Request advice and prayers regarding purpose

[southernwonder]

I haven't been here in a while but I could use some insight and prayers. I am homebound with a chronic medical disorder, as well as severe depression. One of the things that makes my depression worse is that I feel my life serves no purpose. Before I became ill, I had an important career that involved helping others. Now, I can barely take care of my self. It is very frustrating. I want my life to make a difference. I just don't know how that is possible anymore. There is so much time in my day but not much energy.
Thank you.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Isaiah 48.10 speaks of the Lord choosing someone 'in the furnace of affliction'.

The point of the verse is I guess partly that it's not simply a matter of getting rid of the affliction as it is to learn and to know throughout that we are the objects of the Lord's choosing and grace.

 

[Jane_Doe]

What are you able to do? For example, you are on the computer right now- can you spend sometime on the computer regularly? How about writing with pen and paper? How about speaking verbally? How about other crafting with you hands (knitting, sewing, etc)? Can you read books?

 

[BeStill&Know]

I haven't been here in a while but I could use some insight and prayers. I am homebound with a chronic medical disorder, as well as severe depression. One of the things that makes my depression worse is that I feel my life serves no purpose. Before I became ill, I had an important career that involved helping others. Now, I can barely take care of my self. It is very frustrating. I want my life to make a difference. I just don't know how that is possible anymore. There is so much time in my day but not much energy.
Thank you.

Hello Dear One, a favorite famous preacher of mine, who had been super industrious his entire life, found himself in a hospital bed. It was a time of reflection and drawing nearer to God in asking what the Lord now wanted him to do. Age and illness quickly reveals to us the main focus of our purpose, and draws us nearer to our Father. I pray this happens to you.
The 1 thing I am very poor at is praying, due to numerous distractions running throughout my mind continuously, but recently it sounds like the Lord's desire is for me to pray more. Which i cannot do without His Spirit helping me or even taking over. You see! More dependence on the Lord. A clue of what His will may be is a peace which guides you. Anxiety no!

 

[BeStill&Know]

What are you able to do? For example, you are on the computer right now- can you spend sometime on the computer regularly? How about writing with pen and paper? How about speaking verbally? How about other crafting with you hands (knitting, sewing, etc)? Can you read books?

Good morning, I agree with your post, but where is the Lord in reading, studying and meditating on His Word that gives His Children strength.

 

[BeStill&Know]

Isaiah 48.10 speaks of the Lord choosing someone 'in the furnace of affliction'.

The point of the verse is I guess partly that it's not simply a matter of getting rid of the affliction as it is to learn and to know throughout that we are the objects of the Lord's choosing and grace.

HOW TRUE! Thank you, I relish this verse which I had forgotten. Bless you.

 

[Jeshu]

I haven't been here in a while but I could use some insight and prayers. I am homebound with a chronic medical disorder, as well as severe depression. One of the things that makes my depression worse is that I feel my life serves no purpose. Before I became ill, I had an important career that involved helping others. Now, I can barely take care of my self. It is very frustrating. I want my life to make a difference. I just don't know how that is possible anymore. There is so much time in my day but not much energy.
Thank you.

I've been through the same as you, also used to work with people and got mentally ill and lost purpose. My deepest bout with clinical depression was 7 years, 18 months of these often dangerously suicidal.

At the end of it Jesus advised me to sow the good seed in my heart and to let Him tare up the weeds and to pray for others hurting like I was or worse.

Honest sister it took only three and half years to break away from the power of my suicidal depression sowing God's promises in my heart and letting His love expose the lies depression had brought my way. Praying for others I have become to appreciate so much dear sister for where my worst times used to be at times of severe depression are now among my best times with God for His love dwells in my heart when it comes to suffering people more there than any where else. For during my worst times I learned to pray for others and not just agonize myself but rather let Christ purify my gold and silver during such times.

Honest if you cultivate sincere love and care for other people who are in pain or misery, you are 80 percent free from your own misery. I found praying for others to be so very liberating, for I could let go of my own suffering and care about the pain of others again instead.

Be of very good courage God's love won, wins and will always be victorious, it is this that we need to cultivate in those parts where depression hurts us the worst for He will certainly make us stronger than pain can bring to bear.

I wrote a prose about suffering and how to best arm yourself against it.

Peace.

What Can I Say About Suffering

What can I say, about what have I learned from our Heavenly Father? I can see now that evil lies cause pain to be alive within human existence. I have watched how isolation, forces lies down into suffering souls - as The Wicked cut all ties with truthful love and so let our crushing depression generate its own misery in our agonising hell down there. I know that all lies end up in the Pit - dragging us down living dead. Yet why would I continue to let bad life be dominant in my inner world of awareness and not God's loving truth to rule my every moment instead?

Over time I have learned to see that creeds, values and morals are rules upon rules ruling. Yet still wicked lies spread like maggots through my flesh, killing all goodness within me, because I'm imperfect! To just let such be and move on is best I learned about that. And so The Word of God spoken in love for God, self and neighbour, is The Voice to heed in our hearts and minds at all times.

I have experienced that time brings good and bad, up and down, far and wide for everyone. Yet the power of God's love, as even bad sin and great failings ruled me, couldn't subdue Jesus grace over me as His loving truth set me free to be myself - time and again.

I understand that anguish speaks to those experiencing life truly untrue and lovelessly - and that our Heavenly Father never wanted this to rule His kids! Indeed I know that my wretchedness longs for the demise of all my agony, so that misery may never rule my life again. No more Bad Life overshadowing my here and now, instead complete freedom for me to be me. For in God's loving truth, even through much hurt, I can finally stay on top of things, my loveless lies to hand to Christ as God's Good Life grows within in Return.

I know now that loving truth is the only useful weapon against the forces of evil. Complete freedom for me if I heed God's love in truth to rule my daily life. So why would I foolishly keep letting malefic lies decide my future. Why not forgive, why leave truthful love? While I know that only God's good makes my life a worthwhile experience?

I have seen that life is genuinely worth living in honest loving togetherness. Where everyone who exists is esteemed because they are specially made. For our real value lays not in how much gain we can yield for others, but simply because all existence speaks of life's importance to be loved. The communion of Saints - true love loving people doing the loving - is very important therefore.

So I choose loving truthfulness to steer me through those terrible storms down here. For even through extraordinary agony and times of incredible much suffering God's truth preserves my life. His loving goodness keeping me from falling. As I found that warm-heartedness is truly effective against the deadly chill of devil's breath.

 

[Greg J.]

I haven't been here in a while but I could use some insight and prayers. I am homebound with a chronic medical disorder, as well as severe depression. One of the things that makes my depression worse is that I feel my life serves no purpose. Before I became ill, I had an important career that involved helping others. Now, I can barely take care of my self. It is very frustrating. I want my life to make a difference. I just don't know how that is possible anymore. There is so much time in my day but not much energy.
Thank you.

Almost anyone can pray a little. Study Scripture. Both are always profitable, and not just to you. Recognize that being faithful to Jesus in your heart while being afflicted gains reward for you—that is, it's definitely accomplishing important things. Can you be nicer to people, or share the Good News with others, or give advice in matters you have repeatedly experienced? Can you comfort anyone with comfort you have received from God? You can do quite a lot of things even over the Internet.

 

[southernwonder]

Isaiah 48.10 speaks of the Lord choosing someone 'in the furnace of affliction'.

The point of the verse is I guess partly that it's not simply a matter of getting rid of the affliction as it is to learn and to know throughout that we are the objects of the Lord's choosing and grace.

So true. I need to write that down in my journal.

 

[southernwonder]

What are you able to do? For example, you are on the computer right now- can you spend sometime on the computer regularly? How about writing with pen and paper? How about speaking verbally? How about other crafting with you hands (knitting, sewing, etc)? Can you read books?

Jane_Doe,
I am able to do all of the those things unless I come down with an acute infection. I am unable to sew or knit but I am working on handmade greeting cards. My concentration doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be before getting sick so reading novels has become challenging.

 

[Jane_Doe]

Jane_Doe,
I am able to do all of the those things unless I come down with an acute infection. I am unable to sew or knit but I am working on handmade greeting cards. My concentration doesn't seem to be as good as it used to be before getting sick so reading novels has become challenging.

So take the things you can do, and flourish from there. If you need to take a break for some time, do so, and don't feel guilty about.

 

[southernwonder]

Hello Dear One, a favorite famous preacher of mine, who had been super industrious his entire life, found himself in a hospital bed. It was a time of reflection and drawing nearer to God in asking what the Lord now wanted him to do. Age and illness quickly reveals to us the main focus of our purpose, and draws us nearer to our Father. I pray this happens to you.
The 1 thing I am very poor at is praying, due to numerous distractions running throughout my mind continuously, but recently it sounds like the Lord's desire is for me to pray more. Which i cannot do without His Spirit helping me or even taking over. You see! More dependence on the Lord. A clue of what His will may be is a peace which guides you. Anxiety no!

Prayer is definitely something I could use some improvement in. Actually, just drawing near to God in general.

I was angry at God for so many years for all the bad things that happened to me, so I felt abandoned. I shut Him out. I am trying to find my way home.

 

[Goatee]

You can do one thing that a lot of people can't.

Offer up your daily suffering to Jesus for love of him and for others in need. Start each day in prayer, offering up the day to Jesus. Ok, you don't want to be housebound and ill etc but offer up all your suffering. Asking God to accept it with your love and faithfulness to Him.

Jesus is carrying you, while you carry your heavy cross.

God bless you and give you strength and health.

 

[newlightseven]

southernwonder, I would try to find a job at a nonprofit or maybe do a little volunteer work to give your life meaning. It will also make it evident that you are doing something to help others and that your life is worth something. I would also pray daily and try to go to church sometimes if you aren't already.

 

[BeStill&Know]

Prayer is definitely something I could use some improvement in. Actually, just drawing near to God in general.

I was angry at God for so many years for all the bad things that happened to me, so I felt abandoned. I shut Him out. I am trying to find my way home.

It does not have to be complicated.
Simply rest you head upon His shoulder, and pour out your soul to Him, cry, spill it all, at once or a little at a time, whenever you decide to meet Him.
You won't find a better friend on earth.