize our struggles are common to Christians, ...and also today I read back over the verse about one of the KEY steps to getting out of a ..besetting sin/stumbling block in our lives,... something that keeps tripping us up,.. one of the key things we must do is: James 5:16 'Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.' why is this verse not taught more in churches?.... i may just be speaking for myself but, in the churches ive attented over the past 10 years,.. they honestly are not places where you can do this... be real,.. be honest,.. a place of confession, forgiveness, nonjudgement,.. The churches I've been disillusioned by were ones where every group meeting and most sermons were filled with 'lets pretend everything is great, we are all great',.. and just not a safe place to tell your true struggles, which the word tells us to do. Thank you for reminding me many many Christians are also going through Job seasons,.. and I will also pray for you as well, ..bless, you thank you so much...bk

 

[Jeshu]

i dont want to mention it by name but ive come to realize this past year,.. there are a few doctrines they teach that i really REALLY believe are in error,.. bigtime biblical error,... i dont want to get into that here but,.. he has been doing bible studies and discussions with me etc. and he's been telling me things like ..i'm probably not saved,... salvation is not just grace alone but works too,.. the fact that i am not a 'member' of their church makes him think i might not be a christian,.. etc,. things like that,.. and coming from my son who is such a godly man and i know he knows and loves God,.. and i love and respect his opinion so much,.. I actually started to get very confused about this. I pray God will soon and very soon..show him (and hopefully his church) the things they are in error about and turn them back to Gods truth. ..Him telling me these things really got me confused and lost,. and it breaks my heart to say this too but my sweet granddaughter who is only 9 and loves God with all her heart,.. asked me with tears in her eyes 'i dont know if i'm saved,.. i've tried to be saved,.. i want to be saved,..but daddy tells me i can't be saved yet, .and that i'm not saved because i don't read my bible enough'.. my heart just broke,... Anyway sorry,.. not to get into that but,... ...All the responses I got from this forum today were ALL IN AGREEMENT, biblical agreement, ... and reminded me of the fact that JESUS HAS DONE THE SAVING. it is not by works but by grace and belief in Jesus Christ period.

That is horrible that your son has fallen into their clutches. If i may respond to this? Please watch out for those mutilators of the flesh, they demand adherence to laws and regulations but don't preach freedom from sin through faith in the blood of the Lamb. Your son's way brings fear, like you can see already in your grand daughter, fear that we will be doomed unless we do this or that....

Salvation comes to all who call upon His name in faith that He will dress us with His righteousness if we confess our sins and repent from wrong doing and learn to love God and neighbour.

Show your grand daughter these three proof texts and encourage her to put her faith in Jesus' truth when it comes to her salvation.

Joel 2:32 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls."

Acts 2:21 "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’"

Romans 10:13 "for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”


Not forced good works but the grace that flows from God is like a river of living waters and makes us love God and our neighbour and do service to Him out of love for His deliverance.

These whole religious save yourself recipes we see around are much better avoided for they do not lead to spiritual freedom but to slavery.

Colossians 2:13-23
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.


Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

 

[kaijo]

This might help a little for when the tempter comes knocking

 

[Lord Give Me A Sign]

thank you so so much,... for saying you'll pray for me, and for saying that you've also been through 'Job seasons',... this comforts and strengthens me so so much,.... i just find it rarer and rarer that Christians either go through 'Job seasons', or they do and dont admit it,... but it just reminds me that 'no temptation has come to me except that which is COMMON,.. '... and God is faithful,... it is so healing just knowing i'm not horrible for having a season of depression and struggling with faith,.. thats another one of satans old tricks,.. whatever the 'horrible thing' in our lives is that we each go through, .. he tries to get us alone and convince us 'hey, youre the only one going through this,.. feeling like this, acting like this, .. whats wrong with you? youre the most horrible horrible person who ever lived! Gods done with you.'.... once we realize our struggles are common to Christians, ...and also today I read back over the verse about one of the KEY steps to getting out of a ..besetting sin/stumbling block in our lives,... something that keeps tripping us up,.. one of the key things we must do is: James 5:16 'Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.' why is this verse not taught more in churches?.... i may just be speaking for myself but, in the churches ive attented over the past 10 years,.. they honestly are not places where you can do this... be real,.. be honest,.. a place of confession, forgiveness, nonjudgement,.. The churches I've been disillusioned by were ones where every group meeting and most sermons were filled with 'lets pretend everything is great, we are all great',.. and just not a safe place to tell your true struggles, which the word tells us to do. Thank you for reminding me many many Christians are also going through Job seasons,.. and I will also pray for you as well, ..bless, you thank you so much...bk

You can always talk to me about anything. I do take the fruits of the spirits seriously and strive to be kind and gentle with others. I know what its like to be deeply depressed and i dont want anyone else to feel that way so ill pray again for you, and your son and granddaughter. I think its great you know the bible and you can be very valuable here because lately i have seen some posters being sarcastic and not too pleasant with eachother. It is frustrating what has happened with alot of churches either being too strict and making people feel guilty or churches on the opposite end teaching the prosperity gospel. But i hope you have a blessed weekend!! May the Lord bless you with happiness and joy!!

 

[beachykeen14]

This might help a little for when the tempter comes knocking

WONDERFUL!!!!!