I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with some very hopeful words for you today.
And those words will be especially hopeful if, today, you are struggling with depression. Perhaps you’ve been dealing with depression for a long while now, and you’re wondering if you’ll ever come up out of it. If that’s you, I can identify. Believe me, I remember when I first realized that my chronic pain was, indeed, chronic; and that it was just not going to go away, I became overwhelmed by depressed feelings. I felt like I was living behind a glass wall, like I were a mannequin, watching the rest of the world go by. I decided to take pain medication, but the side effects only made my depression worse (so I stopped that medication real quick)! Looking back I think my depression was rooted in fear and in self pity. I thought that no one had it as bad as I did. I felt like God was laying too much on me, what with pain on top of quadriplegia.
I soon discovered that the “woe is me” approach to my problems became a deadly trap. It trapped me into living like a victim rather than the over comer in Christ that I was. But then I read Romans chapter 5. The apostle Paul who wrote this passage also experienced deep pain and suffering in his life, but I was struck by the fact that his problems did not weigh him down. In fact, he writes in Romans 5, “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” The key for Paul was that he kept his eye, hopeful, hopeful on Jesus and the coming glory.
Paul knew that there was an end to his pain and problems. What’s more, he knew that if he responded to those problems with his eyes on Christ, then those very hardships would win him a glorious reward.
And so, I decided to memorize Romans chapter 5, verses 2 to 5. And I repeated them and repeated them time and again. I allowed that Scripture to wear a rut in my brain until finally, God changed my mind and convinced me that, yes, it really is true. My chronic pain had a purpose, just like my paralysis. And I could persevere, because I knew it was changing me and making me more like Jesus. And that, in turn, filled my heart with hope. No more despair and depression, but hope. And that’s when I honestly began rejoicing in my suffering – the Bible assured me that all the good things that lie in the future; all those good things could be considered “good” if I would but keep my eyes on Christ “who, for the joy set before him, endured his cross.” In short, I stopped living behind that glass wall. I stopped thinking of myself as a mannequin, watching the world go by. That was wrong – it was even sinful thinking. I was no mannequin; I’m a child of God. I wasn’t watching the world go by; I wanted to give to others through ministry. Most of all, I quit digging myself into the miry pit of self-pity. Was I going to live for myself and be depressed about it or live for God and allow Him to use my pain for His glory?
Oh, friend, there is so much more to say on this topic of depression and coming up out of it and its why I hope you’ll visit my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and ask for your free copy of our booklet on depression. I hope you won’t let self-pity rule your day. Instead, start ruling your thoughts with hope from the Word of God.
© Joni and Friends
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PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376