Freedom starts with hope. Realizing the power of trust, belief, and faith, inherent in the word has kept me reaching out and allowing others to reach in no matter what crisis comes my way. I have been struggling lately. Sometimes I forget to keep my hope in Jesus and start looking to others or my own ways of self-medicating. These are moments. Despair has an end and knowing that I can turn from sin and embrace the truth of God’s promises, come what may.
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.
Romans 8:20-21 ESV
Turning My Page: Freedom Starts With Hope
Hope.
I have struggled to write for months, and the excuses have piled up.
My house is a mess
I’m not sleeping
My physical health is deteriorating
Grieving my grandmother
I am a burden to others
This week, the Holy Spirit interrupted my unconscious mantra and reminded me that I have a vast vocabulary–start with one word. Moving beyond writer’s block, depression, or any other block in my life starts with HOPE.
I may not see the fruits of my hope right away, but the seeds exist. I write one word, and then another, and another and before long I am looking back at the obstacle rather than having it firmly planted in front of me.
My hope in all things is found in Jesus Christ, so yesterday and today, I confessed my depressed state and tuned my heart to my Savior’s voice through scripture.
Worked on memorizing Romans 8
Prayed for my family who is grieving the loss of our grandmother
Acknowledged I am substituting food and mindless activities for the comfort of Christ in my grief
Went to bed and trusted that God would give me the needed rest
Set healthy boundaries with my children
Chose a few small ways to attack the mess of my home
Rested
Fasted
One of the first things the Spirit of Despair attacks is the healthy habits I form.
Notice my list above. I stopped having time in scripture. The house was a deep hole of undone chores, so why try. I avoided grief through food and TV. While these things give me temporary relief, they will never give me lasting help or draw me from the pit of hopelessness because I will always need more and more of those things and accomplish nothing by escaping through them. They do not feed me, mind, body, and spirit.
I know this because at age twenty I almost succeeded in taking my own life. That moment was the cumulation of all my attempts to deal with life’s hardships and pain by burying it and not pressing into hope. At that moment I recognized, rightly, that nothing in this world would make me feel better, but did not press into hope in Christ until the following year.
Only then did my life begin to look more hopeful. I started recognizing Christ died for all of the hardships I experienced and He would faithfully take all experiences and use them to lead others, and offer hope when others can’t yet see the potential. Placing hope in Jesus Christ meant my ultimate failure was not an option. No more throwing in the towel. I do not do this perfectly, but when my footing slips I gain it back more quickly and easily because hope has become the pattern of my life rather than the exception.
Turning Your Page
Freedom starts with hope.
That hope does not disappoint. You may not yet see the fruits of pushing back against the doubts or feel anything will change. Hope is powerful! It gives you space and opportunity to discover resources, mankind to reach in and help, and develops muscles of trust. We will get to the other side of our experiences because nothing separates us from the love of Jesus (Romans 8:28). Nothing and no one will ever be able to steal that freedom from you.
What are some of your favorite promises in scripture?
Look at the definition of the root word of depression and compare it to the definition for hope.
Journal about the difference and similarities between the two.
What are some antonyms of each?
Pick an antonym of “depress”, such as rejoice, and begin practicing daily.
Lord, I want to cease spiraling into despair. Help me to look up from the pit and see that all things are possible through you. I’ll hold on until they happen as you promised. Amen
No one plans on unwrapping depression during the holidays.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)
Depression is a gift not easily returned to a store. I say gift because, as I work through despair I also discover my capacity to fight it.
Twenty-two years ago depression became a training ground for my faith. I hoped for what I could not yet see. I stretched weak, underdeveloped spiritual muscles. And survived attacks from the enemy. Beauty emerged from the ashes of my life.
We don’t have to have it all together to survive Christmas. But, we do have to have certain habits in place that are not optional. I am conditioning to be fearless and embrace discipline, compassion, and determination. Like a drill sergeant encouraging failure, depression stirs instead, my will to live.
Despair
Grief doesn’t take a hiatus, and physical pain may have no relief. The strain is constant, but we also experience joy. We can hope, remain open to new possibilities, step outside of our own thoughts, and engage the world. Not based upon feeling, but upon the basic way, humans were created. We were built for relationship. Based on that understanding, isolation is not an option.
Below is a Depression Survival Kit that I use on a regular basis. These habits help me to get through and even gain new ground through holidays.
Feel free to comment on anything that helps you to get through the holidays.
1-2 scriptures to read on a regular basis, call to mind when thoughts spiral
List of safe people (of the same sex) that I can call in case of an emergency
1-2 old traditions I will do (not based on feeling)
1-2 new traditions I will create with family, friends, strangers
Emergency exit
Go to Christmas events
Shorten stay
Signal designated departure friend to aid in a smoother exit
I don’t have to do all events
Stay engaged with the community (not an option)
Volunteer to help others
Encourage someone else who is struggling
Allow 1 or 2 people to take you out of your comfort zone
Laughter is good medicine (welcome humor)
Be intentional
Set goals and take steps to be as healthy as you can
Extend grace to yourself and others
My prayers are with you as you find joy this Christmas.
I was lowered into a grave of fickle flesh. Royal robes stripped, I submitted to the battering will of I AM.
His love pulls starved faith onto nourishing knee and tucks truth into my stories–stirring souls to adventure life.
My life willingly pick-pocked by man’s understanding, as Satan plumps his purse with the clink-clink of despair.
In the garden, I grafted man to me. Plant saints and sinners in the fertile soil of my tilled blood. Root righteous oaks of transformed lives by streams of fulfillment. Display my glory. Build a testament with the screaming Tap, tap, tap, of nails into my hands.
Poetry Posts every Thursdays at 7p.m.
Turning Your Page
Poetry is a way of studying the nature of God and how he loves you. Spend time walking wooded paths, well-tended gardens and linger by streams. All described in scripture by the psalmist, God, and Jesus. Growth comes from an awareness that he is both sovereign and near.
How do you view God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit?
Describe something in nature that stands out to you as an aspect of God’s provision and nature?
What questions do you have about God’s character?
Lord, open my eyes to the truth of who you are, not who I think you might be. Quicken my heart, that I may know what part you have in my life. Amen
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
Luke 4:3-4
Turning My Page
If paralyzed me. Growing up, I feared saying and doing the wrong things and therefore changed my beliefs when pressed by the opinions of others. I was a chameleon, shifting my colors to blend in. I was misled and often hurt by those who could out-argue me. It took a desert experience, my pregnancy with Jonathan, for me to realize nothing but God would satisfy.
I began studying the character of God and he revealed my identity. But the enemy of my soul never let up. I am oppressed by the constant battering question, “What if you fail?” Fail as a wife, mother, Christian, turning the page on suicide. Satan questions my identity, my understanding of God, and my witness.
Why wouldn’t he? Satan successfully turned Adam and Eve from God with “did God really say that”. He used the word if three times when tempting Jesus at the beginning of his ministry. Since Satan was so bold to question the son of God’s identity, why would he not question mine?
Jesus didn’t back down from the fight because he spent time with his heavenly father. He knew him, and God knew his son.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17
My identity is not wrapped up in my position, possessions, or power. Marriage, motherhood, or ministry can all disappear and I still am who God says I am, and he is who he says he is.
“If” loses its grip the more my identity is found in Christ.
Turning Your Page
Satan can destroy you on the cliff of “if”. He’ll take you to the great heights of success and show you all he’ll give you if you submit to him. He’ll offer whatever he thinks will turn you away from God, but scripture doesn’t hide the character of God and Jesus used scripture to declare the truth when confronted with a potential identity crisis. You become more able to see the truth behind the “if” when you get to know God and are secure in your own identity. Establish experiences, traditions, prayer, fellowship, and reason as a part of your spiritual routine. These are all ways that Jesus grew up to know his Father.
The “if” can be subtle. Identify areas Satan tempts you to reject God.
How does the world describe you? How does God describe you?
What scriptures strengthen your identity in Christ? For example, if you are struggling with believing you are doing the right thing as a mother.
Genesis 3:20: “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” (Motherhood was created by God)
1 Peter 3:4: “You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” ( God values my unique spirit as a woman)
Lord, you know me inside and out. May I know you so well that when I hear the word “if” I recognize the enemy and declare the truth of who you are. Amen
“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.” … “So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” (Daniel 6:3. 10).
Have you ever
completely geeked out over a celebrity? I have.
It was 15 years ago when my husband and I attended a Toby Mac
concert. We were huge DC Talk fans and
seeing Toby Mac perform with his new band Diverse City was just as
exciting.
After the concert, he set up a table outside the auditorium to sign autographs. We didn’t feel like standing in line so we went across the street to Wendy’s and bought some food. At the last minute, we bought some extra food to give to Toby Mac. When we returned we only had to wait a few minutes in line before we were able to talk to him. We gave him the extra food and then had a great conversation about race relations in the church and adopting biracial children. I think I managed to stay calm during the conversation but afterward, whenever I would talk to anyone about it, I would become overexcited and talk very fast. Many years later it is kind of embarrassing to think about how I was on cloud nine simply because I had a conversation with a famous Christian musician.
Oh, and don’t get
me started about the fact that I graduated from the same high school as
Jennifer Garner. My kids groan whenever
I start to mention it. They have heard
it too many times before.
Here’s the thing though, Toby Mac and Jennifer Garner are just everyday people, sinners like everyone else. It is only our culture that has elevated them to the high caste called talented and famous. And if I can be honest with myself, I know they aren’t above anyone else despite what our culture leads us to believe. I also know that Jennifer Garner has never met me and has no idea who I am. Likewise, I am fairly certain that Toby Mac does not remember me, the conversation or the meeting.
Sometimes we
become excited about meeting someone simply because they are famous, rich,
powerful, or popular. Even though in our
heart we know they are simply human like us.
We might wonder what it would be like to be friends with them. We think it would somehow make our lives
better if we were to have them around.
Let me share
something astounding with you. There
is someone who is rich, powerful, strong, and wise who desires a relationship
with you. In fact, HE wants more than
just a casual friendship or a shallow comradery. He wants an intimate, loving, no holds barred,
kind of relationship. He wants to not
only know about you, but He wants to be known by you.
Amos 4:13 says this about Him:
He who forms the mountains, Creates the wind, And reveals his thoughts to man, He who turns dawn to darkness, And treads the high places of the earth- The Lord God Almighty is his name. It is mind boggling to think about this.
Someone who formed the mountains
desires a relationship with you. The one who creates the wind, he reveals his
thoughts to man!! (That is, you and me.) He treads the high places of the earth,
causes the sun to rise and set and he reveals
his thoughts to man!!! Talk about
having friends in high places, that is a truly powerful friend.
Jeremiah 33;2-3 says “This is what the Lord
says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it- the
Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things you do not know.”
So yes, the Creator of the world wants us to call out to Him, to seek
Him, and to ask Him questions.
Try to grasp the big picture. He wants to have a relationship with
you! He desires to share things with
you. He also cares about you, though. Did you know that Jesus said in Matthew 10:30
that his Father knows how many hairs are on your head? Is it sinking in yet? He wants to be a part of your life, not just
on Sunday morning, but every day, every minute, every second, all the bad parts,
all the mundane trivial parts, all the exciting events. He wants to be there.
God
in his infinite wisdom though, knew it would be difficult for us as humans to
know an abstract being on a deep level. He wanted us to understand that he was
a compassionate, powerful, and just God.
And he wanted us to know Him on a
profound level.
Philippians 2: 6 explains his solution. (Jesus)” Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing taking the very nature of a servant being made in human likeness”. He came to be our Redeemer but he also came that we may know him and understand him better. He left heaven to walk on this earth for you and me. He experienced cold, hunger, thirst, cruelty, and temptation in a human body so that you and I might know him fully and so that he could more fully understand us.
As this Advent season winds down, keep your eyes focused on him. The next time you feel disconnected from your co-workers at an office party, or feel like the black sheep at a family gathering, or if you just feel anxious or lonely because the holidays aren’t quite what you thought they should be; remember Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Christmas is a celebration of Emmanuel – God with us.
Jesus’ greatest desire remains the same as it was 2000 years ago in the crowded town of Bethlehem. He desires to be with us no matter who we are, what we have done, or where we are. Praise God! He is with us, He knows us, and He loves us! That is worthy of a celebration!
There
is no degree needed to help others, whether you are caring for a loved one or
ministering to others wrestling with depression. Jesus used fishers of men.
Patty testifies, in her
book Finally Free: Breaking the Bonds of Depression Without Drugs, that
the only requirement is that others can see—you’ve been with Jesus.
If you are in the Nashville, Tennessee area, Patty is hosting a book launch on Monday, September 30th, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm at Branches Counseling Center in Murfreesboro. Come meet Patty and be encouraged by her testimony. It was a pleasure presenting Patty’s story to you. Â
Scripture
to meditate on:
“Come,
follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for
people” (Matthew 4:19).
“When
they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been
with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).
TPOS:
About seven years after your experience, you became the caregiver for your
husband as he too battled depression. What words of encouragement do you have
for caregivers?
It
is challenging to take care of someone who is battling depression, so do not
feel guilty for taking care of yourself, it is vital. You will also feel a lot
of emotions yourself, maybe even frustration or anger. Don’t beat yourself up
for feeling that way, many of those feelings are perfectly normal emotions.
This is a lot to take on.
TPOS:
How does a caregiver take care of themselves during their loved one’s crisis?
Eat
well, stay hydrated, make sure you are getting enough rest, stay in the Word.
In fact, my relationship with the Lord went to a whole new level. I clung to
Him during that season of my husband’s depression. Join a support group. Get
into a bible study. Take breaks. Go have lunch with a friend. Take a bubble
bath. Give yourself time to recover and recuperate.
TPOS:
Is the Bible silent on depression and our response? How can we encourage others
through God’s Word?
The
Bible is not silent on depression. Even though it doesn’t use the word depression, it
uses words like despair, gloom, downcast, oppressed, misery. God’s Word is
life. Continue to speak that Word of life over people. I encourage others to speak God’s Word out
loud. Often, I would take the Bible and march through my home and proclaim the
Word of God out loud.
TPOS:
Why is it easy to hide depression?
Actually,
it is not easy to hide depression. It’s work. It’s a conscious choice to hide the depression. There’s a
stigma, and as Christians
aren’t we supposed to be exuding peace and joy? Aren’t we supposed to be happy all of the
time? We don’t want
to admit, especially to our church, we are not okay. We come to church and
often wear the mask more because we think we have to look like we’re okay.
TPOS:
As a newly freed from depression, a believer in Christ, what training did you
receive to share hope to others?
None.
I was just invited to share my story. God gave me a testimony, and testimonies have a way of reaching people in
ways nothing else can.
TPOS:
What does the church do well in addressing depression?
The
church is really good at encouraging people to stay in the Word. They can be a
wealth of information and can
help you find direction. They can guide you to counselors, resources,
and contacts to find help. I would like to see church leaders receive training
on depression and how to handle depression, rather than referring them to others. It would be great if people could
actually come to someone in leadership who knows how to talk with them, direct
them, and help them see the root. In Finally
Free, I offer tips on how to handle someone who comes to them with
depression.
TPOS:
In what ways does the church need to grow in its response to believers
wrestling with depression?
As
mentioned in Finally Free, it’s important to treat
the whole person—body, soul, spirit.
Encourage
pastors and leaders that their input, encouragement, and inspiration as a
spiritual leader is so important, because the spiritual
element of the treatment plan is often missing.
TPOS:
What should be the church’s response to unbelievers struggling with
depression?
I
was a non-believer battling depression. Once I started to turn to God, that is
when I was set free from depression. In the book, I address depression from a Biblical perspective. For example, sin and
rebellion can bring on depression. Living separated from God and doing our own
thing can bring on depression. I was released from depression by turning to
Jesus and allowing God to be my life.
TPOS:
How does a church begin developing a ministry of awareness and discipleship for
those wrestling with depression?
We
offer basic training for the church. Our materials help train leaders to see
and address depression from a biblical perspective. We explore the causes of
depression from God’s Word and what God says will help cure that depression.
TPOS:
“…unless we’re familiar with depression, it can go undetected until
something drastic happens.” What should we watch for in our loved one?
Watch
for changes in their normal behavior. Is there a change in eating
habits—gaining or losing weight? Do they start sleeping more than normal? Do
they start turning to drugs and alcohol? Are they pulling away from friends or activities they once
enjoyed?
If
you are dealing with a teenager, it can be difficult to determine if they are
dealing with depression or if it is peer pressure, academic stress, lack of sleep, or a bad
diet. This can be difficult for even a trained counselor to discern. I have a
teen and depression sheet that
offers keys to building communication with your teen, warning signs, knowing when to get help,
and helping your teen to beat depression, I’d be happy to send out if you email me at patty@libertyinchristministries.com
TPOS:
How can lay people reach into the lives around them struggling with despair?
Listen.
Be supportive, don’t criticize or condemn what the person feels, even if what
they are saying doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes a depressed person just wants
to talk about what they are going through, and not feel like they are alone.
TPOS:
How can we pray for your ministry?
Pray
for Finally Free, that God would open doors and
allow us to continue to offer this message of hope. Pray for those reading it,
that their lives would be changed by hope and healing through Jesus.
TPOS:
Final thoughts?
You are not alone. There is hope. What I thought was devastation, God saw as an opportunity to draw me near and change the trajectory of my life. Depression is not the end; it can be the start of a beautiful beginning.
Finally Free
Patty Mason is an author, national speaker, and the founder of Liberty in Christ Ministries. For more than two decades, Patty has shared her story of God’s redeeming grace and deliverance from depression before numerous audiences, in several books, blogs, and magazines, such as Lifeway’s “Living More,†as well as radio and television programs, including American Family
I look up to
the mountains;
does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won’t let
you stumble,
your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God’s your
Guardian,
right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
sheltering you from moon stroke.
God guards
you from every evil,
he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
he guards you now, he guards you always. (The Message,
Psalm 121)
TPOS: You took the
risk to share your depression. What was the response?
It wasn’t what I
thought. When I finally got the courage to start opening up to my family and
friends, they didn’t criticize me, they didn’t condemn me. This is what I
feared. The depression was coming out through fits of rage, and I was abusing
my oldest daughter, so I was worried about their reaction. But, to my surprise
and amazement, because I had worn the mask so well, they brushed it off. They
didn’t believe me. They just didn’t understand the seriousness of the
depression.
TPOS: Describe your
experience of seeking professional help for depression. What was the response
of counselors?
I remember the day,
with a phone book in hand going down the list of all the professional doctors I
thought could help me. I had this get fixed quick mentality. If I could just
get some pills, I would be fine. I called one doctor after another, only to get
responses like: I’m sorry, we don’t take your insurance or I’m sorry
we don’t handle that kind of depression. I got to the very last doctor on
the list, and a very kind woman answered the phone. She listened to my
heartfelt plea, only to tell me at the end of our conversation, I’m sorry,
but we can’t help you. When I hung up the phone that day, I thought I’m
alone in this, no one can help me. When I realized, not even doctors could help
me, that is when I began to contemplate suicide.
TPOS: You have given us insight into God’s reasoning for hardening hearts. You say your heart became harder towards God, and it caused you to cry out differently. Describe that moment. What happens when we cry out to God for help?
I became angry at God
because he didn’t answer my prayer. I became suicidal, convinced the madness
was never going to end and death
was the only way out. I turned to God as a last
resort. I knew he had the power to let me live or die. But at first
I was coming to him with what I wanted, and when he wasn’t giving me what I
wanted, I hardened my heart toward Him. We always make the choice first to
harden our hearts toward God.
When I got to the
point that I was crying out to him in a different way, it was a
make-it-or-break-it day for me. I felt as if I had been ground into the ashes
to which I came. At this point, I believed, that if God didn’t do something
that day, if he didn’t intervene, I feared I would. I could not go on one more
day. I cried out to God one last time, only this time it wasn’t ‘God, take my
life.’I opened my heart to the possibility that God
would do something different. “Help me!†I cried. I confessed to God that no
one could help me, only He could help me. I tried to fix myself before I sought
family and friends. They couldn’t do anything, so I turned to doctors, and they
couldn’t help, so that’s when I turned to God. This was pivotal because I’m now coming to God with this
confession. That could have been what he was waiting for.
The same day I was crying
out to God, I thought I heard a faint voice say, “Go to Mops.†I didn’t want to
go to MOPS. At that point, I had been avoiding it, because when I became
suicidal, I stopped going. I didn’t want to pretend anymore. But then I heard
the voice a second time, “Go to MOPS.â€
TPOS: How long were
you involved in MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)? Did someone invite you? What
was the draw to this ministry for you, even in your depression?
I had already been
involved in MOPS for a couple of years. I heard about the organization, and it
was a way to take another break. I could get out of the house and have a break
from my kids.
TPOS: The MOPS speaker probably didn’t come to speak with the idea of saving someone’s life, yet her words resonated in your desperate heart. What would you say to the person in ministry or connecting with coworkers in the workplace about being present in the lives of others?Â
Are you trapped under the weight of depression? Where is help? Where are the answers? …
Never underestimate
the power of your words. Even when we are in ministry or dealing with
coworkers, we can talk to them and think we are not making a difference. You
never know how God is taking your words of encouragement to touch and change
someone else’s life.
So with my son in tow,
I went to MOPS. I put on the mask. I ate,
conversed with the other moms, laughed and smiled. I even did a craft, which I
hate. The speaker was delightful. She talked about lack of joy and lack of
purpose, and how the only way to find real joy is in Jesus Christ. Now, she
didn’t talk about depression, but she started tapping into an area I was hungry
for, and that was joy.
When she was finished,
she showed us a little brochure and said that if anyone would like this
brochure to meet her in the back of the room. Well, I thought the answer was in
that brochure. I watched her make her way to the back of the room, then I got
up and followed her. Standing in front of her, and it was like a dam broke. All
of this emotion came pouring out through sobs and run-on sentences.
I was causing a scene, but I didn’t care. Not even when I realized every woman in the room was staring at us. I didn’t even try to shut it off, I just let it all come out. I remember this woman didn’t say one word. A lot of people have asked me, “What did she say to you?†She didn’t pray. She just stood there, made eye-contact, and listened. Without saying a word, she reached out and touched my left arm, just above the elbow, and when she did, the crying and run-on sentences stopped. Nausea in the pit of my stomach was gone. The dark cloud that followed me around for so long lifted. All of a sudden, my soul felt light like it had taken on wings and could fly around the room. I was stunned. She stood there staring at me, and I at her. I felt something from her that I had never felt before. Even though she didn’t know me, there was a sense of compassion. I felt like she understood. There was like this liquid love oozing, poured from her. I realize now that was Jesus. I was feeling Jesus in her.
TPOS: Have you been
able to keep in touch with this woman?
Yes, I have kept in
touch with her for over twenty-two years. She prays for me, my family, and the
ministry. (She did not know what happened at the time. It was at the MOPS
appreciate the night, six months after my transformation, that I spoke about
what happened. She was in the audience and learned what God had done for me
through her.
TPOS: You said the
freedom kept coming. How many people stop here? Okay, I’m free of depression,
what must follow? (The ten healed lepers)
Once we start having
some relief, sometimes we just go on with our lives. But, for me, I felt such
gratitude that I could not stop thinking about Jesus. Up until that point, I
hadn’t given God much thought. I grew up in the church. I believed in Him, I
even believed Jesus died on the cross, but I had no relationship with Him. I
only prayed when I was desperate. I never read the Bible. Jesus was the last
resort. But now there was this sudden flip or shift where I couldn’t stop
thinking about Jesus, and it all stemmed from this sense of gratitude.
TPOS: I love that you
point out many mighty warriors of faith who struggled with despair, another
word for depression. What about Christians who are struggling with depression,
how should they deal with their depression?
I have a lot of
believers who approach me after I’ve shared my testimony and say, “I can
understand why you were depressed; you weren’t a believer. But I’m a Christian,
so why am I depressed.†My first question to them is, “Are you in the word
regularly?†And to my amazement, most of them say they are not. In the book, I
give a lot of questions and things for Christians to ponder. For example, are
you comparing yourself with others? What are you believing? Do you believe the
lies of the enemy over the truth of God’s word? We have an adversary, and he
can make us feel oppressed, which feels like depression because the symptoms
are the same, but it is really a spirit of heaviness that the enemy has cast on
us. How are you identifying God? What do you believe God is saying about you? Are
you compromising in your walk with God?
TPOS: You state in
your book that God doesn’t just want to set us free from depression; he wants
to dig up the root. What resources did God use to address the root cause of
your suffering?
He didn’t want me to just
know the power of His healing, He wanted me to know Him. One week after He
healed me, I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Then I got into God’s word
and allowed that truth to feed my soul. Then God started to show me some of the
root causes of the depression. This was not easy, but in order to remain free,
I had cooperated with the process. This is where a lot of people can get stuck in
the process because it is painful, so they stop cooperating with God. But the
end result is worth it.
TPOS: Explain the
differences between Renovation and Restoration. Why is Restoration so much
better?
When you renovate
something, you fix it. When you restore something, you put it back in its
original state. Jesus did not come to fix us; he has come to restore us. When
we receive Jesus, by grace through faith, we are justified before God, or put
back to the original state, just as if we had never sinned. If we go through this
restoration process with him, we will stand before Him a radiant bride, pure,
spotless, wrinkle-free, blemish-free. We will be restored back to our original
state as God intended us to be.
What role does
forgiveness play in addressing depression? Are there other steps that need to
occur before we attempt forgiveness?
Unforgiveness can
cause depression. I had to forgive the people who hurt me. Forgiveness is a
daily choice until we come to the place,we are set free. You
may not feel like forgiving the person who harmed you, but you must make that
choice first. Then ask God to help you to forgive as He forgave you in Christ.
Resentment and bitterness will remain in our souls without forgiveness. The unmerciful
servant in Matthew is an example of the emotional torment we will feel until we
are willing to forgive:
“Then, the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’ In anger the master turned him over the to the jailers to be tortured, until has should pay back all he owed†(Matthew 18:32-34).
Finally Free
Patty Mason is an author, national speaker, and the founder of Liberty in Christ Ministries. For more than two decades, Patty has shared her story of God’s redeeming grace and deliverance from depression before numerous audiences, in several books, blogs, and magazines, such as Lifeway’s “Living More,†as well as radio and television programs, including American Family
