Depression, Fear and Anxiety

In light of the recent suicide by Pastors, some insight from my book...

Depression is a big problem in our society. I would like to caution the reader to consult medical professionals and seek help, besides reading this material. For the purposes of this chapter, I use the word anxiety or depression or I will use the words together.

Society hit by Depression

Anxiety, fear and depression affect every segment of society. Our emotions spiral downwards, as troubles engulfed, causing the birth of anxiety fear and depression. There are many causes of depression. The depression is a dark and heavy cloud that overwhelms; bringing the feeling of hopelessness that hope has left us.

The depression could sometimes be hereditary or chemically induced. Anxiety another culprit that slithers in like a snake, giving us false notions and lying, that the situation seems hopeless.  Anxiety and depression are products of sin.

Continuing in the sin leads people into a more severe depression. Sin is a trap and people who continue into sin without repentance, fall into the net of anxiety and depression.

Proverbs 5:22 GNT The sins of the wicked are a trap. They get caught in the net of their own sin.

The sins of a man, festers within and releases anxiety, fear and hopelessness. When full blown this type of sin leads to death, suicidal thoughts. Escaping the consequence of sin, is an impossibility, the sin will always haunt the sinner.

Do not allow the spirit of the sin to fester inside, rather run to the Father's embrace (Presence) and repent. As often as we do this, the sin loses power over us. God is greater than our hearts and God can overcome anything in us (1John 3:20).

Do not run to the sin, rather run to God. Great men of God from the Bible committed grievous sins like murder, adultery and lying.  Yet, not one who turned back to God excluded from the grace of God. So do not say you are not worthy to enter his throne of grace or mercy. This is a lie from the enemy of our soul.

God deals with the Depression

Everyone in this world has some kind of anxiety or depression, whether mild or severe. Anxiety and depression affects the Christian and the non-Christian alike. The Lord is always waiting at the door of a Christian or anyone who comes to him, to deal with the depression. He puts us right by our faith in Jesus. God deals with our anxiety and depression.

Romans 3:22 GNT God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all:

This faith in the Christ rains the righteousness of God from the celestials to penetrate the anxiety and depression. In time, persistence our friend, causes the anxiety and depression to wither away with the winds of restoration through the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not cost us a penny in consultation fees, only our attention.

Living by the Worlds Standards

This world is a pressure cooker of anxiety and depression that slowly creeps into our soul and emotions and eventually something is going to disappoint us. The reason, the focus was on the world and not on our God.

Living by the standards of this world, causes people to experience anxiety and depression, because they can never meet the standards of the world. We feed from the world, all its bad news, diseases, economic woes, materialism, sexual liberalism Etc.

The world always demands more and more from us and we wonder why we are never happy. Our master the world is never happy and every time we think we will be happy, he snatches it away and says it is not enough. He lies to us by falsifying our circumstances. False Evidence Appearing Real (FEAR).

Worldwide, people lose their minds and they succumb to the pressure and in some extreme cases, even suicide. They believed in the lies and allowed the anxiety and depression to overwhelm them. The enemy of their soul crushed them when they gave up on hope.

Faith in God stems Depression

The heavenly focus; gives us a different dimension of faith. The trust is in a faithful God and not in the world, our circumstances or dwelling on our shortcomings. The focus is on heavenly things and not on earthly things.

By focusing on the heavens, we will not be worried about our failures, material gain or some individual. Finally, free from the shackles of the world. The focus is on the heavenly treasure and the relationship with the Trinity. Life is now lived for the Glory of God, which is perfection compared to the glory of the world. God shines his glory into our emotions, intellect and problems.

This glory pushes out the sin, anxiety and depression and God leaves his children with hope. This hope revealed by our true master Jesus Christ.

How to Handle Depression?

As Christians, it does not mean we will never be affected, by some kind of depression. The spirit of depression is always lurking around, waiting for an inroad and vigilance is necessary to handle the depression.

Negative thoughts on self, the environment and the future, gives an inroad for the spirit of anxiety and depression to come in and we are victims. Our thoughts and emotions need to be united to Jesus who gives his insight into the situations, whereby we are able to look at situations with God's eyes.

Taken from Practice the Presence of God - Conrad Noronha

Sit in his Presence

Martha was too busy serving the Lord that she had no time to reflect on what the Lord expected. This led to her frustration when she realized that she was all alone in the kitchen. 

Now serving God is very important, like how Joshua said, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

Nevertheless, even before we serve God, we need to sit in his presence. Joshua as a young man would sit before the Lord, after Moses left the Ark of the Covenant, he would continue to dwell in God’s presence and look for his guidance (Exodus 33:11).

Joshua knew the plans of God for Israel, because he would stay in the Lord’s presence and speak to him face to face. Therefore, he did not suffer anxiety like the other Israelites. The power of God's faith dwelled in him and he knew he could conquer the enemy.

Taken from Practice the Presence of God - Conrad Noronha

Unconditional Love Vs Conditional Love

As we become one with God, it is impossible to drive a wedge between our relationship with him, his love has captivated. Our prayers connect to the "Ultimate Love Relationship”. This heavenly Agape love flows from the heavens and no earthly love can equal to God’s love.

Agape love is a "Divine, Sacrificial, and Unconditional Love". "I love you for who you are, not because of what you have done for me". "The love that we experience from God is 100% unconditional".

On the other hand, "Conditional Love" is manmade. It begins and flourishes from our parents, siblings, spouses, friends, teachers, employers and the Church folk.

These people love with conditions, "I love you, only if you make me happy". People superimpose this conditional love experience unto God. Therefore, they condition themselves to believe that God will only love them when they are good. 

For this reason, they forget the God of Love (1 John 4:8). Let me reiterate, GOD'S LOVE IS 100% UNCONDITIONAL. Come to God as you are and he will mold you into a better person.

God is the potter and he molds his clay into his perfection (Jeremiah 18:1). The more time we spend praying to Jesus, the more love and perfection we will experience. All unnecessary emotions, anxieties and worthless habits, carted away by our Saviour. 

This is the beginning of the most important relationship in our lives. “As this relationship increases, sin, pain and anxiety will disappear with him into his presence”.

War Waged for his Children

On the one hand, there is a war waged for his children. Our carnal sinful nature wants to feed on the pleasures of the world and revolve our emotions around sin and anxiety.

On the other hand, be determined to turn back to God and feed from him. Like a prodigal son or daughter, we do not deserve anything from him. Instead, we have squandered all of his wealth and resources on worldly living. Yet, as we turn back to God, he gives us the finest things, a son and daughter could deserve (Luke 15: 11).

Taken from Practice the Presence of God- Conrad Noronha

Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hope comes from our faith in God. Our faith increases, as we spend time in a relationship with Jesus. Hope gives the strength to face the future. Faith is hoping in something, but there is no evidence in the physical or in the natural. Like Moses, our faith is in the Invisible God.

God says he will lead us out of our miseries, yet our physical eye senses nothing. Seeing only happens with our spiritual eye, our eye of faith fixed on the Lord. “Hope” is "A strong and confident expectation of good". Good things will ensue as we exercise our faith in God.

The future is uncertain, yet we have hope and we know it will be okay. Accordingly, the waters of turmoil recede away with the help of God. God writes our name and life story in the palm of his hand and he is always thinking about us.  (Isaiah 49:16). You are so precious that he thinks about you and hopes you will think of him.

Wait for My Help

God says “Wait for my help, I will not disappoint you" (Isaiah 49:23). 

Waiting for God, is a state of expectancy, that God will surely help us with our daily problems. We trust in God and wait for his help.

In every situation of financial provision, career, relationship issues, sickness, anxiety, depression and need, we wait for the Lord's help by fixing our eyes on him and dwelling in his presence. God himself says he will not disappoint those who wait for his help. A promise fulfilled to those who fix their eyes and wait on Jesus.

First and the Last

Revelations 22:13 GNB I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Everything starts and ends with the Christ. So, no matter what problem, issue, crisis or emergency, Jesus knows the beginning and the end. We walk by our faith and not by our sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Our eyes of faith on Jesus and he helps us through all our worriment, whilst holding our hand tightly.

Taken from Practice the Presence of God

The Battle Belongs to Jesus

By our centering on the face of Jesus, in our everyday issues, we hand over the battle to God, because the battle belongs to the Lord (2 Chronicles 20:15). God’s angels ready to fight the battle for you.

In (2 Chronicles 20), the Moabites and Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat for battle. His people cried out “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom”.Jehoshaphat was afraid when he heard the enemy was marching against his Kingdom, however he set his face to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast. 

Further on in the story Jehoshaphat said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chronicles 20:12).

As Jehoshaphat continued to pray for his nation, the Spirit of the Lord fell on Jahaziel and he said, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but Gods” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

God's children need not fight battles, for God will fight our battles. “Our job, is to seek the Lord and keep our eyes on his face”. The problems left with him as we abide in his presence. 

Besides praying to God, fast for a season. (Fasting builds our spiritual battle and the flesh is chastised, telling the flesh “Hey, you are not in control I am”). The flesh and the Spirit are always at odds with each other. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Psalms 91:11 GNB God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go.

Solutions will come, as the Lord becomes our refuge and shield, the God whom we trust. The Lord's angels guards us in all our ways and they are in charge. No evil shall befall us and neither shall any plague come near our tent. With God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37).

Taken from Practice the Presence of God - Conrad Noronha

Forget about Self and Take up your Cross

Luke 9:23-24 GNB And he said to them all, “Anyone who wants to come with me must forget self, take up their cross every day, and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their own life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it.

The cross is a burden for most, they find it difficult to pick up their cross. The weight of their cross will sometimes crush them. They cry out, "God, why have you forsaken me". God never forsakes anyone who dwells on his Son.

Overwhelmed by the cross, Jesus said the same thing. He experienced the unbearable pain of our sins on him. Jesus had to carry his cross, because nobody else had the qualification of Son of God, Sinless and born of a Virgin birth.

Yet, if we think about it, God never totally abandoned Jesus, but did send Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus carry his cross up to Calvary. In the end, Christ carried the ultimate cross that would redeem all of humanity. Jesus experienced his cross (Our sins paid by him) and he has the green light from the Father to help you carry your cross.

As we fix our eyes on Jesus, God’s Spirit lightens the weight of our cross. Christ is next to us, helping us to embrace our cross. His arms around us, lifting us out of our burdens. We forget self and remember the Christ who leads us into all things. The burden released, inadvertently, we have lost our lives in the Christ and in turn, we will save it. God never intended for us to carry our cross alone, he sent his Son to help us.

Taken from Practice the Presence of God - Conrad Noronha