CHRISTIAN RADIO (Modern):-
~ by Explorations United
In this article, we will discuss how to overcome depression. First of all let us understand the root problems that cause depression. After this, we will give the guidelines on how to be an overcomer.
A) UNDERSTANDING THE CAUSE OF DEPRESSION
People become depressed due to various reasons. Here are some common reasons:-
- Not abiding (remaining, staying in) in the Word of God daily
- Lost a job
- Broken marriage / relationship
- Unable to find a boyfriend / girlfriend / spouse
- Unable to find a job
- Suffering from financial difficulties
- Lost a loved one
- After being scammed by a scammer (financially or getting involved in sexual immorality activities)
- After being raped / molested / sexually assaulted
- Being in an abusive relationship / marriage
- Feeling lonely / useless
- Refuse to be productive for God (spiritually lazy)
- Failed in an important exam
- Domestic abuse
- Being bullied by others
- Being misunderstood / accused wrongly
- Being a victim of jealous people
- Demon possessed
- Lack of sleep & exercise
- Hormonal changes
- Mixing with the wrong type of friends or people.
- Being surrounded by evil / toxic / negative / depressed people all the time
- Unforgiveness
- Refuse to allow God to heal the inner spirit
- Refuse to trust God or to have faith in God and thinking that God is missing in action
- Refuse to let go of certain secret sins
- Listening to worldly songs / non-scriptural songs / to wrong type of music
No matter how bad the situation is or sometimes it may even seem to be confusing, always remember that God has good plans for you and that He will never leave you nor forsake you:-
Jeremiah 29:11 King James Version (KJV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Deuteronomy 31:6 King James Version (KJV)
Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Time and time again, we have seen God still perform miracles for many people even in this modern era.
However, the first requirement would be that we will need to do all the things that God wants us to do. In other words, we will need to OBEY ALL HIS COMMANDMENTS, STATUES and INSTRUCTIONS IN THE ENTIRE BIBLE.
Many do not understand the most important thing of all is to abide (stay) in God’s Word if we believe in God and that only God can heal:-
John 5:38 King James Version (KJV)
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
The vicious cycle of depression will never end if you do not read the Word of God to abide in His Word daily to stay as a believer in Christ. We have done a survey and found that normally those who do not read their Bibles daily are the ones who are always depressed or tend to be in depression very often.
B) CAN DEPRESSION BE TREATED?
Yes, depression CAN BE TREATED and is common. Getting the support and help that you need is necessary to recover from depression. The more you feel that you want to be alone, the more you need to turn to God, trusted family members and born again Christian friends.
C) CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY
Having good friends who fear and obey God helps.
Be very wise to choose whom you are going to spend time or talk with. Detect true Christians by their fruits (characteristics, behavior & attitude). The Word of God has listed down the 9 characteristics of those who bear the Fruit of the Spirit.
If the person you are with is not bearing the Fruit of the Spirit, then it is a RED FLAG (a warning). We are taught by Yahuah, our Creator God Himself to be wise in choosing our friends:-
Matthew 7:15-20 King James Version (KJV)
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn (cut) down, and cast into the fire (hell).
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
The Word of God has taught us to stay away from dangerous, negative and toxic people:-
2 Timothy 3:3-5 King James Version (KJV)
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent (uncontrolled), fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded (arrogant, haughty), lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away (stay away from such people, avoid such people).
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
We have been forewarned by God in His Word (the Holy Bible) that different people have different motives and mindsets even in the churches. Not everyone that go to the church are truly seeking God. The Holy Bible warns us to stay alert as there are also wolves in sheep’s skin waiting to take advantage of those who are depressed be it men or ladies.
Now another thing we must beware of are scammers. Many people have already fallen into the scammers’ various traps and became depressed. Here are some examples of how scammers swindle or cheat people’s money:-
1) Leading them into false love which may eventually end up in you giving the scammer your money.
PREVENTION: Pray to God for wisdom so you can differentiate between a scammer and a real good person. A scammer will normally be afraid to show their true face to you. Do not trust anybody so easily. It takes a months to a lifetime to truly know a person. Do not fall into their traps.
2) Leading them into false love which may eventually end up in sexual immorality.
PREVENTION: Pray to God for wisdom so you can differentiate between lust and love. Do not engage in any sexual or sensual activities.
Therefore be extremely wise in choosing your friends.
D) HOW TO AVOID BECOMING A VULNERABLE PERSON?
People are most vulnerable when they have various problems. This can lead them to feeling depressed and lost. From our survey, we found that depressed people are normally those who do not walk closely with God. For example, they do not read their Bibles and spend time with God by praying. Take heed, a praying Christian does not necessarily mean that they are reading the Word of God daily. We have seen many who are able to pray fluently confessed but they do not read their Bible daily. The Word of God clearly states that if a person do not abide (stay) in His Word, that person is not a believer in God / Jesus (Yeshua):-
John 5:38 King James Version – KJV
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
We highly recommend you to talk with the person of the same gender (male with male, female with female) in a safe public place to avoid any misunderstandings and problems. A true Christian who fears God will be able to guide you positively to overcome your depression.
E) HOW TO OVERCOME DEPRESSION?
STEP #1: Take care of yourself spiritually, physically and mentally
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- Pray and read the Bible diligently everyday. Meditate on God’s Word.
- Start your day by thanking God for all the blessings.
- Get to the root of what is causing your depression. Pray to God to reveal to you if you have any unforgiveness issue as well. Unforgiveness can lead to a hindrance for a healthy spiritual growth.
- Get a good quality of eight (8) hours of sleep nightly if possible. Eat a good balanced nutritious meal.
- Go out and get some exercise in the morning sunlight.
- Be productive spiritually doing things that can help you grow spiritually.
- Listen to uplifting gospel songs / radio stations / watch Christian movies / watch some good sermons in your free time.
- For hormonal changes issues, there are many websites that is giving help guidelines on this matter. Try to search by typing ‘Natural Ways to Help Balance Hormones’.
STEP #2: Build positive thinking
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- Set practical and realistic goals. Do not be so hard on yourself in achieving goals.
- It is alright not to be perfect. Although it is good to always try your best to be perfect. If mistakes happen, just remember that everyone makes mistakes.
- Be around people who fear God.
Take a piece of paper, write down all the current blessings & thank God for all these blessings aloud.
Examples:-
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- God’s steadfast love – even though I am not perfect
- A roof above the head – I have a comfortable home to live in
- Food to eat – I have food to eat
- Clothes to wear – I have clothes to wear to keep me warm
So do not forget to count all your blessings daily. This will help you to stay positive at all times (watch the video by SEPH SCHLUETER below this article).
STEP #3: Exercise regularly
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day in a safe place and in the daytime where there are other people around. Some examples of exercises that you can do are:-
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- Walk around the football field.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Find an exercise partner to go to the gym with.
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STEP #4: Eat healthily
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- Eat according to the meal time. For those who are watching their weight, cut down on the carbohydrates and sugar. Do not skip meals. Skipping meals may cause other complications and may even cause a person to be in a bad mood.
- Eat more green or colored leafy vegetables and cut down on fatty food.
- Oatmeal & whole bread is much healthier than white bread.
- Do a full blood test and consult your doctor or a nutritionist on what type of food that you should take or avoid.
- Fish and beans are healthy sources of proteins.
- Take vitamin B & iron supplements if you have to.
STEP #5: Build healthy relationships
1) With God: Walk closely with God at all times.
– Do not go to God only when having problems. Human beings often do that. They run to God only when they have a problem.
– Build a strong relationship with God by reading the Word of God (the Holy Bible) and talk to Him always (by praying). Do not wait until there is a problem. There are always many things to thank God for.
– Read the Bible, listen & sing happy gospel songs, worship & pray with your loved ones daily.
2) With family members
– Spend time together; Bible camps, outings, watching Christian movies, hospital / old folks home visitations & etc.
3) With brothers and sisters in Christ
– Get a brother or sister in Christ to pray together with.
– Talk & discuss about finding solutions.
– Keep yourself busy with doing good deeds.
Example: helping to care for an elderly person or orphan children. Statistics have shown that people who care for others are the happiest people. They feel happy when they are able to help others.
– Have lunch/tea time/dinner go for walks at the park or work out at the gym with family members or friends.
– Ask a loved one to check in with you if need to.
– Accompany someone to the movies, a concert, or arrange for a small get-together.
– Meet new people at the church by taking a class or joining a Christian activity group.
– Confide in a pastor or a counselor.
If you need us to help arrange for a Prayer & Bible Reading partner for you, click on the WhatsApp icon at the bottom left and send a message to us. We will get back to you as soon as we can.
STEP #6: Getting help & support
Get help if your depression gets worse. Getting help does not mean that you are weak. It actually means that you are taking care of yourself. Each and everyone of us do get depressed sometimes. Do not be shy to get help from a brother or a sister in Christ because it is Biblical for fellow brothers and sisters to care for one another:-
John 13:34-35 King James Version (KJV)
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
STEP #7: Do prayer and fasting
Prayer and fasting is very important for inner healing and deliverance from any sort of evil / unclean spirits.
Click here for fasting guidelines.
Seek God with all your heart and you will find Him:-
Jeremiah 29:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Luke 12:31 King James Version (KJV)
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Psalms 69:32 King James Version (KJV)
The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
Joshua 22:5 King James Version (KJV)
But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.
F) ENCOURAGEMENT VIDEO
VIDEO: SEPH SCHLUETER – Counting My Blessings: Song Session (3 mins 34 secs)
G) PRAYER
# PRAYER
Father God, we pray for those who are depressed. May they get well in Yeshua’s name! May this article be of help to everyone. May we be the good Samaritan who help those who are depressed. We CHOOSE to as Your obedient children obeying and practicing all Your commandments, statutes and instructions. In all this we give thanks and pray in the name of Yeshua, Amen.
Thank you for your time.
Blessings.
In Christ we serve
EXPLORATIONS UNITED