3 Ways to Defeat Depression

It is estimated that 19 million people are living with major depression. Depression is defined as a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Most people have experienced being in a state of depression at some point in their life whether it was brought on by grief or discontentment. The bible addresses that we must take every thought captive that goes against the word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must realize that one of the biggest battles we will every fight is a battle against our own thoughts. The negative thoughts we have about ourselves must stop if we hope to defeat or prevent depression from entering our lives.

1. View yourself as God views you. God loves you unconditionally despite of all your flaws and mistakes. He has promised to love you and never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He has blessed you with grace. He says that He will give you peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7).  He say’s don’t be dismayed or discouraged for I am the Lord your God and I will strengthen you and help you (Isaiah 41:10). Know that your heavenly father who looks at you knows He made no mistakes. God sees you and He says my child you are beautiful, you are smart, you are precious, and you are chosen.

2. Focus on the good and not the bad. Don’t allow what is going wrong in your life to overpower all that is going right. Some may say but Ashley nothing is going right in my life! My response to that is do not allow the devil to blind you with your current troubles. God is working everything out. Just because you cannot see God’s plan does not mean He doesn’t have one in play. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrew 11:1). Keep your mind on things above and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). You have a purpose for your existence. You may not know the details to your assignment, but know that you were not placed here by accident. God has blessed you with all the abilities necessary to accomplish all that He has for you to do. You can get through all the troubles blocking you from your blessings if you keep your focus on God.

3. Pray without ceasing. Pray consistently and spend time with God consistently so you can be constantly renewed. Uses scriptures in your prayers. Keep in mind that prayer is a powerful tool of communication between God and us. We should pray as well as listen for a response. If you do not know which prayers to pray over your circumstance reach out to someone who can help (like your pastor, a close friend, or a relative). Don’t hide what you are going through because hidden things don’t get healed.

Bonus: Do not compare yourself to anyone else. What God has for you is for you. Comparison brings out the ugly in everyone. Wishing you were like someone else only sets you farther back by causing jealousy and discontentment. In every situation we go through there is knowledge to be gained.

Thank you for reading! I am asking for you help in sharing this with your friends and family because someone you know could be fighting against depression all by themselves and they need to know that God will fight with them.

The Runaway

I grew up in a Christian home. My parents were strong believers and we were at church constantly. Sundays we had Sunday school, morning service and evening service. Tuesdays we had bible study. Friday we had youth services and if there were any special convocations going on we would have church on Saturdays too. My parents were and still are very active members in the church. I had faith growing up but it wasn’t very strong. They raised me right and I am forever grateful for the sacrifices they made to do so. I didn’t encounter many challenges in my life until I got to high school. I wanted to be “popular” and to be accepted by my peers. I started hanging out with a variety of different crowds and started pulling away and rebelling against my parents day by day. Everyone got to go party on weekends and enjoy each other’s company while most of the time I was at church. I felt like I was missing out on something, but little did I know that they were trying to protect me from all the bad things in the world that I’d soon encounter. When I was a freshmen high school I became romantically involved with another girl. The relationship didn’t last long and I never told a soul because I knew it was a sin, and my parents would not accept such behavior. I thought that after that relationship I’d never do such a thing again.

I kept telling myself it was just a small fling and is widely accepted by the world, so there was no need for me to repent or tell anyone in my family or church. So it was my little secret, but the thing about secrets is they eat you up in the inside they make you hurt in ways you didn’t think you could ever hurt. I thought that phase in my life was over until I got to the 11^th grade and became romantically involved again with another girl, but this one I could not hide. The relationship lasted longer and I was so ashamed and filled with guilt for sinning against God and lying to my parents I ran away. I was gone for a little of a week and that was by far the worst week of my life. I felt lost, confused, hurt, and angry. I was sleeping here and there and going to school as if nothing was wrong, but looking back I am sure everyone could tell.  I remember my parent’s coming to find me at school and the tears in their eyes when they asked me why I left in the middle of the night and I could not bring myself to tell the truth, so I lied more and more. Guilt and shame will cause you to do some terrible things. I believe they knew all along they confronted me about my what I had been up to, but often times I lied.

About a week after I had left I went home and confessed everything. An up until this point we have pretty much kept it concealed. I was so afraid of what people might think of me or say of me I just completely tried to shut that section of my life out. Only telling very few what I did and what I went through.  My parents knew one day I’d talk about it openly they never forced me to say anything to anyone and for that I am grateful. I am stronger believer now then I have ever been. And I have to be honest on my views. I don’t believe as believers we can pick and choose what we want to believe out of the bible. You either believe in everything it say or you don’t and it says homosexuality is a sin (Leviticus 18:22 & 1 Cor. 6:9-10). I am just stating the biblical facts. I also know the bible says the most important commandment is to love God and to love others (Mark12:30-31).  Love everyone no matter what there life style choice is and let God be God and do the convicting and the cleansing.  I wanted to share this because I’m just not into secrets anymore. I feel like God wants to take me to levels in our relationship and He wouldn’t do this unless I was honest with others and myself. No one said living for God would be easy, but I know it will be worth it.

2 Corinthians 5:7

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

2 Corinthians 5:15

“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

I cheated on God. Have you been cheating on God too?

We truly serve an incredible God. There is so much to learn from the bible and most of us have easy access to a bible each day. What can’t our smart phones do today? We basically have unlimited resources at our fingertips. There are blogs, sermons, and inspirational articles all over the web, but most of us choose to focus on what’s trending instead of what’s life changing and fulfilling. I am no expert on this subject. To often have I gotten caught up in the drama, or the trendy topics that I ignore my bible and quiet time to spend extra time with some sort of social media. The drama becomes addicting and I start cheating on God with my phone. But my soul desperately needs God each and everyday. I need Him to restore me, to heal me, to help me, and to fill me. Without God I can notice negative behaviors in myself that result in me not spending enough time with Him. Can you cut off whatever it is that has been separating you from God? Whether it is your phone, or a bad relationship, or some other addiction.

I think a big problem amongst all generations is that we all think we have time. I hear people saying, “I don’t have to get saved right now I am still young.” Or I hear,” I am still living for me it is all about having fun now I will worry about that God stuff later”. This is a common misconception. The bible says in Matthew 24; 35-36, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. However no one knows the day or the hour when these things will take place, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself, but only the Father.” I can’t stop your from putting your relationship with God on hold? But if you are waiting for tomorrow let me ask you this: what will you do if tomorrow never comes?

We must train our spirit like we train our body. When we want to loose weight we discipline our bodies by exercising and eating healthy. We must also discipline our spirit to say no to things that cause us to stray away from God.  Because we can't see God many of us struggle to develop an active relationship with Him. But like any other relationship it takes commitment and time. When my husband and I started our relationship we communicated a lot. We shared our dreams, our ambitions, and our past failures. We discussed family history, hurtful memories, and so much more. Our relationship with God should start off with constant communication with Him. Talking to God daily about our dreams, our past, and what bothered us throughout the day will help. The difference between talking to my husband and talking to God is that God can heal the wounds of my past and even though I love my husband dearly that’s something he just can’t do. 

If you have been cheating on God?

I encourage you to ask for forgiveness and reenter into a life changing relationship with the only one who can truly heal you, fill you , help you,  and restore you!

God where are you?

I have asked this question many times and every time I ask I receive the same answer from God, "I am right here". So many times when we are struggling and going through tough times we want to question Gods presence! We have all went through moments of confusion, bitterness, anger, and disappointment. These moments have one of two effects on us. They can either push us to elevate our faith in God or have us question it. Isaiah 41:10 says; “Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

It is time for some inner reflection and self-examination. God has not left and forsaken us but there have been times in all of our lives where we have left and forsaken God for the things of this world. As soon as our plans mess up, or things go wrong we question God. The life of a Christian requires much discipline and selflessness. There are many times where you will find yourself at a cross road, and you will have to make a decision am I going to do what God has called me to do or what I want to do? Our relationship with Christ many times ends up being secondary instead of primary. Money, cars, clothes, shoes, drugs, men, and women can all become idols that we place before God if we aren’t careful. God has invested so much in us, but many of us are not willing to invest 10 minutes a day with Him.

Well Ashley I don't know where to start? 

Start with the Bible, which is a guide written to help us get through many of life's tough times! I know some people may be ashamed and embarrassed of their past and feel like they can't go back to God because they have strayed so far away. Know this, God is waiting with open arms to receive you. He knows all that you've done and all he is looking for is you to repent your sins so the enemy can't keep using them against you. I have been through the same thing in high school, because I strayed so far away from God I didn't think I would be accepted back. I said to myself why would God want someone as sinful as me? How could God possibly use someone like me? If God can use Saul who persecuted Christians and turn him into Paul he can use you! If God can use Moses who had a speech impediment and killed a man to lead thousands of people to the promise land he can use you! He doesn't call the qualified He qualifies those who he calls! God hasn't left us! He's waiting for us to realize we don't have to be perfect to meet with Him. We will go through trials and tribulations none of us are exempt from bad days. Whatever your going through whatever you been through I want to encourage you on two things; 

1) God loves you more then anyone on earth ever could. 

2) God can make All things new!

Choices become more and more imperative each day. The older we get the more our choices affect not only us but also those we have influence over (siblings, children, spouses, etc.). Why not choose God? He has already chosen you. 

Mrs. Dillard Tells All

I am blessed and honored to announce that I am now Mrs. Dillard. My fiancé and I decided to end our engagement and get married on June6, 2015. For those who do not know my husband serves this country as a United States Navy Seamen. He joined the Navy in January and took a pledge among his brothers and sisters to serve this nation we live in. With that pledge comes a great deal of responsibility and some uncertainties. My fiancé and I have been going back and forth on a date since January of 2014 and could never seem to nail down a solid date. Out of respect for my parents we agreed to wait until after I graduated college to get married. When my husband chose the Navy I was proud and still am very proud of him, but I knew there would be increased difficulty finding a date that would work for the both of us. A career in the Navy can make your schedule unpredictable. I know anyone who has someone close to them in the service can relate to the difficulty we had trying to plan a wedding.

There came a time last week when my husband and I realized that we needed to stop contemplating so much on the advice and concerns of others about OUR MARRIAGE, and invest our time in praying for God to pave the way for us to get married in His perfect timing. Sometimes as humans we can worry so much about the opinions of others and forget about God. It is God who blessed me and Kyle to be together and it is through Christ alone that we will stay together. God comes first and once we let go of people’s opinions it became clearer for us to listening to God and move forward with getting married. A big wedding with all my family and friends would have been nice, but I am so pleased to finally be able to call Kyle my husband. Our ceremony was so intimate and centered around the commitment we were making to God and each other.  We plan on having a big celebration of our commitment in the future. 

As a newly married military wife I can’t wait to see the adventures we will embark on and the journey God has designed specifically for us. I want to thank everyone who reads my blog and supports my husband and I. Now that its summer you can expect more blogs on a more consistent bases.

Blessings,

Ashley Dillard