When All Seems Lost...

Ever find yourself in a situation that seems hopeless? Think God isn't listening? Maybe you wonder whether or not God even cares. You're down...discouraged...depressed and wondering if there's any hope of positive change. If this describes how you're feeling, you're not alone...in fact you're in pretty good company.

Let me explain. Great men and women of the Bible all felt dejected and hopeless at times. In Matthew chapter 11, John the Baptist faced discouragement as he was in prison for telling the truth. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether or not He REALLY was the Messiah. Doubt often follows setbacks and discouragement--even in the most faithful people. King David wrote, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning (Ps 22:1, NIV)?" In fact Jesus himself would later quote these words as he hung on the cross, gasping for his last breath (See Matt. 27:46).

I tell you all this because it may help you prevent another, more dangerous malady. I call it DABDS--"Depressed About Being Depressed Syndrome." You see it's bad enough to be discouraged or down, but when you get down about THAT, it becomes a spiral into the abyss...sort-of a mood black hole that swallows you up. Of course the Enemy loves to fan this into flames--making it move all the faster in a negative direction.

The cure is, in part, to recognize that it's pretty normal to get discouraged at times. You're not hopeless, weird, odd or whatever--you're NORMAL. Having said that, you are still down, but you'll get up again. By the grace of God, with the presence of His Spirit in you, based on the promises of His Word, with the aid of His people (the Church), and under the gentle balm of time which even the world understands, "heals all wounds," YOU'LL BE OK CHRISTIAN--REALLY! Pray. Reach out for help. Here at MPC, we're blessed to have people like Gail Peloquin who are trained to counsel and support you. We have the benefit of programs like "Steps to Freedom in Christ," etc., to give you needed relief. The bottom line is, you've got to ask and take advantage of these--all the while refusing to get caught up in DABDS....

Here's to a brighter day!

In Jesus,

Pastor Joel