Let me ask you a question that I found in Bob Phillips' book Overcoming Anxiety and depression. He asks: What would you identify as the most important thing in your life? Is it something that could perish, is it relationship with a loved one that can be lost? Or is it a relationship with God?
He goes further to say that spiritual matters have a tendency to seperate people into 3 general categories, namely:
The whatevers - those who couldn't care less about spiritual matters and don't have a background in religious faith and they don't feel that they need to develop one. There are also those who have a form of previous knowledge but have made the choice to reject it.
The ahas - they are those who might or might not have a bit of spiritual background and they are actually interested in it. They are seekers and they are open to considering this avenue of live and they are interested in further information.
The thinkers - it refers to those who are deeply concerned about spiritual matters and their emotional and mental health are closely tied to their faith and how it affects their daily life. These people strive to grow in their faith and knowledge.
The question you need to ask yourself is - which category do you identify with?
For those interested in or deeply concerned with spiritual matters identifies with Jesus's words - "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26). What Jesus is saying is that there's more to life than material goods and He warns us of the dangers if we don't consider the deeper things of life.
Many of us what life is all about. We question why pain and suffering exist or why people have to struggle with anxiety and depression. We even wonder if God has a plan for our lives.
One thing to remember is that life isn't an easy road. There are often "potholes" of anxiety, there are bumps of pain as well as detours of depression which can lead to us becoming weary of it all.
What is very encouraging is that the Bible shows us that God DOES care about us and our problems. He WANTS to come to our aid and help us through our toughest times which causes anxiety and depression. We see this in Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light".
You might ask - how do I come to Jesus, how do I find rest for my soul and how can I experience peace in the midst of turmoil (in other words - how do I overcome my anxiety and depression?). Well once again we can turn to what Jesus said - "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27).
The next question is - how does experiencing peace with God and the peace of God start? Well, it starts with understanding who Jesus is. To understand Him we need to realise that He is God in a human body who has come to tell us how to have a relationship with Him which will last for eternity. God is perfect and holy which is absolutely opposite of who we are. We are not perfect (do you know of anyone that is?) and we are definitely not holy. All humans have imperfections no matter how hard we try we will always fall short of doing what is right, saying what is right or even thinking what is right.
These imperfections and our sin is what seperates us from a holy God so what does God do? He sent us His one and only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us to deal with our sinfulness and imperfections. Jesus paid the penalty for us and bought us back from the slavery of sinfulness and wickedness. Jesus bore our sins on the cross and died in our place. He was then buried for our cruelty and was raised to life so that we may have a new life and relationship with God. The only thing that's required of us is to have faith that this happened.
Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-10,13 how to do this:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation ... For "whoever calls on the name of
the Lord shall be saved".
If you have never done this now is your time. Do it right now. All you have to do is to pray a simple prayer of faith and in this prayer as Jesus into your life, thank Him for dying on the cross for you and for providing you with a relationship with God. Also ask God to bring people into your life who would be able to help you grow and to learn more about Jesus. Finally thank Him for saving you.
God is tugging at the strings of your heart and I'm praying that you are sensing God calling to you to make a decision for Christ. Don't delay - answer His call.
The moment you invite Jesus into your life, God sends the His Holy Spirit to dwell within you and He will be there to teach you about God. He will be your support in tough times and will help you to endure the pain and suffering that you have experienced because of your anxiety and depression. The Holy Spirit will help you overcome these negative feelings.
The moment you have decided to accept Jesus follow up on your decision by reading the following versus in the Bible:
- Revelation 3:20
- Colossians 1:13-14,27
- 1 John 5:11-13
- John 6:37
- Romans 10:9-13
- Hebrews 13:5
It would be a good idea to write down some of your observations.
The next and very important step is to read your Bible every day (if you don't have one - stop what you are doing and go buy one).
Bob Phillips gives a very practical and simple daily Bible study plan to help you.
Select one book of the Bible that you would like to read. It's advisable to start with the 4th book in the New Testament which is the Gospel of John.
Read one chapter a day until you've read through the whole book.
While reading each chapter make some notes and try to identify the following:
* the key verse of the chapter (a central thought)
* God's commands (a command is something to do)
* God's promises (a promise is something to believe)
* A short summary of the chapter
* Personal applications to your daily life.
It would also be beneficial to read 1 Peter 2:2 as well as Psalm 119:9,11. Daily talk to God in prayer and keep growing your relationship with Him.
Other scriptures to read are:
- 1 John 1:9
- Psalm 66:18
- Philippians 4:6-7
To continue to grow in God it is important to fellowship with other believers. Find a local God fearing, Bible teaching church closest to you. Get involved in a local church that teaches the truth about Jesus. Ask God to help you discern which church to go to.
Once you've given your life to Jesus don't keep it to yourself. Tell others about Him, they need Him just as much as you do. Not only that but learn to serve God wherever you can and in the process help others to grow in their own faith.
Asking Jesus into your life is the greatest decision you would ever make. If you are still hesistant - don't hold back there's no better time than now to give your life to Him.
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