- Fix My Mind
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This last Sunday we talked about two truths to remember when we are depressed:
1. Your emotions are valid, but these feelings are not permanent.
2. Your situation feels hopeless, but with God, there is always hope.
Experts actually tell us that one of the ways to begin healing and change your emotions is to start by acknowledging those fears and emotions. The prophet Jeremiah admitted that he was struggling and had real heavy feelings. But he also understood that they were temporary and that He wasn’t alone. He called to mind that His God loved him with a devoted love. So put your hope in Him!
Meditate on the verses below.
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. – Proverbs 12:25
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the Lord’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light … He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. … I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. – Lamentations 3:1-2, 5-8, 17-20
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:21-23
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:24-26
Ask yourself these questions.
- Which part of the message this Sunday was most impactful for you and why?
- The four root causes of depression are biological, relational, circumstantial, and spiritual. Is there one cause that resonates with you the most in this season? How could you start addressing that issue with God’s truth?
- Read Lamentations 3:21-23. What are some things that help you remember God’s love and goodness in the midst of difficult seasons?
Talk to someone.
- Talk together about how you typically handle negative or depressing thoughts and feelings? What would it look like to validate your emotions and label your feelings while also remembering they aren’t permanent?
- Talk about a time when God brought you each hope and help in a difficult moment. What did you learn about Him through that experience?
Prayer
Father, thank You for giving us emotions. Please help us name our emotions so we can change our emotions. Remind us that even when we feel hopeless, You are near, and You are our source of hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.