Don’t let Satan make you lead a fake Christian life. Get your ideas clear and put them into practice through God’s help and he’ll add strength to your faith and godliness to your life.
Navigating Depression: Hope for Heavy Hearts booklet - free offer link below:
Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones has always been a favorite preacher.
Hi, I’m Joni and I highly recommend reading anything by Martin Lloyd Jones. He lived in the last century and was a Welsh pastor who, for 30 years, served in the pulpit at Westminster Chapel. Most people know him through his celebrated book “Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cures.” I think it’s a classic and it was such a help to me when, many years ago, I was in that long, dark season. Reading that book taught me how to face myself and examine myself in a healthy way without being introspective. It showed me how to question myself. Like, am I actually living out this scriptural promise I’m quoting? Or am I pretending that I do? Is Christ my Lord or am I playacting that he is? Am I faking the Christian life? Or does the Bible actually rule the way I live? In short, am I living truthfully as a disciple of Christ? Martin Lloyd Jones showed me how to be more interested in Jesus, and less interested in myself. And when Christ is, in fact, your focus, you are on your way to solid emotional and mental health.
And so, today I’d like to share a few quotes from Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones because he gives such great advice to people who struggle with spiritual depression. He says, "The main art in spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand; you have to address yourself, preach to yourself and question yourself. Because this other person within you has got to be handled. Do not listen to its dark voice. Turn on him. Speak to him and condemn him. Remind him of what you know, instead of listening placidly to him and allowing him to drag you down and depress you. Speak to this other person within you and exhort him.”
Now, I love that because it shows us how to be in possession of ourselves; how to control our behavior, govern our passions, and make wise decisions. To be in possession of yourself – is a kind of composure or inner strength that doesn't depend on outside comforts. A person who possesses himself does not overreact or let emotions overwhelm him. The biggest danger [in spiritual depression] is to submit yourself to your feelings and to allow [them] to govern and master you and control your life. But Martin Lloyd Jones gives this wise advice; he says, “Do not give your feelings the great prominence at the center. Put at the center the only one who has the right to be at the center, the Lord of glory, who so loved you, that he went to the cross and died for you. Seek him, seek his face, and all other things shall be added to you."
Wow that’s good advice, for Jesus Christ is Truth. The devil is the Lord of lies. And if Satan can get us to fake our Christian life; if he can convince us that pretending to obey is as good as actually obeying; if he can blind us to our playacting, well, he can force depression upon us. So, let’s get our ideas clear and then put them into practice. Let’s add to our faith strength and godliness. Let’s enjoy our Christian life and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. And to help you, let me send you my new booklet called “Navigating Depression: Hope for Heavy Hearts.” Ask for your free copy today at joniradio.org. Because when Christ is your focus, you are on your way to good mental health. Ask for your gift at joniradio.org. And those are your hope-filled words for today.
© Joni and Friends