Tag Archives: depression

Broken Pottery

Posted on March 15, 2013 by expressyourself4him

With the recent success of modern art, beauty is often in the eye of the beholder.  This same logic can be applied to self-esteem.  If an individual attains success in academics, athletics or socially, this person may feel like a bouquet of roses.  On the other hand, if one experiences a regular dose of defeat, failure and setbacks, they might feel like shattered glass, trying to pick up the pieces of their life one day at a time.

While most people think of David as the second king of Israel, he spent several years in isolation, warned by his best friend Jonathon to flee from his jealous father, King Saul.  In the psalms, David  pours out his heart to God, trying to make sense of the pain he was enduring.  This is where we feel David’s  raw emotion, “I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery,” Psalm 31:12.

Depression is an unfortunate circumstance of life.  God allows people to experience trials in life so that they may become mature and complete, James 1:2-4.  However, this process includes mess ups, mistakes and unfulfilled expectations.  Though you may currently feel like a piece of broken pottery, the Great Potter, Abba Father, has eternal plans to hold you together, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.  May the power of Holy Spirit be the spiritual glue to fix our bodies comprised of broken pottery.

by. Jay Mankus

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From a Mountain Top to the Valley of Despair

Posted on February 11, 2013 by expressyourself4him

Throughout the course of history, unusual events have occurred which defy the laws of gravity.  Skeptics argue that reality has been embellished, like a fishing story, changing each time it is told.  Meanwhile, just when it appears you understand the mind of God, a twist of fate leaves you dumbfounded, unable to comprehend why something happened.

On top of Mount Carmel, like a classic western movie, Elijah challenges King Ahab’s prophets to a duel.  However, guns are replaced by fire, with the winner burning up the hopes of the loser’s god.  According to 1 Kings 18:36-39, Elijah was victorious as the Lord God answered his prayer, sending fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice soaked in water.  Unfortunately, this mountain top experience was short lived.

When a king is publicly embarrassed, it usually doesn’t go well for the man that brought him disgrace.  Being a poor loser, King Ahab complains to his wife, the most wicked woman in the kingdom, 1 Kings 19:1.  Not ready to accept defeat, Queen Jezebel fires back with a death threat, vowing to send a hitman to kill Elijah, 1 Kings 19:2.  Forgetting the power of God, Elijah ran down the mountain into a valley of despair, wanting to die than face this trial, 1 Kings 19:3-4.

The average person lives in this valley, where heartbreak, pain and setbacks are a daily occurrence.  A spirit of depression hovers over this valley, like a stationary dark cloud, waiting for winds of change.  However, the forecast for change looks bleak, leaving a state of hopelessness in your heart.

Dr. Love sends a messenger with a recipe for healing in 1 Kings 19:5-9.  Thinking out of the box, God sends an angel to fulfill this subscription of sleep.  Although Solomon urges people to avoid slumber in Proverbs, sometimes the best thing for depression is rest.  Getting up twice to eat, the food draws Elijah back into a deep sleep.  Once revitalized, its time to go back up the mountain.

Whether you are presently on the mountain top, half way or in the valley, God’s voice is only a whisper away, 1 Kings 19:10-13.  However, we need to get our lives straightened out before you can have full reception, Isaiah 1:15.  If you follow the directions in Isaiah 1:16-17, there is a wonderful promise of hope.  Don’t delay in fulfilling; Come reason with God today so you can rise on wings like eagles to the peak, Isaiah 40:31.

by Jay Mankus

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Beyond the Clouds and Darkness

Posted on December 29, 2012 by expressyourself4him

During the extended hours of darkness each winter, depression can arise in the form of seasonal affective disorder, better known as SAD.  When the sun is suppose to shine, grey clouds sprinkled with an occasional flurry often dim the light of day until evening turns the sky black.  Beyond these clouds and darkness, a promise is revealed within Luke 1:78-79.

In the silence of his vocal cords, Zechariah was given 9 months to consider the wonders of the Almighty God.  Amidst this foggy period, a childless father and barren wife struggle with the reality that their joint prayers has gone unanswered by God.  A stationary front hovers over their cries, dashing any hopes of seeing a lifelong dream come true.  Just when age seemed to make this impossible, the Son broke through their darkness.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Lamentations 3.  Jeremiah writes about the hardship he endured in the first 20 verses of chapter 3.  As bad as I thought my 2012 went, Jeremiah’s year appears to take the cake so to speak.  Yet, like the promise of God’s tender mercy in Luke 1:78-79, there is hope beyond the clouds and darkness according to Lamentations 3:21-24.

One of the biggest mistakes Christian’s make is when they tell a hurting person they know exactly how this person is feeling or understand what they are going through.  Each individual handles trials and tribulations differently.  Thus, instead of opening up our big mouths, the best response is a silent hug, with open ears of support.  In the shadow of death or fear of isolation, God’s tender mercy is just a prayer away.  Once the clouds of darkness dissipate, God will guide your feet onto the path of peace.  As Solomon once said, “God will make everything beautiful in His time,” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

by Jay Mankus

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Turning Depression Into Inspiration

Posted on December 10, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Depression is not an isolated feeling, often brought on by broken promises, failed expectations or shattered dreams.  The byproducts of depression can affect your soul as despair, hopelessness and misery hover over your life like a stationary weather system.  As dejection lingers, this decline in your mood can lead to “a woe is me, nobody loves me; everybody hates me attitude.”  The past few weeks have been extremely difficult for me, causing me to regress socially, slumping into a state of gloominess.  In this saddened mindset, the Lord gave me a glimpse of sunshine with a thought, turn your depression into inspiration.

The outline for this in found in Psalm 32.  David had just been rebuked by the prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:1-10, forced to come clean about committing adultery and second degree murder.  David’s depression is indirectly referenced in Psalm 32:3-4, draining the energy out of him.  Guilt, regret and spiritual conviction ate away at David’s heart until he was honest with God about what he had done.  James 5:16 further illustrates the healing power of publicly confessing your sin.  After releasing his feelings at the altar of the Lord, David’s expression suddenly changes from himself to others, then to God’s deliverance.  Finally, David’s depression was transformed into inspiration in Psalm 32:11.  “Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart.”

Those that know me in a social setting understand that I am a realist.  When I sin, the last thing I think about is rejoicing in the Lord.  However, despite of all of David’s own flaws, his heart was in the right place, 1 Samuel 16:7.  Thus, in my weakened state, I must remember the apostle Paul’s prayer in 2 Corinthians 12:9-12.  When you surrender the reigns of your life and let God take control, it is through Christ’s power that turns depression into inspiration to achieve the abundant life, John 10:10.

by Jay Mankus

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The Cure for Depression

Posted on July 17, 2012 by expressyourself4him

Like John Rambo in the 80’s classic First Blood, David was a war hero on the run in 1 Samuel 22.  Instead of reveling in the glory days of defeating Goliath, David is besieged by a spirit of fear.  When David’s best friend Jonathon reveals his father’s plot to kill David in 1 Samuel 20, he is attacked by a spirit of depression.

Having a death threat made on your life by a king, president or government official is worth being upset.  However, God sends the prophet Gad to David with a message in 1 Samuel 22:5.  The King James Version says do not abide in the hold.  The New International Version says do not stay in the stronghold.  Verse 2 in chapter 22 gives an appearance of a gripe session, a place where the depressed come and share their sorrows.  While David appears to have some initial relief in verses 3-4, God is trying to tell David that this is not the solution to your depression.  Don’t allow this crippling spirit to hold you down or become a stronghold of fear which saps your strength.

As Gad continues his message from the Lord, the cure to depression lies in the second portion of verse 5, “go into the land of Judah.”  Although it appears Gad is talking about to a physical place, the Lord is referring to a spiritual state of mind, Romans 12:1-2.  According to Genesis 29:35, the name Judah is symbolic for praising the Lord.  Therefore, God is trying to proclaim to David through the prophet of Gad that the cure to your depression can be found by praising the Lord.  Moping around in a cave, hiding from your fears and running from your problems is not the answer.  Rather, when you begin to develop a gratitude of praise, Hebrews 13;15, God can transform your spiritual condition, replacing depression with peace, Colossians 3:15-17.  “Let me live that I may praise you, and may your laws sustain me, Psalm 119:175.”

by Jay Mankus

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