Stepping Stones: Black Hole of Depression

Transformational Tip

Clinical depression is an illness that affects 20% of Americans, that’s almost 50 million and is still relatively misunderstood. People experiencing severe depression find it hard to believe, deep down, that there are good things about themselves. They are trapped between a rock and a hard place, between a deep desire to be affirmed as "good" and a deep feeling of not being very good at all…actually being worthless with no reason to go on.

The Apostle Paul declared that "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) But depression causes many of us to miss or even reject the free gift of God: a new identity as a good and righteous person.

Astronomers tell us there are swirling whirlpools in the universe with a powerful magnetic pull that does not allow light to escape from within them. Black holes, therefore, cannot be seen, but their existence can be identified by the debris that revolves around them. In the same way, we cannot see into the heart of another person, but we can tell the condition of the heart by observing the things that revolve around that person's life.

If we are suffering from depression, those revolving things might include feeling angry, helpless, hopeless, isolated, and even suicidal. All of these revolve around a black hole, a self-identity of being worthless. The "trap" occurs when we allow our attention to be distracted primarily by the things revolving around our heart rather than focusing on the condition of the heart itself. The stepping stones out of this trap is a process of learning a new identity, one based on the truth of God's Word, rather than on a lie.

Today, examine your heart. You can improve your mood by changing how you look at life. Your lenses really show what is at the center of your heart. Really knowing God and trusting His promises will clean your lenses, giving you eyes that see the truth. Seeing things from God’s perspective will do wonders for your mood. Begin the process of putting on the new nature (the regenerated self) created in God's image, in true righteousness and holiness, transformed by the blood of Christ. Click here to share your perspective with the Stepping Stones community your views of depression.

Prayer
Dear Father God, I see myself as worthless, but Your Word tells me that as Your child, I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Help me to accept my new identity as a good and righteous person…to see myself as You see me. Show me the stepping stones to becoming the regenerated self. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the One who sees all the best in me, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!

The Truth
And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new nature created in God's image, in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:23-24