Over the years as I have provided counsel, I’ve often turned to Psalm 27. It says,
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 (NKJV)
The Psalmist David had a lot of dips in his life. David says three significant things here: God is my light, my salvation, and my strength. In terms of living an intentional life in Christ, God wired us for our head, our heart, and our hands to be aligned and balanced. Light takes us out of darkness and provides us with a sense of direction. Light brings out the truth and it is something that we have to know and accept in our head. It’s not an emotion; it’s fact. If I don’t realize that God is the Light of my life, I can lose my grasp on the truth in the dip.
For a Christian, when we think of salvation, we think of our Savior and eternal life. There is a sense of security in our salvation to know that every day, no matter what dip I’m in, I have assurance in Him. Moving out of the dip requires sticking in the truth, which is making sure our head is clearly aligned in the truth, knowing scripture, getting into God’s Word, and understanding what it says to us.
As Christians, prayer is vital. It is your lifeline in the midst of a dip. The Bible says,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
This reminds us that we have to be proactive in our prayer life and in our behavior. Our relationship with Christ is our strength. Our strength for life—as David writes—comes from knowing Christ.
Some ONE THINGS you can do if you struggle with depression in addition to seeking professional help:
- Get involved in the lives of others
- Serve others
- Stay physically active
- Refuse to give in to feelings of depression
