Tag Archives: Depression

Don’t Worry, Be Peaceful

The old saying goes, “We can be our own worst enemy,” and there are times it is completely true. Have you ever allowed thoughts about yourself to rob you of peace?

  • A project didn’t turn out the way you desired, so you criticize every mistake.
  • You were late for work because you were stuck in traffic, so you blame yourself for not having enough time.
  • You compare yourself to the appearance of others, and beat yourself up because you do not have the life you believe they do.

It can be a struggle to not strip ourselves of peace when we’re having a bad day. Scripture gives some advice for these days.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, present your requests to God. And, the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“Cast your anxieties upon the Lord because he cares for you deeply” (1 Peter 5:7).

Take those unpeaceful moments to the Lord. Allow him to carry those burdens and hand you, his peace.

  • You’re probably judging the project more critically than others will.
  • The Lord may have an encouraging message for you during that traffic jam.
  • Social media doesn’t tell the full story, so others may be having the same thoughts when they compare themselves to us.

 Don’t worry. Be peaceful!

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perfect love caused christmas

“At the beginning of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown is in sad shape. It’s Christmas, and he knows he should be happy, because the pond is open for skating and he likes getting Christmas cards, but something doesn’t feel right, especially after Snoopy has entered a doghouse-decorating contest and his little sister is asking Santa Claus for money in the form of Hamiltons and Jacksons.

The commercialization of Christmas has left our hero searching for answers. For a five-cent co-payment—and the beautiful sound it makes rolling around in the can—neighborhood psychiatrist Lucy suggests some possible diagnoses for Charlie Brown’s depression.”

Lucy offers some suggestions for Charlie Brown’s depression as defined here, and eventually concludes Charlie Brown has Pantophobia. This is the fear of everything.

What is causing you to have fear this year?

Charlie Brown is not the only one who struggles this time of year. Christmas can be an emotional time. We celebrate Christ’s birth, but paralleled to our celebration can be feelings of loneliness and emptiness for many people. These are real emotions, so I certainly do not want to minimize them in any way. In fact, I wish I had a “magical” answer that could take away these emotions at Christmas time. Obviously, I don’t, but I can offer one piece of encouragement from God’s Word.

1 John 4:18 says, “Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

It was this perfect love that caused Christmas. The Bible teaches Jesus was willing to leave the majesty of Heaven to be with us to save us. It is in this perfect love we find the Lord’s mercy and grace. It is in this perfect love we find the absence of fear, especially the fear of judgment. In this perfect love, Jesus says we are his friends, and we can be open with him.

This means we can talk with the Lord about feelings of loneliness and emptiness. This means he will be with us even if it is not a joyous time of year. God’s perfect love is what caused Christmas, and it is his perfect love that will carry us through the difficulties of the season. Jesus longs for you and me to shelter ourselves in his perfect love this Christmas season.

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