something greater than ourselves…

JESUS said, “i am the truth.” HE said, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. the more you know JESUS the freer you are.

you can change. how do you do it?

you start by establishing a personal relationship to CHRIST. you become what the bible calls being born again. that doesn't solve all your depression but without CHRIST in your life, you won't have the power to change. HE wants to be a part of your life and if you give HIM control, HE will help you.

then once HE's in your life, you ask HIM to give you a new purpose and a new meaning to your life. what we need is something greater than ourselves that draws us out of ourselves so we won't be depressed. you need something greater to live for than just your own self. people who live for themselves are guaranteed to get depressed. you need something greater that draws you out of yourself. that is a relationship to CHRIST that takes you out of depression.

maybe you're depressed because you feel guilty. GOD says “I want to forgive you. I want to clear your conscious. I want to set you free from regrets.” maybe you feel depressed because you think, “I don't even like myself. I don't like myself at all!” JESUS said, “I didn't create you for nothing. you are worthwhile, significant. you're special. there's value to your life.” when you start basing your value on the opinions of other people then anytime anybody criticizes you, condemns you, puts you down, disapproves of you, or simply doesn't express appreciation, you're going to get depressed. that's what elijah did. he said, “i've had enough. they don't appreciate me.” he got depressed.

also, when you base your self-worth on your achievements you're going to get depressed. you're always going to find people who have done more than you. you're always going to find people who are doing a better job than you are right now. you're going to compare yourself and say, "why shouldn't i be like that?" and you'll get down.

what do we base our feelings about ourselves on, then? something that cannot be taken away. i am a child of GOD. nothing can take that out of my life. i may lose everything else, but nobody can take that away from me. if i'm a child of GOD, i'm significant. and GOD, in my life, can help me make the changes in my thoughts so that i don't think like the world does, but i think like the truth. the truth will set you free.

just a thought from the front porch…