If Not

As I mentioned last week, Satan seeks to ruin you with lies. One of the ways we can defeat those lies is with truth. Lies will not survive in the light. "For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' "  - Ephesians 5:8-14 To those who are struggling right now: Regardless of where you stand with Jesus, I believe that sharing your struggles with someone is going to be paramount in your journey towards healing. You cannot be an island. Make it your goal ...

As a friend pointed out after reading my previous post, I have neglected to mention a very critical component of our struggle with anxiety and depression, and that is spiritual oppression . Throughout the next several weeks I will unpack different ways to deal with depression. Some will address the mental component and others will address the physical component. Today I want to talk about your soul and its enemy. Just a reminder that I am writing this from my worldview which is informed by the Bible. I believe that our greatest Joy in this life and after is found in Christ alone. I also believe that there is an enemy who seeks to steal our joy: Satan. Often in both Christian and secular culture, we tend to talk about Satan too much or too little. Those who speak of him too much are playing with fire (and I'm not talking about the cartoon character devil with a pitchfork and flames licking his feet). I mean that people invite the oppression of Satan into their lives by toying with...

Perhaps one of the most defeating experiences for someone struggling with anxiety is talking to someone who "just doesn't get it" and downplays the feelings. This is not to say that people who do not understand anxiety are incompetent. It's not their fault! They have never experienced what you are going through. On the flip side, we are not more special, wounded, victimized, or worthy of pity than any other person on the planet. I am so tired of click-bait articles that try to make you feel justified in claiming that you have the worst life and everyone should know it (e.g. "10 reasons Why Teachers have the hardest job," "6 reasons why Doctors are underpaid," "The truth about being a Walmart Sales Clerk." All of humanity struggles with something, so let's just level the playing field and agree with Dan Manningham who said, "Life is hard. God is good. Don't confuse the two." I thought it would be best to begin with a br...

Have you ever felt trapped? It's that mix of mounting terror that seizes your heart and tightens your throat. Have you ever felt like you are walking around in a fog? The colors and sounds and highlights in the world seem to fade into the background and you meander through the madness as if you are simply an observer. Time stands still and you are on the outside looking in. These feelings only begin to describe how one might feel in an instance of anxiety. "You have a temperament that predisposes you to be an anxious person." That's what my counselor told me. Growing up, I was a type-A little girl. I was only 2 years old when I started complaining about my mom rearranging the furniture. Tags had to be cut out of all my clothes and there were very few sweaters I could stand to wear because they were so scratchy. Those are the "funny" things that people think about when they hear "OCD." In fact, a lot of people claim to have OCD because they like...