No Tear Unnoticed

Revelation 7v17

♡ "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." ♡

There is a tearless morning coming! What I love about this verse is a) the promise of comfort b) that no tear will be rendered insignificant or irrelevant- every tear will be noticed; every tear will be wiped away; every cause we have had for sadness will be acknowledged and healed c) the fact that comfort will come through intimacy and relationship- God himself will do it: in tenderness, in mercy and in love.

Unforsaken

Hebrews 13v5

♡ "Be content with what you have, for he has said, 'never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.'"♡

Depression often feels like being forsaken, so this promise is so beautiful. This is the wonder of God's generosity and grace: he doesn't promise to send help from afar, or to chuck a few blessings to me down in the pit... nope, he has joined me in the pit- this pit, and countless others, and has committed himself to my good right here where it's messy. My mind may forsake me, my friends may forsake me, my health may forsake me... but Jesus never will.

Complete

Colossians 2v10

♡ "And you have been made complete in Christ." ♡

This verse has been such a joyful reminder to me at times where I have felt in some way lacking whether because of my health, my character, my appearance, my CV etc etc but because of culture both in & outside the church, it can feel especially hard to believe I am whole because I am single. But, despite the fact that the founder of our faith was overflowingly full, genuinely ebullient and single until he died, this verse is also such a wonderful reminder that are made complete, already. Wherever we most keenly feel our emptiness, this verse speaks of a joyful reality: Jesus makes us whole! We don't need to seek completion anywhere but in Him and in Him we have already received FULLNESS. Believing this is a joyful act of defiance in the face of any lies to the contrary, however powerful they can sometimes be!

Infinite Value

Philippians 3v8

♡ "Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." ♡

I think depression has given me ways to know Jesus that I wouldn't have known without it- I've known the mightiness of his power to remove guilt and shame, I've known the tenderness of his kindness, the depths to which he is willing to stoop, I've known the preciousness of the cross in ways that may have otherwise passed me by, I've felt the weight of despair that exists without the empty tomb. Depression has at times shut out all the hope, light and love in my life... except for Jesus. Jesus became my hope. Jesus became my light. Jesus became my love. Would I choose a depression-free life if it meant I would not know him so well? Probably not- because an easier life is worthless compared with the infinite value of knowing Him.

What Depression Isn't Stronger Than

Philippians 2v9-11

♡" God exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at his name every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."♡

The implications for this verse are so far reaching there is nothing so far they do not reach... but as these posts are focussed on mental health... here is one implication: sometimes depression is stronger than me. Sometimes it's like 10 to 10 billion times stronger than me. But you know what it isn't stronger than? Jesus. Same goes for E V E R Y T H I N G else. That's what "name above every name means", and it's such a rock solid reason for hope!

Prayer for the Hopeless

Romans 15v13

♡ "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ♡

Yes and amen to this Bible prayer! Yes to the God of hope; yes to joy and peace; yes to it coming from relationship, as we trust Him; yes to overflowing with hope - not by my own power but by the power of the Spirit (who not so coincidentally raised Jesus from the dead aka is hope's MVP.) If you are struggling to formulate your own prayers amid the gloom- then here's one from the Bible all believers can give a hearty yes and AMEN to! Yes. Amen!

Depression's Limitations

Romans 8v38&39 

♡" I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."♡ 

You hear that depression!? If death can't separate Christians from God's love, if hell can't, if ANGELS or any other kind of power can't, if time can't or space can't... you think you can!? Uh-- no. NOTHING will separate us from his extraordinary love. NOTHING, nothing, NOTHING. So, if have been a weary believer reading these posts and feeling like you are barely hanging on... we are in it together, but as more than conquerors. Because the Lord of heaven loved us, and loves us, and will love us FOREVER (long past when all darkness has been swallowed up in victory.) And there ain't nothing depression can do about it.