WHY does the Bible say that? How does joy give us strength? If we don't have joy, do we then not have strenth?
How is it that joy gives us strength? Well I will tell you how.
Think of anytime when you did not have joy, when you were depressed. Did you have joy? No. And how does depression feel? It drains you of any energy right, any strength? Any ambition, any will to do anything is gone!
I have felt that many times, usually, since I'm a woman, around that time of the month.
I think Satan also uses depression to keep us women down, to keep us out of the game, to keep us benched.
He knows that we can have a great deal of influence when we come FULLY alive, and that is the last thing he wants! Example: I don't know how but my blog is read by 200 people every day. PRAISE GOD! That is quite encouraging. :) lol, so thanks for reading! :)
Satan wants us, women and men, to think we are capable of NOTHING. He WANTS US to feel overwhelmed with insecurity. He wants us to feel worthless cause then HE HAS US RIGHT WHERE HE WANTS US, doing nothing. He doesn't want us to contribute to God's kingdom! He wants us benched! As I have been several times in my life, but only because I benched myself. I believed his lies.
How does Satan get us all benched? His psychological warfare that he uses on ALL of us is LIES! HE IS THE FATHER OF ALL LIES! And these lies lead to......depression.
I read an essay on depression recently that my best friend wrote. It was so amazing that I would like to share it with you all.
Depression
How you can come on so fast. So random and unexpected.
Slowly progressing and making me weak. You can be too strong for me and I end
up falling into your presence allowing you to take control over me. Bringing me down and
making me uncomfortable. You push me to be someone I am not. I am constrained by
your power and cannot break through the chains of your deceit and your lies. I can
feel you sweep through my mind convincing me the lies are the truth. You
breathe down my neck with your wickedness. You entice me with your tasteful
bribery. You are my enemy yet you can be my closest friend. When no one else is
there you are waiting right here for me. When you stay around I start to enjoy
your presence. I become so intoxicated in your destructive amusement. I can no
longer hold myself up,
and I let you take over. I know it is wrong but I am not
strong enough to fight back. So what is your plan? You have me in your hands
and you are now the authority. You laugh in my misery and take pleasure in my
agony. Are you happy now? I have fallen in your trap once again. I am alone and
scared. You need me, without me you don’t exist. But now I am aware of where I
am and have no desire to be here.
Every minute I get stronger and push through
your coarse exterior. I break through and am relieved. I’m free and refreshed.
I have conquered this battle and will not have to challenge you ever again. You
disappear into the night and flee for good. Good bye old friend.
http://ashleyaynn.blogspot.com/2012/11/depression.htmlThat is quite powerful isn't it? I had never fully, fully understood depression so reading this really helped me understand it. My mom has had clinical depression ever since I was 6, due to what my dad did, and it has always bothered me. I always thought, "If you're Christian can't God help you? Why can't you snap out of it? Why can't you decide you're not going to be depressed?"
As Ashley wrote, and we can see, it starts with believing Satan's lies.
He whispers in our ears: "You're not good enough." "You'll never amount to anything." "Why would anyone want you?" "What good could YOU possibly do?"
I know these lies because I hear them just like everyone else. At times I believed them, but I refuse to now!
Seeing my mom struggle with depression I also learned from her mistakes.
DON'T BELIEVE THE LIES! DON'T EVEN GO THERE. Listen to what you are thinking about. Is it from God? Is it you talking? Or is it Satan talking to you?
Despite how debilitating depression can feel, I have always felt strongly that we still CAN control it. It takes work. It takes prayer. That is why Paul said, "Pray without ceasing!" Because we are always, ALWAYS at war. Satan doesn't take a break, so you shouldn't either! I'm serious.
It also takes getting into the word. We have to KNOW our Bible! How did Jesus defeat Satan's attacks against him when he was fasting in the wilderness? HE QUOTED SCRIPTURE! We need to quote scripture, aloud preferrably, when we feel Satan starting to attack us! We need to know the Bible LIKE THE BACK OF OUR HAND. The Bible is your greatest weapon against Satan.
"I can do ALL things through him who gives me strength" right?
So if Satan tried to get us out of the game with depression what is God's counter attack? What is the cure?
The cure is JOY. You absolutely CANNOT have joy and depression at the same time. Joy gives you strength. It makes you feel that you can be lifted up and soar on wings with the eagles!
And what brings joy? For everyone it is different. For me it is listening to music. I feel like I can conquer the world when I listen to certain songs! Here are two that radically increase my joy. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh58EzK6KCE
The drum beat in that song is phenomenal! I love it! It always makes me want to get up and dance every time I heart it lol :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3mINTjVyEw
I rediscovered this song yesterday and wow.....I think it's the most encouraging song every created! lol
So what brings you joy? Whatever it is, you need to find it and do it! Every day, every moment of every day, if you can.
A great book on this topic is Pure Pleasure. The premise in that book is Gary Thomas says if we do not have good, god honoring pleasures in our life we will go for illicit pleasures. If we do not have a good intimacy relationship with our spouse we might be more prone to fall for adultery.
Likewise, if we do not find Godly ways to have joy in our lives, we will first be depressed, and then we will go searching for something in the world to make us happy.
DO NOT turn to the world to make you happy. BECAUSE IT WILL NOT! Absolutely not. Maybe momentarily, but what is always the result? More depression, crying, learning things the hard way, regret, anger at one's self for falling to temptation and the world.
Find your joy in the Lord and you will be truly, truly HAPPY!
Another good song on this topic.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3mINTjVyEw
The ONLY thing that can make us supremely happy is JESUS!
He is the only one who will love us completely and wholly. He is the ONLY one who will truly make us happy.
Sometimes people in the church say, "Well joy isn't the same as being happy." Why not?! Yes it is! lol, WE CAN be extremely happy in Jesus! If we let him, if we let ourselves. This Christian notion of suffering and being miserable for Jesus is NOT OF JESUS, IT IS OF SATAN.
DON'T BELIEVE THAT LIE. GOD WANTS YOU TO BE HAPPY! OK? lol
So go be happy! lol And remember, "THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!"
I pray that we would all have this same electricity of God's joy running through us! :)
Ask God to electrify you with joy! lol. You have to BELIEVE. Believe HE CAN. Believe you really WANT IT.
God be with you! May God supremely bless you! :)
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