depression

Health – Depression

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In all my years of attending church, I have noticed that there are some subjects, two in particular, DEPRESSION and its twin sister ANXIETY, that are rarely if ever mentioned. It is as if it does not exist among Christians, or that Christians should be above such behavior and therefore there is no need for its acknowledgment.

Having been employed in psychiatric institutions for many years, I can assure you that this illness knows no boundaries or discrimination: wealthy or poor, famous or infamous, anyone can be affected by this silent killer.

Depression comes from the root word depressed, pressed down. It is an intense feeling of sadness, anger, hopelessness, helplessness, uselessness, and extreme fatigue. If it is not treated, it may lead to psychosis and suicide. It is often triggered by a traumatic event: the loss of a job, death of a loved one, psychological and physical abuse and a host of other reasons.

The following statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health for individuals from ages 18 and older in America reveal the prevalence of mental health disorders:

  • Major Depressive Disorder – 16 million (worldwide – 350 million)
  • Social Anxiety Disorder – 15 million
  • Phobias – 19 million
  • PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) – 7.7 million

Staggering, is it not?

When my daughter decided to take psychology as her major in college, a church official suggested that she not waste her time. Really? I wanted to chip in; have you seen the statistics of our society? I am so happy that my daughter is receiving education in how to reach out to humanity, to be a blessing, whether it be in Christian counselling, social work, psychotherapy, whatever the direction. The Lord knows we need it.

Throughout our world history there have been many in leadership positions who have suffered with depression. I will mention just a couple.

Abraham Lincoln was known to have battled depression and suicide all his adult life. https://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln84.html

Sir Winston Churchill called depression his “black dog.”

You may ask the question: Should a Christian ever be depressed, and if so, would this mean a lack of faith? If you are someone who is sensitive, loving, caring, giving, feeling, nurturing, empathetic, you are sure to have experienced depression to some degree.

Consider these few excerpts from Adventist Review Online, January 3, 2017, “Ellen White and Depression,” by Tim Poirier.

“In her autobiographical accounts, Ellen White frequently describes times of depression and melancholy. Many were merely a passing sadness over present conditions, but others were extended periods of gloom and discouragement. She often attributed her depressed spirits to physical ill-health, which she suffered throughout her life, in part a result of her life-threatening accident she experienced at age 9.

“In 1859 Ellen White candidly informed church members, ‘For years I have been afflicted with dropsy (edema) and disease of the heart, which has had a tendency to depress my spirits and destroy my faith and courage.’ She described having felt ‘no desire to live,’ and being unable to muster enough faith even to ‘pray for my recovery.’ Testimonies, vol. 1, 185. During this time, she confided in her diary, ‘Oh, why is it that such gloom rests upon everything? Why can I not rise above this depression of spirit? … I have no health and my mind is completely depressed.’ The Ellen G. White Letters and Manuscripts with Annotations, vol. 1, 632, 633.

“As the Lord’s messenger, she was uniquely sensitive to the spiritual deficiencies of individuals and the church generally. Both she and James carried the state of the church continually upon their hearts: ‘Our happiness has depended upon the state of the cause of God. When God’s people are in a prospering condition, we feel free. But when they are in disorder and backslidden, nothing can make us joyful. Our whole interest and life have been interwoven with the rise and progress of the third angel’s message. We are bound up in it, and when it does not prosper, we experience great suffering of mind.’ ” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 297.

“She knew the darkness of losing children and even one’s life companion to death. Recalling the bereavement for her 3-month-old son John Herbert, she wrote, ‘After we returned from the funeral, my home seemed lonely. I felt reconciled to the will of God, yet despondency and gloom settled upon me.’ Ibid., 296.

“Ellen White found hope in Biblical accounts of spiritual giants who experienced periods of deep discouragement, yet who were not abandoned by God: individuals such as, Elijah, David, and Paul. Even Jesus, she noted, was not free from such feelings. (Matthew 26:38; John 12:27.) The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 94.

“Of Elijah she wrote, ‘If, under trying circumstances, men of spiritual power, pressed beyond measure, become discouraged and desponding, if at times they see nothing desirable in life, that they should choose it, this is nothing strange or new. … Those who, standing in the forefront of the conflict, are impelled by the Holy Spirit to do a special work, will frequently feel a reaction when the pressure is removed. Despondency may shake the most heroic faith and weaken the most steadfast will. But God understands, and He still pities and loves.’ Prophets and Kings, 173, 174.

“Writing to her son Edson, who had a tendency to ‘look on the dark side’ of things, Ellen White reminded him that ‘With the continual change of circumstances, changes come in our experience; and by these changes we are either elated or depressed. But the change of circumstances has no power to change God’s relation to us. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and He asks us to have unquestioning confidence in His love.’ In Heavenly Places, 120.

“Recalling the feelings of overwhelming despair that followed her childhood accident, Ellen White reflected, ‘I concealed my troubled feelings from my family and friends, fearing that they could not understand me. This was a mistaken course. Had I opened my mind to my mother, she might have instructed, soothed, and encouraged me.’ Life Sketches of James and Ellen G. White, 135.”

On days when you feel “pressed beyond measure” and sinking fast into despair, remember Peter’s words, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). Then Ellen White recommended the benefits of outdoor activity, gardening, enjoying nature, and simply praising God. “Go right along, singing, and making melody to God in your hearts, even when depressed by a sense of weight and sadness, I tell you as one who knows, light will come, joy will be ours, and the mists and clouds will be rolled back.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 242, 243.

Yes friends, EXERCISE is very important. When we exercise, our body releases chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals act as analgesics and reduce the perception of pain and triggers positive feelings. For example, the feeling after a workout or a run described as “euphoric” or as a “runner’s high” creates positive energy and a positive outlook on life. There is no excuse for inactivity, unless you are in a coma!

Claim God’s promises: “And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:1–3).

Let’s encourage one another to trigger our happy chemicals. And always remember what Paul said, “But it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

May God bless and keep you.

Hope for the Hopeless

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Section 1

Although the condition of all the descendants of Adam and Eve is hopeless without Jesus, the anointed Savior of mankind, through Christ, there is hope for those who are apparently the most hopeless of mankind. The following statements contain encouragement for those who feel hopeless:

“God sees all the possibilities there are in men to work out His divine end; and those who are called to be laborers together with Him, He will instruct to work according to His plans. As co-workers with Christ they will labor for the poor, the outcast, and the depraved. They will not fail nor be discouraged, for, imbued with the Spirit of Christ, they will see hope for the most hopeless. They will work in God’s lines, realizing that man must be sought for and labored for in order to be made Christlike.” Review and Herald, May 29, 1900. [All emphasis supplied throughout unless otherwise noted.]

“This is the work of God’s laborers—to bring to Jesus souls who have gone away from His direct teachings and have apparently gone to pieces on the rocks and reefs of sin. These broken lives, which have been apparently hopeless, He promises to make whole.” Upward Look, 162.

“Tell the poor desponding ones who have gone astray that they need not despair. Though they have erred, and have not been building a right character, God has joy to restore them, even the joy of His salvation. He delights to take apparently hopeless material, those through whom Satan has worked, and make them the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from the wrath which is to fall upon the disobedient. Tell them there is healing, cleansing for every soul. There is a place for them at the Lord’s table. He is waiting to bid them welcome.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 234.

“I entreat the heralds of the gospel of Christ never to become discouraged, never to regard the most hardened sinner as beyond the reach of the grace of God. The one apparently hopeless may accept the truth in the love of it. He who turns the hearts of men as the rivers of water are turned, can bring the most selfish, sin-hardened soul to Christ. Is anything too hard for God to do? ‘My word,’ He declares, ‘shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.’ Isaiah 55:11.” Gospel Workers, 267.

“Jesus is now sending His message to a fallen world.…He has committed Himself to the work of our redemption. He resolved that He would spare nothing, however costly, withhold nothing, however dear, which would restore the moral image of God in man. And He holds in store gift upon gift, waiting for the proper channels through which He can communicate the treasures of eternal life.” Signs of the Times, February 22, 1899.

“Come to Jesus, and receive rest and peace. You may have the blessing even now. Satan suggests that you are helpless, and cannot bless yourself. It is true; you are helpless. But lift up Jesus before him: ‘I have a risen Savior. In Him I trust, and He will never suffer me to be confounded. In His name I triumph. He is my righteousness, and my crown of rejoicing.’ Let no one here feel that his case is hopeless; for it is not. You may see that you are sinful and undone; but it is just on this account that you need a Savior. If you have sins to confess, lose no time. These moments are golden. ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ 1 John 1:9. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled; for Jesus has promised it. Precious Savior! His arms are open to receive us, and His great heart of love is waiting to bless us.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 352, 353.

“Do not, I entreat of you, sit down in hopeless despair and do nothing. Do not heed any further the great tempter that it is no use for you to try. You could but perish if you came to Jesus just as you are, sinful and polluted, vile and depraved; but Jesus is amply able to save the very hardest and the most wicked and defiled sinner.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, 143.

“There are multitudes today as truly under the power of evil spirits as was the demoniac of Capernaum. All who willfully depart from God’s commandments are placing themselves under the control of Satan. Many a man tampers with evil, thinking that he can break away at pleasure; but he is lured on and on, until he finds himself controlled by a will stronger than his own. He cannot escape its mysterious power. Secret sin or master passion may hold him a captive as helpless as was the demoniac of Capernaum.”

“Yet his condition is not hopeless. God does not control our minds without our consent; but every man is free to choose what power he will have to rule over him. None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they may find deliverance in Christ. The demoniac, in place of prayer, could utter only the words of Satan; yet the heart’s unspoken appeal was heard. No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who consent to enter into covenant with God are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature.” Ministry of Healing, 92, 93.

Section 2

It is possible for human beings to make choices that will result in their condition becoming hopeless. The following statements show how this is done:

If we close our eyes to the divine light that is shining upon us: “Men who will not admit the claims of God’s law, which are so very plain, will generally take a lawless course; for they have so long taken sides with the great rebel in warring against the law of God. . . . Their case is as hopeless as was that of the Jews, who would not see the light which Christ brought to them.” Review and Herald, March 23, 1886.

If we indulge pride and self-sufficiency: “The evil that led to Peter’s fall and that shut out the Pharisee from communion with God is proving the ruin of thousands today. There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 154.

If we cherish unbelief: “The Jews through unbelief felt no need of Christ. Bodily diseases, however aggravated and apparently hopeless, were met and baffled by His divine power; but the disease of the soul, fastened in unbelief and blind prejudice, took firmer hold upon those who closed their eyes against the light. The most powerful evidence that could be produced only strengthened their opposition. Leprosy and palsy were not so terrible as bigotry and unbelief. Jesus turned from the teachers of Israel, and their chains of darkness and skepticism tightened about them.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 176.

“The stronger the evidence that was presented to their minds that Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins, as well as to heal the sick, the more they armed themselves with hatred and unbelief, till God left them to the forging of chains that would bind them in hopeless darkness. There was no reserve power to reach hearts so hardened with malice and skepticism.” Signs of the Times, October 16, 1879.

If we attempt to excuse or conceal our sins: “Satan leads many to believe that God will overlook their unfaithfulness in the minor affairs of life; but the Lord shows in His dealings with Jacob that He will in no wise sanction or tolerate evil. All who endeavor to excuse or conceal their sins, and permit them to remain upon the books of heaven, unconfessed and unforgiven, will be overcome by Satan. The more exalted their profession and the more honorable the position which they hold, the more grievous is their course in the sight of God and the more sure the triumph of their great adversary. Those who delay a preparation for the day of God cannot obtain it in the time of trouble or at any subsequent time. The case of all such is hopeless.” The Great Controversy, 620.

If we delay to overcome: “But let no one neglect present opportunities and delay repentance, presuming on the eleventh-hour conversion of the thief, and trusting to a death-bed repentance. Every ray of light neglected leaves the sinner in greater darkness than before, till some fearful deception may take possession of his mind, and his case may become hopeless.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 159.

If we do not make an absolute surrender of self: “Without the absolute surrender of self, soul, body, and spirit the contest is hopeless. Self must be hid in Christ. Said Paul, [Philippians 2:7–11 quoted].” Bible Training School, October 1, 1916.

Section 3

Through the results of past wrong choices, some people are very near to becoming hopeless, but if they will turn to the Lord He will still save them. Situations that result in this condition are discussed in the following quotations:

Bad marriages: “He [Satan] is busily engaged in influencing those who are wholly unsuited to each other to unite their interests. He exults in this work, for by it he can produce more misery and hopeless woe to the human family than by exercising his skill in any other direction.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 248.

Sexual Sins: “You have a work to do for your own soul. Make haste, or it will be forever too late. God will now forgive the scarlet sin if you will do those things you ought to do to make your wrongs right. I do not say your case is hopeless, but you have certainly almost sinned away your day of grace; and yet Jesus is in the sanctuary. Jesus pleads in your behalf. Your brethren and your sisters have labored much for you; so much interest have they manifested for you that you have regarded crime and sins as a light matter. But Jesus loves you, and I present or lift up Jesus before you.

“Satan tells you that it is not best for you to cease sinning; you have gone so far in disobedience and transgression that it is no use for you to try to come back to God. While I feel that full disgrace of your sins is upon you, while I would have you see sin as it is, I would all the time present Jesus as a sin-pardoning Savior. The sands of your life are nearly run out, and now if you will come to God just as you are, without one plea but that He has died to save the chiefest of sinners, you will find pardon even in this the eleventh hour. Man must cooperate with God. Christ did not die to have the power to cover transgression unrepented of and unconfessed. Not all sins are to be confessed publicly, but some are to be confessed alone to God and the parties that have been injured.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, 133–137. (See the entire chapter called “Counsels to People With Moral Problems.”)

Depression and the contemplation of suicide: “You say you are tempted to cut the brittle thread of life; but if you do, then your case is hopeless, for you add the sin of murder to all your other sins. But if you come just as you are, helpless and sin-polluted, and cast yourself at the foot of the cross, poor, miserable, blind, and naked, there is a Savior to lift you up.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, 143.

Long established habits of talking doubt and unbelief: “To question and doubt and cherish unbelief in order to excuse ourselves in stepping aside from the straight path is a far easier matter than to purify the soul through a belief of the truth, and obedience thereto. But when better influences lead one to desire to return, he finds himself entangled in such a network of Satan, like a fly in a spider’s web, that it seems a hopeless task to him, and he seldom recovers himself from the snare laid for him by the wily foe.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 46.

Section 4

The following inspired statements contain cautions and counsels to keep you from despair and hopelessness and to help make you a blessing to those who feel hopeless:

Do not overwork. This will make you hopeless in your outlook: “The Lord expects His servants to be diligent in business and fervent in spirit. But He does not want them to overwork. It is not work, but overwork, without periods of rest, that breaks people down, endangering the life forces. Those who overwork soon reach the place where they work in a hopeless way. The work done to the Lord is to be done in cheerfulness and with courage. He wants us to bring spirit and life and hope into our work.” Signs of the Times, May 10, 1905.

Avoid debt. Debt brings depression and feelings of hopelessness:

“The Lord does not want anyone to be unhappy. My brother, your case is not hopeless. . . . Leave the business which makes you nervous and restless. When you have done all you can, trust in God. Get out of debt, and never again get into debt. Live so economically that you will not have to feel the galling burden of debt.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 136.

Do not look down on any sinner as though you are better than he is. Remember that we all must have infinite mercy extended to us daily or we would be hopeless: “There is need of an impartial examination of our hearts to dispel the pleasing illusions of self-love. Our condition is helpless and hopeless unless infinite mercy is granted us daily, and pardon is written against our names in the heavenly records. Those only who see and feel their spiritual necessities will go to Jesus for that help which they so much need, and which He only can give. He alone can cleanse us from all sin. He alone can place upon us the robe of righteousness.” Signs of the Times, January 4, 1883.

Give the gospel invitation for as long as possible. Even in the last hour of life the gospel can be presented and a soul saved if it is accepted: “Would that physicians might understand the greatness of the service they could render to humanity if they were able to speak simply and tenderly of the love of Jesus and of His willingness to save souls, even at the last hour of life. Many physicians fail to see what a noble influence they might exert by accepting Christ and laying hold of eternal interests. They continue to live a hopeless life, a life in which God is not recognized. They refuse to be illuminated by the Light of the world, and are in a far worse condition than the one who is suffering from physical disease.” The Kress Collection, 41.q

Restoring The Temple – Depression and Diet

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“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and [why] art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, for the help of his countenance.” —Psalm 42:5.

Depression affects 200 million people world- wide, which is one person out of thirty of the world’s population. In the United States, it will affect 19 million Americans this year, or one person out of sixteen. In the United States alone, the cost of dealing with this disease is $70 billion per year. It approaches the amount spent on heart disease, the number one cause of death in this country. The United States antidepressant drug sales have risen 800 percent to $10.2 billion since 1990. The number of people taking antidepression medication has also steadily increased. The World Health Organization reports that, by the year 2020, depression will likely be the second leading cause of disease worldwide.

Depression knows no cultural, social, or economic barriers. It afflicts people of every age, race, religion, and educational background. More people are suffering from depression now than in previous generations.

For deliverance from depression to take place, we must determine what the causes and symptoms of the depression are. Depression is one of the most common forms of mental illness, a common mood disorder. Some of the symptoms of depression which are often present include feelings of persistent sadness and gloom, reduced physical activity, feelings of irrational anxiety, and a sense of hopelessness. Depressed people may have other symptoms such as difficulty concentrating; their sleep and appetite may be affected; they may feel tired all the time, may lose interest in life, experience negative thinking, and have thoughts of suicide.

What brings about such a condition as depression? What are some of the causative factors? Some cases of depression appear suddenly for no apparent reason; others are brought about by stressful life events such as the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss. Research has also confirmed that some cases of depression are brought on slowly and subtly over time by poor lifestyle habits. Science has identified several factors, which can promote and even intensify feelings of hopelessness and despair. Some of these factors include alcohol, smoking, caffeine, physical inactivity, improper diet, stressful living circumstances, food allergies, high blood pressure medication, and various other medications.

How can one be delivered from depression? While medication can sometimes provide temporary relief from symptoms, we find chronic use of antidepressants can lead to physical and emotional dependency and may actually deepen the depression. God has something better; there is a way out. Nearly all types of depression will respond to some fundamental basic methods. The eight principles of GOD’S PLAN—Godly trust, Open air, Daily exercise, Sunshine, Proper rest, Lots of water, Always temperate, and Nutrition—can be incorporated in one’s life to bring about the positive results.

There is deliverance from depression. We must have a firm trust and hold upon God. And in conjunction with this, we need to develop proper lifestyle habits. We need tasks with a purpose. We all need to be productive. We need to have a feeling of accomplishment, completion, and satisfaction in doing something useful each day. We need to have structure and regularity, observing regular hours for eating, sleeping, and working. We need to have a healthful diet, eating fresh natural foods, which give an increase of mental and physical energy. Eating plenty of fresh fruits for a day or two can do wonders in clearing the mind; going on a one or two-day fast, getting adequate rest, and incorporating periods of quietness and calm are especially important. Sleep deprivation can set off or intensify depression. Most people feel their best with seven to eight hours of sleep, daily exercise, and 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic- type activity such as brisk walking, bicycling, or hiking. These stimulate the release of mood altering natural chemicals called endorphins. Ecclesiastes 11:7 says, “Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.” Daily sunlight has been used successfully for many years in the treatment of many types of depression. Trust in God is very important. Bearing heavy burdens alone is enough to crush one’s spirit. The Bible encourages us to cast all our cares upon Him who cares about us and He will sustain us. 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22. We need to educate ourselves to express thanks, praising God for the many blessings that He has given us. Learn to talk hope and faith; this can have a positive impact upon your life.

Many who are depressed do not know that the kinds of foods they partake of is a causative factor in determining their mental state. With this concept in mind, we need to explore the different kinds of foods that can cause depression. It is also important to examine the scientific evidence of how food affects the mental state of individuals.

What kinds of foods do people turn to when depressed? The most common foods to cause mental disturbance are sugar, milk, and milk products. “Sugars are closely linked to feelings of despair, depression, alienation, and sugar strengthens feelings of individuality.” Annemarie Colbin, Food and Healing, Ballantine Books, New York, 1986, 290.

Wheat can cause unpleasant allergic reactions, often in the form of moodiness and depression. Wheat is an ingredient found in many of the foods we eat. Other common culprits are caffeine, coffee, carbonated beverages, and chocolate. “By restricting the sugar and caffeine intake of people with depression, it has been reported to elevate moods in preliminary research.” W. Lininger Schuyler (Editor), et. al., The Natural Pharmacy, Prima Publishing, New York, 1999, 50.

Sugar, food colorings, and foods that are low in folic acid and vitamin B12 are associated with and can contribute to depression. Here we see scientific research has shown that foods can cause depression. Eating for comfort or overindulging often leads to obesity and bulimia, which is a part of the depression cycle.

Let’s review some scientific facts in regard to foods that can cause depression. In the book Depression: The Way Out, Dr. Neil Nedly states, “Diet has such a profound effect on human metabolism that it comes as no surprise that there are many interrelationships between the foods we eat and our risk of depression.” (Nedly Publishing, Ardmore, Oklahoma, 2001, 34.) The absence of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids causes an imbalance in the brain, thereby affecting mental health.

How can we overcome? By using God’s Life Activating Diet (G.L.A.D.), a diet low in fat, low in protein, high in fiber, and high in nutrients. It provides the tools necessary for overcoming depression. The highest source of fiber is whole grains. When we make the change to GOD’S PLAN, then we can ask God to give us victory over depression because “with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26.

We need to bring into balance the chemical makeup of our brains by making proper food choices. Leviticus 17:11 states, “The life of the flesh [is] in the blood.” “The brain is the organ and instrument of the mind, and controls the whole body. In order for the other parts of the system to be healthy, the brain must be healthy. And in order for the brain to be healthy, the blood must be pure. If by correct habits of eating and drinking the blood is kept pure, the brain will be properly nourished.” Medical Ministry, 291. It is our responsibility to choose the necessary nutrients that will nourish our brains and not eat those things that will strip and rob the brain, causing us to be in a state of mental depression.

In validation of the G.L.A.D. diet, there is documented proof of research done that states that the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.), which is high in fat and protein and low in fiber and nutrients, contributes to bipolar disorder and other mental depression. If you use a low fat and low protein, high fiber and high nutrient diet, it will improve the mental state. “Those who consume a low fat and high complex carbohydrate diet show significantly greater improvement when dealing with depression.” Melvyn R. Werbach, M.D., Nutritional Influence on Mental Illness, Third Line Press, Inc., Tarzana, California, 1999, 221.

LaVerne Jackson is Associate Director and Business Manager of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. She has a Masters Degree in Nutrition and is a Nutritional Consultant. She may be contacted by e-mail at: godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.

The Elijah Therapy

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Depression is so prevalent among Christians that it impedes our work for the Lord. While the world is waiting for this Gospel, the devil is constantly keeping us in a depressed condition.

Depression affects the whole person. Generally, women are more depressed than men, and depression seems to especially affect those between the ages of 15 years and 24 years. Over 19 million people in the United States are depressed. “According to the World Health Organization, four of the ten leading causes of disability in the United States and other developed countries are mental disorders, including major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Approximately 23 percent of American adults each year have a diagnosable mental disorder and as many as 5.4 percent of American adults have a serious mental illness.” www.hereinmaine.com February 2008.

As I travel, I find that depression is prevalent within the Christian church. I am not saying that we are never faced with discouragement, but I do not believe, unless there is something biochemically wrong, that a Christian has to be controlled by depression.

Totality of Man

There is a relationship between healing and spirituality. Being separated from God brings about depression, I believe. Anyone separated from God is mentally ill.

In the beginning, “The Lord God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7. These qualities may be associated with the three qualities of which man is made—the mental, the spiritual, and the physical. When Jesus asked, in John 5:6, “Wilt thou be made whole?” He was talking about the totality of man.

There is a direct relationship between the mind and the body. Further insight into this wholeness is given in Deuteronomy 6:5: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” So, heart = mental, soul = spiritual, might = physical. In Luke 2:52, we read: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Here, favor with God = spiritual, wisdom = mental, stature = physical. As you can see, when we deal with wholeness, we deal with the totality of the individual.

Three Aspects

When a person has a physical problem, what professional person does he or she see? A physician. When a person has a mental problem, what professional person does he or she see? A psychiatrist or psychologist. When a person has a spiritual concern, what professional person does he or she see? A pastor. We realize that these professional people are important. Have you ever known the pastor, the psychiatrist or the psychologist, and the physician to agree? Usually this is not the case.

When there is a problem within the human realm—in the body, the mind, or the spirit—it should not be departmentalized. The body, mind, and spirit should not be entrusted to three different people when they do not agree with one another. If that is done, the individual is not going to improve.

Jesus was a Counselor, a Physician, and a Preacher! He addressed the whole person. An example of this is given in Matthew 9. When Jesus healed the man sick with palsy, he addressed the whole person. In verse 2, addressing the mental, Jesus said, “Son, be of good cheer.” Continuing in that same verse, He said, addressing the spiritual, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” Then, addressing the physical, in verse 6 Jesus said to the palsied man, “Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

In medical missionary work, the focus has most frequently been on the physical. We recommend some herbs and juice, but we neglect the most important aspect of the individual; that is, the mental and the spiritual aspects. Many people know about herbs, juicing, hydrotherapy, and fever baths, but when it comes to understanding the total physical, spiritual, and mental makeup of an individual, as medical missionaries we tend to overlook the totality. Yes, we will pray with the individual, but we may not understand how that impacts the life of the individual.

Good Cheer

Addressing His disciples, Jesus said, “Be of good cheer.” Matthew 14:27. Fear is the opposite of good cheer. Discouragement is the devil’s most effective tool for destroying our peace. This tool may be called anesthesia—before he takes our hearts, he puts us to sleep with discouragement. If he can discourage us and get us to turn inward, rather than outward to Jesus, then he believes he can take us down with him. Even though we realize that God’s power is greater than the devil, we still allow ourselves to become discouraged.

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. As Christians, it is a reality that we will have trouble as long as we are in this world.

Abraham is certainly an example of this as he traveled southward from the Chaldean plain. Of his experience, and others, Ellen White wrote: “Again his faith was tested. The heavens withheld their rain, the brooks ceased to flow in the valleys, and the grass withered on the plains. The flocks and herds found no pasture, and starvation threatened the whole encampment. … Trouble after trouble came upon him. …

“The Lord in His providence had brought this trial upon Abraham to teach him lessons of submission, patience, and faith—lessons that were to be placed on record for the benefit of all who should afterward be called to endure affliction. God leads His children by a way that they know not, but He does not forget or cast off those who put their trust in Him. He permitted affliction to come upon Job, but He did not forsake him. He allowed the beloved John to be exiled to lonely Patmos, but the Son of God met him there, and his vision was filled with scenes of immortal glory. God permits trials to assail His people, that by their constancy and obedience they themselves may be spiritually enriched, and that their example may be a source of strength to others.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 128, 129.

God in His providence allowed trials to come upon Abraham. Abraham did not understand the providence, but he did not look back from whence he came, and he did not allow circumstances to control his life.

Mrs. White continues:

“The very trials that task our faith most severely and make it seem that God has forsaken us, are to lead us closer to Christ, that we may lay all our burdens at His feet and experience the peace which He will give us in exchange.” Ibid., 129.

We need to become masters of our circumstances. Yes, trouble will come, but we should greet it with “good cheer,” for peace will follow.

Fear

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the thirty-second president of the United States, is credited with having said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Fear breeds upon the unknown. Disease, especially terminal disease, brings fear into and puts stress upon a person’s life.

Job said, “By the great force [of my disease] is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.” Job 30:18. Interpreting the word garment as character, Job was intimating that physical condition affects disposition.

Ellen White wrote:

“The relation that exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health to a far greater degree than many realize. Many of the diseases from which men suffer are the result of mental depression.” The Ministry of Healing, 241. [Emphasis added.]

Mental depression and anxiety may come from things that have not been put to closure in our lives. The devil does not read our minds, but he keeps a profile on each of us. He knows the sins of our fathers, the things with which we have struggled in our lives. There are things in all our lives that we should get rid of, but we all hold on to them. Even as Christians, we have some emotional baggage that we continue to carry and with which we have not dealt.

This quotation continues: “Grief, anxiety, discontent, remorse, guilt, distrust, all tend to break down the life forces and to invite decay and death.” Ibid. Mrs. White is not saying that there is something wrong with grief. It is a natural emotion. But if we should stay in a state of grief, it would destroy us. Most of us have experienced worry, anxiety, apprehension, and unease of the mind. As Christians, these words should not be in our vocabulary, but they are because we doubt the power of God. Often we become uneasy because we anticipate the future. We do not know the outcome. We human beings like to be in control of situations. We think if we could only know what is going to happen tomorrow, we will be satisfied, but that is not the way God deals with us.

Signs of Depression

The occurrence of depression has increased over time and has impacted over 200 million people. It is estimated that almost 17 million people are affected today, and remember that depression affects the whole person.

There are at least ten signs of depression:

  1. You feel like crying more than normal.
  2. You frequently have a sense of hopelessness.
  3. You have less motivation and interest in activities.
  4. Your sleep pattern changes.
  5. You have thought that life is not worth living.
  6. You dread the beginning of a new day.
  7. You are anxious and stressed.
  8. Your eating patterns change.
  9. You have less energy than usual.
  10. You are not functioning well.

What About Elijah?

Read again the story of Elijah in I Kings 17, 18, and 19. In James 5:17, we are told that Elijah “was a man subject to like passions as we are.”

Elijah experienced the exhilarated adrenaline rush of Mount Carmel and the depressed state of having his life threatened and his mission in shambles. He focused on the circumstances and allowed them to form his decisions. He lost hope, and he wanted to die. He was self-focused—he was looking inward rather than outward to God. He also had high expectation. Now, there is nothing wrong in having expectation, but we better be sure that the expectation is of the Lord.

So, Elijah feared. He was self-centered. He was shaped by circumstance, high expectation, and he ended up with disappointment, resentment, anger, and self-pity.

Danger of Anger

One minute of anger can suppress the immune system for six hours. Anger is only one letter from danger. An unforgiving spirit, a vindictive spirit eats the heart out, and when we have an unforgiving spirit, the devil is controlling our lives.

An angry man is always full of poison. An angry, bitter, unforgiving spirit produces negative chemical by-products that are health destroying.

Almost a decade ago, scientists stayed away from dealing with faith, religion, and health, because they could not put faith in a test tube. Now, however, they are realizing that those who have a relationship with the Creator and have faith in a God recover quicker from depression than those who do not have faith.

Ephesians 4:26 counsels us, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”

Solutions

Solutions to depression are given in I Kings 19. Ellen White also identifies these solutions:

“As Elijah sleeps under the juniper tree, a soft touch and pleasant voice arouse him. He starts at once in his terror, as if to flee, as though the enemy who was in pursuit of his life had indeed found him. But in the pitying face of love bending over him he sees, not the face of an enemy, but of a friend. An angel has been sent with food from heaven to sustain the faithful servant of God. His voice says to Elijah: ‘Arise and eat.’ After Elijah had partaken of the refreshment prepared for him, he again slumbered. A second time the angel of God ministers to the wants of Elijah. He touches the weary, exhausted man, and in pitying tenderness says to him: ‘Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.’ Elijah was strengthened and pursued his journey to Horeb.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 291. [Emphasis added.]

Sleep.

In a depressed state, Elijah fell asleep. How does sleep deal with depression? Well, even two hours of sleep before midnight is equal to four hours of sleep after midnight. In the pineal gland, a neurotransmitter called serotonin is synthesized into melatonin as night falls. Melatonin modulates wake/sleep patterns. The duration of melatonin secretion each day is directly proportional to the length of the night. These two neurotransmitters affect us not only physiologically but psychologically. Sleep is recuperative. When we do not get enough sleep, our reasoning power is affected.

Touch.

An angel came and touched Elijah. Touch is essential to emotional support. There are children who have never experienced the security, the emotional support of a loving touch from father or mother. They have not had emotional security in their homes, and without emotional stability, they have been set up for depression.

Touch is important to healing. Of Jesus we are told: “Jesus kindly received the sick, and disease and approaching death fled at a touch of his hand.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 25. [Emphasis added.]

Friendship.

The worst thing to do when a person is depressed is to cast them off as a friend. We need to have an understanding and try to give our depressed friend as much emotional support, based on the Word of God, as we can give. Realize that Job’s friends, as long as they did not open their mouths, gave him support.

Nutrition.

Elijah needed food. This is not referring to “comfort food” or eating because of depression. This is referring to the fact that we need nutrients. If an individual does not eat breakfast and does not eat a balanced diet of proper foods, he or she cannot adequately strengthen the brain function to fight depression.

Exercise.

When Elijah was instructed to “Arise,” to get up he had to move. Exercise produces a hormone that food does not produce—endorphins, sometimes called “happy hormones.” Exercise also helps the neurotransmitters mentioned previously, and exercise has the capacity to help decrease stress level.

Social Interaction.

The angel once again ministered to Elijah. We are social creatures. We need moral support, emotional, and social support. This is why the Bible tells us we should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Hebrews 10:25.)

Spiritual.

That “pleasant voice” spoke to Elijah. Elijah needed to hear the Word of God.

These seven aspects—sleep, touch, friendship, nutrition, exercise, social interaction, and spiritual—are all key factors in recovery from depression. When Elijah put them together, he realized that he had a work to do.

Expectation

It was mentioned previously that Elijah had high expectation. What was Elijah’s expectation when God told him to go and challenge the prophets of Baal? It was reformation. God was on his side, but he expected there would be a revival, a reformation, especially with Ahab and all Israel. That was and is what God wants. However, Elijah did not see the bigger picture. There was other work God had for Elijah to do, so when that reformation did not take place, as Elijah perceived it, he became depressed.

Have you ever been in a situation such as this? You have had an expectation, but it was not met the way you thought it would be, and you were let down? You might not go into depression, but you may become discouraged.

Our expectation must be of the Lord. What we expect of people must be through the eyes of God. If we see that, then we are not going to be let down. People should be trustworthy and honest, based on Christian principles, but in this world, to keep from having blood pressure problems and depression, we should put our expectation in God.

A Work To Do

There is a therapy. We know the Elijah therapy as the third angel’s message. Elijah represents the people of God in the last days.

We have a work to do. As we prepare to reach out to the community, God wants His people to be ready to reach out to the community with power, not being controlled by circumstances. We need to shift our focus from ourselves onto the great work that is before us.

The best way to beat depression or discouragement is to go to work for the Lord.

Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at: godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at: 731-986-3518.

Who Am I?

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The room was dimly lit. On one of the walls there were a number of posters, a picture of a pop musician, and another of a sportsman; all of which had served as windows into a longed-for reality. Along another wall there was a desk with a few school books on it, but the central feature of this desk was a small but powerful stereo system. Indeed, this was the room of a teenager which showed all the signs of ambition, turbulence, and, yes, dreaming.

An immense battle was raging in the young man’s heart, a battle of destiny, a moment of truth. “I never thought I would do something like that,” he muttered as he stared at the floor. His self-concept was being severely tested. So intense was the battle that he sought comfort from the posters on the walls which had helped him so many times before and diverted his mind from the harvest he was now reaping.

The air was filled with a sense of desperation. His mind was grasping for tokens that would stabilize his state of mind: academic, athletic, articulate were some of the tokens he grasped for, but they now seemed powerless to help him. A sickening cloud descended on him and started to squeeze out his sense of ambition. It kicked open the prized places of the heart and stole its treasure, and then it made for the most sacred chamber of all—hope. He had spoken to his mother in a way he promised himself he never would. This was the final straw that made him realize that he was not the person he wanted to be. He did not like himself and he wanted to change, but it seemed hopeless.

This experience is not unique to this one man. Many of us come to a crisis in our lives where we realize, “Hey, I am not the person that I want to be; I don’t like myself and I want to change,” but how often does it seem hopeless!

Depression is the single greatest curse afflicting our society today. The Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Gro Harlem, said in an address, “… initial estimates suggest that about 450 million people alive today suffer from mental or neurological disorders. … Major depression is now the leading cause of disability globally.” This is an enormous problem! In 1998 and 1999 one million suicides were committed each year; 10–20 million attempts every year, or up to 38 attempts every minute. Suicide in the United States for males between the ages of 35 and 49 is the number three cause of death. So what on earth is going on? What is so depressing about life that millions of people are choosing to die rather than face another day?

In his book, The Mind Game, Phillip Day gives this very revealing statement: “In times gone by, caring family members gathered around and gave the depressed relative the assurance and attention to talk things through. … Today, with the fracturing of the family unit, the denigration of religion, and the separation of many families from each other with the hectic pace of 21st century life, psycho-analysis has simply taken over the task of counseling that used to be carried out by caring relatives or the neighborhood minister. I strongly believe that this has had a deleterious effect on our society.” Phillip Day lists three factors that play into this: the fracture of the family unit, the denigration of religion, and the separation of many families from one another in the hectic pace of 21st century life—the pivotal factor being the fracturing of the family unit.

David Van Biema, commenting on this topic, said; “A generation unlike any other has come of age, one in which millions have been marked by a profound and early sorrow. They are the children of divorce. They are just the front rank of a seemingly endless phalanx.” Jim Conway, in his book, Adult Children of Legal and Emotional Divorce, describes in vivid detail the pain and loss suffered by thousands who have suffered the effects of a fractured family either legally or emotionally. One of the key attributes he describes is the insecurity and the constant question of “Who am I?” and “Am I worth loving?” These questions drive to the very source of the human dilemma—a sense of significance. Does anyone really care about me? Am I worth anything? How did these questions come to embed themselves in the human psyche? To answer that question we need to go back to the very beginning.

Suddenly Eve found herself staring at the forbidden tree. “Why has God forbidden us to eat from this tree?” she wondered. The fruit looked so inviting. Suddenly she heard a voice coming from the tree. Satan, seeing his opportunity, tempts her through the medium of a serpent: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1.) Satan is both enticing Eve to debate and placing doubt in her mind about the literalness of God’s Word. Eve is no match for Satan, however. She accepts the challenge by repeating the words that God has spoken, but she is now deeply in trouble. Her own curiosity, combined with the opening challenge of Satan, left her unprepared for his following statement, “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4.) This was a statement that caught Eve unaware, and Satan, seeing that he has immobilized his prey, now with devastating precision drives home his winning blow. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5.)

The concept that Satan introduced to Eve contained the seed of the curse that now plagues all of the children of Adam—the struggle for significance. A concept that sounds so liberating provides the VERY substance of the chains that enslave the human soul in misery and darkness. The question remains: Who am I?

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though He is not far from each one of us. “For in him we live and move and have our being.” As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” Acts 17: 24–28. What an answer. We are the offspring, or children, of the God of the universe! Here is a God who is intimately involved with every one of our lives as a father to his children!

If we live in Him, it is simple logic that we cannot live without Him. Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5. This means that we can’t do anything physically, mentally, or spiritually without our heavenly Father. We are totally and utterly dependent upon Jesus for everything in the same way a newborn baby is upon its parents.

Consider the amazing organ—the heart. It works as a pump to circulate the blood through our bodies, without a break, decade upon decade. What is amazing about the heart is that the pulsing of the heart does not appear to be aided by anything outside itself. The muscle of the heart can contract and relax without any direct stimulus from the nervous system. It has what is called an intrinsic regulating system. As an anatomy textbook puts it, “The conduction system is composed of specialized muscle tissue that generates and distributes the electrical impulses which stimulate the cardiac muscle fibers to contract.” The Bible tells us that this energy comes directly from God. (Refer to Acts 17:28.) We are intimately connected to God, and totally dependent on Him every second of our lives. God is actively, knowingly, and lovingly supplying us the electrical charge that keeps our hearts beating. The King of kings keeps every one of the over six-and-a-half billion hearts in the world beating.

We hear so much about love; songs are written about it, websites devoted to it, magazines full of it. The world is looking for love. So why are there so many lonely people, why so many people falling out of love? Because they believe the lie that Satan told Eve so long ago that you have life in yourself, you don’t need any external force to depend on; you won’t die! You don’t need to look outside of yourself for any power. If you don’t understand that love, joy, peace, and all those other attributes come from the Spirit of God and reach out to the source, then you are just like a doll with batteries in the back: you can only perform while the batteries are charged; you are dependent on successes and excitement to charge the batteries. But sometimes life does not dish up success and excitement; what then? What if you don’t attain the goal you set for yourself or what others expect of you? In Satan’s kingdom you are considered a loser, but if your power comes from God, you are a winner whether you achieve or do not achieve, by the world’s standard, because it is not you who is in control of those things.

Consider Jesus when He was taken into custody and tried as a malefactor. To all outward appearances He looked like a loser; His friends had left Him, and it even appeared as if His Father had forsaken him; but He wasn’t a loser, He was a winner. It is a wonderful privilege to be a part of God’s kingdom.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6, 7. In these verses Jesus is explaining the principles of His kingdom. We have a formula for what makes people significant in that kingdom. What makes them count, what makes them worth something, what makes them valuable? In an earthly sense, sparrows have little value; you could buy five of them for two pennies, but Jesus makes a contrast and says, “Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” The contrast here is that because God remembers the sparrows, they are very valuable in God’s Kingdom. He goes further and compares how much God thinks about us as compared to sparrows: “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” Can you imagine anyone being interested in you enough to monitor the number of hairs on your head? Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.”

In God’s kingdom, worth and significance are gained from simply realizing that God lovingly thinks about us continually. We are definitely on His mind. He is giving us life, making our hearts beat, and actively pouring His love into our lives so that we can enjoy life, and He imparts to us rich gifts, talents, and abilities for our satisfaction, enjoyment, and service for others. Here is the secret of God’s kingdom, the secret of significance. It is the key that unlocks the enslaving kingdom of worthlessness and depression.

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” Psalm 40:5.

If our value is determined by the loving thoughts that God has toward us, by the fact that our Father is the King of the universes, then this text tells us that we are priceless; it says that His plans and thoughts for us are greater than can be declared or numbered. How does it feel to be priceless? It can only be as good as your belief in the truth that God loves us so much regardless of how good or bad we are. Whenever you are tempted to doubt your worth, just look at the sparrows and believe that you are worth more than many sparrows.

There is nothing more critical than the sense of a close family to safeguard us from the ever-widening jaws of depression and worthlessness. A family can be a place where you are accepted for who you are, where you can be yourself and forgiven for your mistakes. Jesus opens for us a vital picture of the kingdom of God when He taught us how to pray. Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven …’ ” [Matthew 6:9.] Jesus did not say to pray “Dear God,” or “Your hallowed majesty,” or “Dear King” as our first reference point, but rather, “Our Father.” The Kingdom of God is a family.

“And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” [II Peter 1: 17.] These words are deeply significant, for right here God lays out the core nature of His kingdom. “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” There are many ways that God could have introduced His Son, like: This is the Creator of the universe, listen to Him; or, This is your king, obey Him, but He said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” God proclaims the identity of His Son in the terms of a family rather than the terms of a king or ruler. “This is my Son” gives identity; “whom I love, and am well pleased” bespeaks of His value. In God’s kingdom, significance and worth are determined by our relationship to Him. This is in total contrast to Satan’s kingdom, where significance and worth are determined by your successful performance and achievements, as judged by yourself and others around you. In the Kingdom of God, He is our Father and we are His children, and that is our identity. You are known by Whom you belong to rather than what you do. The fact that God loves His children and pours out blessings upon them continually, is thinking about them constantly, and wants to be close to them gives them an incredible sense of value.

In God’s kingdom your identity and value are as enduring as the everlasting, never-changing God Himself. Regardless of success or failure, the relationship remains constant and your worth secure.

In Satan’s kingdom, your worth is about as secure as the stock market after Sept 11—extremely volatile, totally insecure and bound to crash! There are no guarantees that you will always succeed, neither is there a guarantee that the people around you will always be there for your encouragement, or applaud your efforts. To safeguard our individual identity and to save us from entering into a life of despair, discouragement, worthlessness and death, God has enshrined in the heart of His kingdom a law that will safeguard relationships. It deals with two types of relationships: The relationship between us and our heavenly Father, and the relationship between each of us as brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God. This is why Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37–40. These two great commandments are designed to safeguard our Identity and Value as children of God. These two commandments are a summary of the Ten Commandments.

The Ten Commandments are vital in preventing you from losing your self-worth. Within the kingdom of God the Ten Commandments are understood in the context of relationships. If you sever those relationships, you are destroying your identity, and when you destroy your identity, death is yearning to embrace you. So sin (which the Bible defines as the breaking of the Law, I John 3:4) destroys our identity and value. When identity and value are gone, the soul longs for death. This is exactly the reason why depression and suicide are the greatest problems in society today. Sin is the robber of our identity and value as children of God.

By the standards of the world, success and failure are the deciding factors of a person’s worth. But the King of kings says something different. He says that we are His children, and as His children we are recipients of His unlimited love and power. It is our connection to Jesus, whose love has been proven to an unfathomable degree, which gives us our worth.

Adapted from the book, Identity Wars.

Pastor Adrian Ebens lives and ministers in Australia. He is dedicated to sharing his faith to help people understand their true value and relationship to a loving Father in Heaven. He can be contacted through his website: www.maranathamedia.com.

Lifestyle – Trust in God — Our Greatest Need

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The mental health of Americans could well be at an all time low with a large number of people complaining of stress, depression, suicide and other health problems directly related to stress.

It has been said that 75 to 90 percent of visits to primary care physicians are due to stress related problems. Job stress, or lack of a job, is taking its toll on many Americans today. Our contemporary stress tends to be more pervasive, persistent, and insidious because it stems primarily from psychological rather than physical threats. It has been said that one-fourth of Americans report major stress in their lives. One-third of Americans report that they are mentally healthy, and the rest fall between major stress and mental health. These statistics could well be higher with the changing economic conditions of the last two years.

Stress is actually necessary for human growth and development and is therefore an essential element of life. It becomes destructive when the intensity or duration under stressful conditions exceeds the ability to react constructively. So, the effects of stress on mental and physical health can be modified by the way we perceive and respond to it.

The foundation on which all of the laws of health rest is trusting in God. Each of the other seven laws—exercise, nutrition, temperance, pure air, sunshine, water, rest—when obeyed, will function in the way that physical and scientific laws react with our body. However, when trust is coupled with the blessing of God in the other seven laws of health, it has a synergistic effect on both health and wellbeing.

God has promised that we can trust Him in all circumstances and at all times. The Bible describes those without this hope: “Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:26.

When trusting our eternal security with the Lord, regardless of how bad these circumstances, our hearts need never fail us for fear.

“Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:10–12.

When things look bleak, be comforted by the promise given in Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

When life seems hopeless and issues arise with those with whom we interact daily, either at work, in the community, and even in our churches and homes, pray as did David: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Psalm 56:3, 4.

“Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165.

The One Who created us and loves us with a never-ending love gives us opportunity to view every situation with a different attitude. Trusting in the promises of God gives us the ability to respond affirmatively to life’s stresses, resulting in improved mental and physical health.

Bible Study Guides – An Attitude of Gratitude

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March 24, 2013 – March 30, 2013

Key Text

“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 443–445; The Ministry of Healing, 241–259.

Introduction

“Good deeds are twice a blessing, benefiting both the giver and the receiver of the kindness. The consciousness of right-doing is one of the best medicines for diseased bodies and minds. When the mind is free and happy from a sense of duty well done and the satisfaction of giving happiness to others, the cheering, uplifting influence brings new life to the whole being.” The Ministry of Healing, 257.

“The love which Christ diffuses through the whole being is a vitalizing power. Every vital part—the brain, the heart, the nerves—it touches with healing. By it the highest energies of the being are roused to activity. It frees the soul from the guilt and sorrow, the anxiety and care, that crush the life forces. With it come serenity and composure. It implants in the soul, joy that nothing earthly can destroy—joy in the Holy Spirit—health-giving, life-giving joy. Our Saviour’s words, ‘Come unto Me, … and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28), are a prescription for the healing of physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Though men have brought suffering upon themselves by their own wrongdoing, He regards them with pity. In Him they may find help. He will do great things for those who trust in Him.” Ibid., 115.

“Every ray of light shed upon others will be reflected upon our own hearts. Every kind and sympathizing word spoken to the sorrowful, every act to relieve the oppressed, and every gift to supply the necessities of our fellow beings, given or done with an eye to God’s glory, will result in blessings to the giver. Those who are thus working are obeying a law of heaven and will receive the approval of God. The pleasure of doing good to others imparts a glow to the feelings which flashes through the nerves, quickens the circulation of the blood, and induces mental and physical health.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 56.

1 A MERRY HEART

  • There is something else necessary to our physical, spiritual, and mental well-being which will also directly affect our witness to the world. What is it? Psalm 5:11.

Note: “The influence of the mind on the body, as well as of the body on the mind, should be emphasized. The electric power of the brain, promoted by mental activity, vitalizes the whole system, and is thus an invaluable aid in resisting disease. This should be made plain. The power of the will and the importance of self-control, both in the preservation and in the recovery of health, the depressing and even ruinous effect of anger, discontent, selfishness, or impurity, and, on the other hand, the marvelous life-giving power to be found in cheerfulness, unselfishness, gratitude, should also be shown.

“There is a physiological truth—truth that we need to consider—in the scripture [Proverbs 17:22 quoted].” Education, 197.

“When we go mourning, we leave the impression upon minds that God is not pleased to have us happy, and in this we bear false witness against our Heavenly Father. … But when we engage in the service of God, the heart should be aglow with thanksgiving; for the Christian is not left to walk in uncertain paths, he is not left to vain regrets and disappointments. If we do not have the pleasures of this life, we may still be joyful in looking to the life beyond.” The Review and Herald, January 14, 1890.

  • Does this mean that we should amuse ourselves and others with frivolity, joking, and jesting? Ephesians 5:4.
  • How can we have a deep inner joy? Galatians 5:22–25; Psalm 43:5; Hebrews 13:6.

Note: “The word of God should be studied and obeyed, then the heart will find rest and peace and joy, and the aspirations will tend heavenward; but when truth is kept apart from the life, in the outer court, the heart is not warmed with the glowing fire of God’s goodness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 547.

2 MENTAL HEALTH

  • How do our thoughts affect us physically? Proverbs 17:22; II Timothy 1:7.

Note: “Between the mind and the body there is a mysterious and wonderful relation. They react upon each other. To keep the body in a healthy condition to develop its strength, that every part of the living machinery may act harmoniously, should be the first study of our life. To neglect the body is to neglect the mind. It cannot be to the glory of God for His children to have sickly bodies or dwarfed minds.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 485, 486.

“There is an intimate relation between the mind and the body, and in order to reach a high standard of moral and intellectual attainment the laws that control our physical being must be heeded.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 601.

“Every influence that affects the health of the body has its bearing upon mind and character.” Child Guidance, 408.

  • With what should we fill our minds? Philippians 4:8.
  • How can I have peace when there are circumstances and trials which overwhelm me? Philippians 4:6, 7; Psalm 130:5, 6; Lamentations 3:26.

Note: “Parents, gather the rays of divine light which are shining upon your pathway. Walk in the light as Christ is in the light. As you take up the work of saving your children and maintaining your position on the highway of holiness, the most provoking trials will come. But do not lose your hold. Cling to Jesus. He says, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me’ (Isaiah 27:5). Difficulties will arise. You will meet with obstacles. Look constantly to Jesus. When an emergency arises, ask, Lord, what shall I do now?” The Adventist Home, 207, 208.

3 SORROW SUFFERERS

  • What does sorrow, regret, unrest, and guilt do to the body? Proverbs 12:25.

Note: “Satan is the originator of disease; and the physician is warring against his work and power. Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here. Perhaps some living home trouble is, like a canker, eating to the very soul and weakening the life forces. Remorse for sin sometimes undermines the constitution and unbalances the mind.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 443, 444.

  • What are some causes of a downcast spirit? Psalm 55:4, 5; Matthew 6:34.

Note: “He [God] does not desire us to go in anguish of spirit. We are not to look at the thorns and the thistles in our experience. We are to go into the garden of God’s Word, and pluck the lilies, and roses, and the fragrant pinks of His promises. Those who look upon the difficulties in their experience will talk doubt and discouragement, for they do not behold Jesus, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 160.

  • What is the remedy for the downcast spirit? Psalms 51:6–12; 55:16–18; 61:2–4; 77:11, 12.
  • When should we especially remember to be cheerful and why? Psalm 128:2.

Note: “Those who are excited, anxious, or in a hurry, would do well not to eat until they have found rest or relief; for the vital powers, already severely taxed, cannot supply the necessary digestive fluids.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 107.

4 A LIVING PRINCIPLE

  • For what is God looking and longing? Leviticus 26:12; II Corinthians 6:16; Isaiah 57:15; 66:2.

Note: “Those who teach the principles of health reform should be intelligent in regard to disease and its causes, understanding that every action of the human agent should be in perfect harmony with the laws of life. The light God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world. Men and women should be informed in regard to the human habitation, fitted up by our Creator as His dwelling place and over which He desires us to be faithful stewards. ‘For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ II Corinthians 6:16.” Counsels on Health, 479.

  • Through whom and for what purpose does God want to dwell in us? John 16:13.
  • How will this affect those around us? Malachi 3:16; Ephesians 5:19, 20; Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Note: “We are in a world of suffering. Difficulty, trial, and sorrow await us all along the way to the heavenly home. But there are many who make life’s burdens doubly heavy by continually anticipating trouble. If they meet with adversity or disappointment they think that everything is going to ruin, that theirs is the hardest lot of all, that they are surely coming to want. Thus they bring wretchedness upon themselves and cast a shadow upon all around them. Life itself becomes a burden to them. But it need not be thus. It will cost a determined effort to change the current of their thought. But the change can be made. Their happiness, both for this life and for the life to come, depends upon their fixing their minds upon cheerful things. Let them look away from the dark picture, which is imaginary, to the benefits which God has strewn in their pathway, and beyond these to the unseen and eternal.

“For every trial, God has provided help.” The Ministry of Healing, 247, 248.

5 GOD’S PURPOSE

  • Why did God create humanity? Revelation 4:11.

Note: “Infinite love—how great it is! God made the world to enlarge heaven. He desires a larger family of created intelligences.” “Ellen G White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1081.

  • What cooperation on our part is needed that He may dwell within? II Corinthians 6:17, 18; 7:1; John 14:21, 23; Acts 5:32.

Note: “The condition of being received into the Lord’s family is coming out from the world, separating from all its contaminating influences. The people of God are to have no connection with idolatry in any of its forms. They are to reach a higher standard. We are to be distinguished from the world, and then God says, ‘I will receive you as members of My royal family, children of the heavenly King.’ As believers in the truth we are to be distinct in practice from sin and sinners. Our citizenship is in heaven.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 481

  • How is it possible to implement all of His instruction? Romans 8:7–14.

Note: “Let none who profess godliness regard with indifference the health of the body, and flatter themselves that intemperance is no sin, and will not affect their spirituality. A close sympathy exists between the physical and the moral nature.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 165.

  • If we do what God has said, what reward awaits us? Isaiah 64:4; I Corinthians 2:9.

Note: “It should ever be kept prominent that the great object to be attained through this channel [the Battle Creek Health Institute] is not only health, but perfection, and the spirit of holiness, which cannot be attained with diseased bodies and minds. This object cannot be secured by working merely from the worldling’s standpoint.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 554.

PERSONAL REVIEW

1 Do I have a merry heart or a sad one?

2 What thought patterns do I need to change in order to think upon good things?

3 How can we give our fears to God in order to be set free from them?

4 For what things can I praise God today?

5 Do I really desire to have the Lord dwell within me, and what must I change in order to have that become a reality in my experience?

The Religion of Christ

“There are erroneous doctrines also, as that of an eternally burning hell and the endless torment of the wicked, that, by giving exaggerated and distorted views of the character of God, have produced the same result upon sensitive minds. Infidels have made the most of these unfortunate cases, attributing insanity to religion; but this is a gross libel and one which they will not be pleased to meet by and by. The religion of Christ, so far from being the cause of insanity, is one of its most effectual remedies; for it is a potent soother of the nerves.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 444.

This Lesson Is Not Only Theory

“This is true sanctification. It is not merely a theory, an emotion, or a form of words, but a living, active principle, entering into the everyday life. It requires that our habits of eating, drinking, and dressing be such as to secure the preservation of physical, mental, and moral health, that we may present to the Lord our bodies—not an offering corrupted by wrong habits, but ‘a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God’ (Romans 12:1).” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 57, 58.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Conquering Problems

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There are many interesting things in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy dealing with trouble. When the children of Israel were returning from Babylon and they were commissioned to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, the Bible says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.” Daniel 9:25.

Jerusalem was desolated with the wall broken down and the city in total ruin. The children of Israel were captives in foreign lands, but the prediction was that a time was coming when the streets and the wall were to be rebuilt, but it would be in times of trouble.

After a period of time in captivity, the children of Israel were given an opportunity to go back home. Out of over a million Israelites that were in Babylon and Medo-Persia at the time, just a handful returned, and because of the small number, they had trouble.

Another Babylonian captivity was predicted, not for 70 years, but for 1260 years. Daniel speaks of this, and in the prophecies of Revelation, John speaks of it six or seven times. Just as when, at the end of the 70-year captivity, the people needed to go back and rebuild the city, the street and the wall, at the end of the 1260-year captivity, the church that had been driven into the desert would also need to do some rebuilding.

Isaiah speaks about it. “Those from among you shall build the old waste places; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; and you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach.” Isaiah 58:12.

To understand the meaning of the breach you need to understand the meaning of the wall. When God established His people, He put a wall around them for their protection. This wall, the Ten Commandments, hedged His children in to protect them from destroying themselves by sin.

A breach was made in that wall during the Babylonian captivity that lasted from A.D. 538 to A.D.1798. That breach was the fourth commandment. It was torn down so thoroughly that the people were unaware they were disobeying it. But the prophecy predicted that at the end of the captivity, there would come repairers of the breach to raise up the foundation of many generations and build the old waste places.

Isaiah said, “You shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; and I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, and feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 58:12–14.

Just as Nehemiah’s workers had to deal with trouble when they built the wall and the streets in their day, there has been trouble in the attempt to repair the breach in God’s law today.

The devil has created unbelievable antipathy or hatred against God’s law, particularly the Sabbath. Millions of Christians claim to love Jesus, but mention the Sabbath and you will most often get a vehement response that they want nothing to do with that Jewish Sabbath. The devil has created this hatred to hinder the work of rebuilding. It will be done, but in troublous times.

In the days of Christ people knew all about the justice of God and His law, but they rejected His Son. Today, people want only to hear about the mercy of God and not His justice, which includes His law containing the Sabbath. The wall is to be rebuilt, but it will be in trouble.

The Bible has a lot to say about how to deal with trouble.

Number 1 – You need protection and help that will not fail.

The Bible writers knew that we, as human beings, would need this help and protection, so they address it.

You might believe that the law of God is for our protection, and if all human beings kept it at all times, we would not be in the trouble that we are. This fact is true even in our own personal lives. Often the reason that we find ourselves in trouble is because at some point in the past we have broken one of the Ten Commandments. So, the wall is for our protection, but not everybody in the world keeps the law. What do we do when we are in trouble?

David addresses this: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. This whole chapter is about the help that God has promised His people.

Isaiah says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.

God has promised help to people that are in trouble. One of my favorite texts in this regard is in Psalm 89:19: “Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, and said: ‘I have given help to one who is mighty.’ ” It is so encouraging to know that God is bigger than we are. We cannot make bigger trouble than God is able to provide a solution. Nebuchadnezzar thought he could get the three Hebrew worthies into a situation where it would be too much for the Lord. He had the furnace heated up so much that the soldiers fell down dead at the front of it while throwing the men in. But Jesus was there in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. (See Daniel 3.) There is no situation so severe that God can’t deal with it.

As a child, I often wondered why the Lord allowed the martyrs to be burned at the stake. Read this account of one man who died for his faith:

“Brother Andrews related an instance of a faithful Christian about to suffer martyrdom for his faith. A brother Christian had been conversing with him in regard to the power of the Christian hope—if it would be strong enough to sustain him while his flesh should be consuming with fire. He asked this Christian, about to suffer, to give him a signal if the Christian faith and hope were stronger than the raging, consuming fire. He expected his turn to come next, and this would fortify him for the fire. The former promised that the signal should be given. He was brought to the stake amid the taunts and jeers of the idle and curious crowd assembled to witness the burning of this Christian. The fagots were brought and the fire kindled, and the brother Christian fixed his eyes upon the suffering, dying martyr, feeling that much depended upon the signal. The fire burned, and burned. The flesh was blackened; but the signal came not. His eye was not taken for a moment from the painful sight. The arms were already crisped. There was no appearance of life. All thought that the fire had done its work, and that no life remained; when, lo! amid the flames, up went both arms toward heaven. The brother Christian, whose heart was becoming faint, caught sight of the joyful signal; it sent a thrill through his whole being, and renewed his faith, his hope, his courage. He wept tears of joy.

“As Brother Andrews spoke of the blackened, burned arms raised aloft amid the flames, he, too, wept like a child.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 657, 658.

God is a very present help in trouble; He is more powerful than the fire. The devil and his agents can never put you in a position where God cannot give you all the help you need. “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” Psalm 37:39, 40.

Psalm 33:20 says, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.” In Nahum 1:7 we read, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.” Do you trust Him? God knows how to give you all the help you need, and He is waiting and watching over you, looking for an opportunity to bless you when you are in trouble.

Number 2 – When in trouble we need wise counsel.

People have found themselves in a lot more trouble than they ever should because they would not listen to counsel. This is one of God’s biggest problems. God said, concerning the children of Israel right after He gave the Ten Commandments, “Oh, if there was just a heart in them to listen to Me, then it could be well with them and their children forever.” Deuteronomy 5:29, literal translation.

God says of the wicked, “They would have none of My counsel and despised My every rebuke.” Proverbs 1:30. If you are not willing to take counsel from the Lord, you are getting ready to get into more trouble than you are in already. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4.

Isaiah called Jesus the wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6). When in trouble, you need counsel from somebody who knows you or you could end up in more trouble. When a colleague of mine faced a problem, he would enquire from his superiors if they knew of any counsel from the Lord on the subject either in the Bible or Spirit of Prophecy.

When in trouble and you need counsel, seek it from somebody who knows and is able to give you wise counsel. There are many people in other churches that scoff at the writings of Ellen White, but I have so much confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy and have personally tested the writings over and over again when I’m in trouble. In it you will find wise counsel every time, and if you follow that counsel, the Lord will show you the way to lead you out of the trouble you are in.

Number 3 – You need direction.

When people get in trouble, they often get bewildered. I remember the story of a man who was a leader of young people. One Sabbath afternoon he led a group on a hike, but they became lost. Finally some people found them and led them back to the camp, and on returning they described seven fences that they had crossed. In fact, there was only one fence there, and the group had been circling. The leader needed direction and guidance.

Proverbs 3:5 and 6 states, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This is a promise!

The Lord wants to direct you. If you are going to receive His direction and guidance, it would be a good thing to ask for it. Ellen White wrote great encouragement to a widow who had just lost her husband and was in deep trouble because she had children to raise: “There is not a single instance in which God has hidden His face from the supplication of His people. When every other resource failed He was a present help in every emergency.” This Day with God, 194.

Jesus said that if you ask, you will receive. If you seek, you will find. If you knock, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7). God is waiting with myriads of angels that are at His command to help you and to give direction and guidance, even if you think you are in too much trouble and think your case is hopeless. The Bible tells us that David had that experience several times. If you are willing to accept counsel from the Lord, you will be surprised to find that the situation you thought was forever was just temporary because you accepted the counsel.

Number 4 – You need comfort just to get through the day.

I well recognize that even if you come to the Lord there may be some difficulty that is not going to leave you in one day but may take longer than a day, even a week or a month. Immediate help is available.

“At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions, when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer.” The Desire of Ages, 669, 670. That is good news!

In II Corinthians 1:4 Paul says, “God has comforted us. We were in so much trouble in Asia, we despaired of life itself, but God comforted us so we could comfort others that are in trouble.” Literal translation.

Jesus said to His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15–18. The comfort provided is through the Holy Spirit.

Number 5 – Do not yield to despondency and give way to mourning.

If you do, your trouble could very easily get a lot worse. I was disturbed for many years, trying to figure out what the Bible meant when Paul said, “Rejoice always.” I Thessalonians 5:16. I wondered had the apostle Paul read the book of Job? No matter what happens, you can refuse to give way to discouragement, despondency or mourning. To go around with a cloud over your head will depress your immune system and things will tend to worsen and look darker.

The person who talks faith will have faith. Recently, at a funeral of a very dear friend, we talked about the good things that we remembered about the person’s life and of the future. His disciples were bound down with despair when Jesus told them He was going to leave, and He told them, “Do not let your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many permanent dwellings. If it wasn’t so, I would have told you. I’m going to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 4:1–3, literal translation.

The disciples did not know that within the next 24 hours Jesus would be led to the cross, but they couldn’t even bare the thought of Him being gone. Jesus did not dwell upon that thought; He directed their minds to the wonderful future. If you are a Christian, you have a wonderful future, and you must never let the devil get you into such a frame of mind to think only about your troubles. Keep your mind on the future and on what God is going to do for you. The Bible clearly illustrates that any trouble that you find yourself in is only temporary. David understood it. (See Psalm 42.) Paul talked about it over and over again. (See Philippians 4; Colossians 3:15–17.)

Number 6 – Have patience.

If you are in trouble, read Romans 2:7 which says, “Eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality.” If you will patiently continue in doing good and in doing what is right, God will lead you through this dark world of sorrow and strife to glory, honor, and eternal life. Do not make your situation worse by using your troubles to excuse wrong behavior.

Number 7 – You are not alone.

We need to remember when we are in trouble, that we are never alone. Guardian angels protect each child of God all the days of his or her life. Not only is your guardian angel with you in this life, but if you should die before Jesus comes, he marks and guards the place where you are buried. God never forgets His own. You are not alone and never will be alone, because you are God’s child. “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ ” Hebrews 13:5. Paul quotes there from Deuteronomy. So, we boldly say: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:6. It is a very comforting thought to know that you are never alone. God has promised to be with you.

An Experience

A man returned home after serving in World War II. He was physically uninjured, but like so many others who have come back from war, he could not free his mind of the death and carnage that he had witnessed in Europe. He became so discouraged that early one morning he decided to get his gun and take his own life, ending his misery. God knew what he was about to do, and suddenly a light appeared that distracted him. He never pulled the trigger. Later, this man became a Seventh-day Adventist minister. Recalling the story, he said he could never figure out what that light was, except that maybe an angel just decided to light up right then to distract him so he would not kill himself. God had a bigger plan for his life.

The Lord will never leave you alone. The apostle Paul told the Athenians, “We need to grope after Him, if perhaps we might find Him, though He is not far from every one of us. In Him we live, and move, and have our being.” Acts 17:27, 28, literal translation. He’s right there. He’s not somewhere else. You are not alone.

Number 8 – The school of life.

The Christian life is one of meaning, including all of the trials and troubles. Life in this world is actually a school of discipline and training, and all of the experiences, including the troubles, form a Christian character.

When trials come, ask yourself what it is that the Lord is trying to teach you through it. Sometimes I’ve been tempted to say to the Lord, “I wish I could learn the lesson I need to learn without going through this.” But the Lord knows; He is out to save you. I used to tell my students, when I taught at Southwestern Adventist College in Keene, Texas, “If the Lord knows that the only way He can save you is to allow you to go through a suffering experience, you might be surprised how much suffering He may allow you to go through, because He wants to save you.” We need to think about that when we are in trouble.

When Jesus got in trouble, He remained courteous. He still told the truth, even when He was going to be crucified because of it. This world is a school. I learned a long time ago, as a teacher, that students do not like tests. But a student cannot achieve and get to where he wants to be without tests. Tests are a necessary part of all education that is worth anything.

God is conducting a school, and He has an objective to reach. How can God expect somebody that is a wretch like me to become “like Christ”? I don’t know; I just say, “Lord, You’ve told me what You are going to do in my life and I’m trusting that You can do it.” But sometimes, God has to allow me to have some trouble, so I will learn the lessons He knows I need. If you pray about it, God might teach you a lot of lessons right in the midst of the troubles that you’re going through.

The Bible says that when Jesus comes, we are going to be like Him, so in order to achieve that we must develop His mind. Paul said that, “We have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians 2:16. He said to the church in Philippi, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5.

This world is a school of discipline and training, and through all of our experiences, including our troubles, we are to form characters like the character of Christ, and to acquire the habits and the language of the higher life.

Different people have different lessons to learn. But we all are to acquire the habits and the language of the higher life. Enoch learned to do it. Ellen White says that while he was living on this earth he, by faith, dwelt in the abodes of light. He learned how to talk, think, and live the way heavenly beings lived, so God took him. “Enoch’s heart was upon eternal treasures. He had looked upon the celestial city. He had seen the King in His glory in the midst of Zion. His mind, his heart, his conversation, were in heaven. The greater the existing iniquity, the more earnest was his longing for the home of God. While still on earth, he dwelt, by faith, in the realms of light.” Heaven, 99.

Number 9 – Ask for help.

When you are in trouble, one of the things that you should be asking is, Lord, is there a way for me to overcome this problem? Some people wait for somebody else to solve everything. But the Lord is looking for people who will ask Him. In fact, Ellen White says that part of the work of true education is to teach the students to overcome obstacles. (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 199, 200.)

I once knew a conference president who would not allow any pastor to say that he had a problem. He would say, “We do not have problems in this conference; we only have challenges. You are welcome to tell me whatever your challenge is, but we do not have problems here and I don’t want you to use that word, because we do not have them. Any problem we have here, we are going to overcome.”

The Bible talks about people who conquer or overcome. The Lord expects you to call on Him, and say, “Lord, help me. You promised me that I could overcome by Your grace, and I’m depending on You to help me.” Remember the glory that is awaiting the overcomer. The one who overcomes will be clothed in white raiment. Jesus says, in Revelation 3:5, “I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” The Father says, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.” Revelation 21:7.

Allow God to control your mind. Keep Christ always in view, and consider what the Lord would do in your place. Jesus did not just look at the trouble, He worked out a solution. The Devil presented a problem that he thought God Himself could not solve, but the Lord solved it. It required Jesus to go to the cross, but in that act, God was able to solve the sin problem. Because of it, He is able to solve whatever trouble you experience.

Number 10 – God’s promises are for all who receive Him.

“As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12.

Disobedience must and will be punished. In Christ your weakest point can become your strongest if only you go to the Lord and ask for help.

Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23. “He that believes on Him has eternal life, but he that is disobedient to the Son does not have life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.” John 3:36, literal translation. If you believe, victory is certain, and all of your troubles will be temporary.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Free Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – Feelings

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When God created mankind He not only gave the ability to think intellectually but also the ability to feel. When sin entered the world, mankind began to have to deal with negative feelings and feelings of despair and despondency. In the Bible we not only have books like the Song of Solomon but also books like Job and Lamentations. Dealing with feelings of despair and despondency is beyond the scope of this editorial, but following are some excerpts from Ellen White’s letters to one of our leading ministers, S. N. Haskell, who was sometimes plagued with feelings of despair.

“You ask me why it is that you awake in the night and feel enclosed in darkness? I often feel the same way myself; but these desponding feelings are no evidence that God has forsaken you or me. … Gloomy feelings are no evidence that the promises of God are of no effect.

“You look at your feelings, and because your outlook is not all brightness, you begin to draw more closely the garment of heaviness about your soul. You look within yourself and think that God is forsaking you. You are to look to Christ. …

“Entering into communion with our Saviour, we enter the region of peace. … We must put faith into constant exercise, and trust in God whatever our feelings may be. … We are to be of good cheer, knowing that Christ has overcome the world. We will have tribulation in the world, but peace in Jesus Christ. My brother, turn your eyes from within, and look to Jesus Who is your only helper.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 324.

“I felt sorry when I read your letter breathing so depressed a spirit. Read Ephesians 2:4–22. This Scripture has been given me for you. Read it carefully, as you never read it before. It is full of instruction. …

“Bear in mind, the time will never come when the hellish shadow of Satan will not be cast athwart our pathway to obstruct our faith and eclipse the light emanating from the presence of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. Our faith must not stagger, but cleave through that shadow. … Our faith is not in feeling, but in truth. …

“We have the companionship of the divine presence, and as we realize this presence, our thoughts are brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. Our spiritual exercises are in accordance with the vividness of our sense of this companionship. Enoch walked with God in this way.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 387–389.

For inspired counsel on dealing with feelings of despair and despondency, read the chapter in The Ministry of Healing entitled “Mind Cure.”