Lies We Believe: Answers to the Bible Quiz

or is it false?

I hope you had fun with this and maybe even did a little digging of your own to find the answers. If you didn’t, I have given the references after each answer. I hope you won’t just take my word for it, but read to discover the truth for yourself.

1.      False. We don’t know how many wise men showed up, but traditionally it has been assumed there were three because they brought three gifts. Matthew 2:1-12 tells us they visited the house in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph were living.

2.      False. God compares himself to an eagle in Ex. 19:4; Deut. 32:11, and a mother hen in Matt. 23:37; Luke 13:34, but man is compared to the ant in Prov. 6:6 and 30:25. Wings are also mentioned in Ruth 2:12; Psa. 17:8, 36:7, 57:1, 61:4, 63: 7, 91:4, but not what kind of bird.

3.      True. Read the story in Acts 20:7-12.

4.      False. Gen. 3:6 says, “She took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

5.      False. Only there were only two – Enoch in Gen. 5:24 and Elijah in 2 Ki. 2:11.

6.      D. Apparently this was something He did often, since they recognized the sound. When Adam and Eve didn’t come to join Him as usual, He asked what was up, Gen. 3.

7.      We don’t know what kind of work he did. All we know about Methuselah is that he had kids and lived 969 years, Gen. 5:21-27.

8.      C. Acts 7:23-34. Moses was 40 when he left Egypt and 80 when he returned.

9.      False. They were kicked out because Satan (Lucifer) wanted to be worshiped instead of God, Ezek. 28:12-17; Isa. 14:12-15. They not only believe; they know Jesus is the Son of God! Mark 5:7; Luke 8:28; James 2:18-19.

10.  False. Their names are Michael (Dan. 10:10-21, 12:1-4; Jude 1:9; Rev. 12:7-9) and Gabriel (Dan. 8:15-19, 9:20-23; Luke 1:11-19, 1:26-38).

11.  False. Personal peace with God, yes, but world peace is not possible until sin is vanquished. The references for this are too numerous to list, but here are a few: Isa. 48:18; Jer. 6:13-15; Ezek. 13:10; Matt. 10:16-39; Luke 2:8-14; John 14:27, 16:33.

12.  False. Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede for us; we are not to pray to people, living or dead: Rom. 8:26-27, 34; Heb. 7:24-26.

13.  False. This is strictly forbidden. Deut. 18:9-13; 1 Chron. 10:13-14; Isa. 8:19.

14.  False. All of Cain’s descendants were killed in the flood so that makes every one of us descendants of Noah and we don’t know what color he was.

15.  False. Paul reminded the early believers how important this is, Heb. 10:24-25. Jesus himself prayed for a oneness among believers as a testimony to the world, John 17:20-26. We cannot be one, or serve each other, or learn how to get along, or any of the other teachings of the New Testament unless we spend time together.

16.  False. God created all vegetation on the third day and the sun on the fourth, Gen. 1:9-19. If there had been a thousand years in between all the plants would have died.

17.  True. Solomon knew love for her child would reveal the real mother’s identity, 1 Ki. 3:16-28.

18.  False. There are three kinds – archangels, 1 Thess. 4:16; cherubim, Gen. 3:24; 2 Ki. 19:15; Psa. 99:1; Ezek. 10; and seraphim, Isa. 6:2, 6. None of these, by the way, are chubby babies with wings!

19.  False. The donkey symbolized that He came not as a conquering king, but in peace, and a fulfillment of prophecy, Zech 9:9-10; Matt. 21:4-5.

20.  False. If God never gave us anything we couldn’t handle, why would we need Him? This false statement seems to be a blend of two verses, 1 Cor. 10:13, “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear…” and Phil. 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” What God actually says is, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” (2 Cor. 12:8-10).

21.  False. I wish this was true, but Proverbs are not promises, but sayings of wisdom that when we do A, B is usually the result, whether good or bad. This quote from Proverbs 22:6, NKJV is not a guarantee, but a reassurance for parents. Usually, if we teach our children what is right, even if they stray from it for a time, they will know how to get back to God.

22.  False. Although love is extremely important for us both, what husbands need most from their wives is respect, and what wives needs most is love, Eph. 5:25-33. That is the way we’re built.

23.  False. As long as they are willing to stay together, the believer is not to seek divorce. There’s a chance that they might be won over to Christ. 1 Cor. 7:10-16 and 1 Pet. 3:1-4.

24.  B. Pilate knew Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong, and his wife’s dream unsettled him even further, but he still didn’t want to risk a riot so he gave in to what they wanted, Matt. 27:11-26.

25.  D. Strange as this may sound what she did was highly symbolic and Boaz immediately recognized it as a request to be provided for in marriage. Ruth 3:1-18.

Next post: Lies We Believe Because We Trust the Messenger…

Lies We Believe Series: Can You Spot the Lies in this Bible Quiz?

Just for fun, see how you score on the following quiz. Can you separate the truth from fiction? Answers will be in the next post.

1.      Three wise men visited Jesus in the stable the night He was born.

2.      God compares himself to an eagle, a chicken, and an ant in scripture.

3.      Paul prayed for a man to be raised from the dead because he went to sleep during his preaching and fell to his death.

4.      Adam was not with Eve when the serpent convinced her to eat the forbidden fruit.

5.      Three people in the Bible never died; God took them before they had to experience death.

6.      God came to walk in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day because:

a.       He didn’t know where Adam and Eve were

b.      He wanted a break from creating

c.       He was hot

d.      It was a regular habit

7.      Methuselah, the oldest man who ever lived, was the first one to herd sheep.

8.      When God called Moses to rescue the Israelites from Egypt he was:

a.       80 years old

b.      23 years old

c.       44 years old

d.      90 years old

9.      Satan and the demons were kicked out of heaven because they don’t believe Jesus is the Son of God.

10.  Only two angels are named in the Bible – Gabriel and Ezekiel.

11.  What God wants for us most in this life is world peace.

12.  In heaven, Jesus, Moses, and Mary pray for us constantly.

13.  We can talk to people who have died and receive wisdom about the future.

14.  The mark God put on Cain after he killed his brother Abel was to make him black and all black people are his descendants.

15.  Church isn’t for everybody; some people do best worshiping God on their own.

16.  The six days of creation could have actually been 1,000 years each, allowing for evolution to be true, because it says in 2 Peter 3:8 that a day is like a thousand years to God and a thousand years is like a day.

17.  King Solomon was considered wise when he offered to cut a baby in half because two women were fighting over who he belonged to.

18.  There are four kinds of angels mentioned in the Bible.

19.  Jesus rode a donkey into town on Palm Sunday because He was tired after walking so many miles to Jerusalem.

20.  Paul encourages believers to hang on with this assurance, “God won’t give you anything you can’t handle.”

21.  God’s promise from Proverbs says, "Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."

22.  The Bible tells husbands and wives to love each other because that is what each needs the most for a successful marriage.

23.  If a person becomes a Christian and their husband or wife is not, they should get divorced so they’re not distracted from their faith.

24.  Pilate washed his hands before sentencing Jesus to death because:

a.       They were dirty

b.      He knew Jesus didn’t deserve to die

c.       It was part of the ceremony

d.      Jesus asked him to

25.  Ruth got Boaz to marry her when:

a.       She told him she was pregnant

b.       She danced better than any of the other girls

c.       An angel told him she was the one God had chosen

d.      She snuck in where he was sleeping and curled up at his feet

Lies We Believe: Because We Don’t Know Better

When my now grown niece was about three years old, my sister told her a lie. Amy was watching her mom make her favorite muffins. She was interested in every detail, peppering her mom with questions. Just as Kathy measured out the poppy seeds, Amy asked, “What are those, Mom?”

My sister told me later with a laugh, “I don’t know what came over me, but before I even thought about what I was saying, I told Amy they were frog freckles.”

“Frog freckles? How do they get them off the frogs, Mom?” Being a tender, compassionate child, Amy was immediately concerned for their welfare. “They don’t kill them do they?”

“Oh no, “Kathy answered breezily, thinking on her feet. “They just round them up once a week and flick the off the freckles like this,” she said, flicking her thumb and middle finger. Then they release the frogs so they can grow new ones.” At that she spooned the mixture into muffin cups and popped them in the oven.

“Oh,” Amy answered, deep in thought. As Kathy rinsed the dishes and wiped the counters, they discussed how the factory workers swept the freckles into vats of water to wash them thoroughly before packaging them in bottles. “And then,” Kathy picked up the bottle of poppy seeds with a flourish, “we buy them at the store so I can make yummy muffins for our family.”

I’m not sure how long it was before Amy found out her mom was just pulling her leg, but for a while she believed that her favorite treat was Frog Freckle Muffins. It’s one of our favorite family stories. She believed the lie because she didn’t know any better.

However, ignorance of spiritual truths is dangerous, especially when we’ve been Christians long enough to know better. Amy discovered the truth about poppy seeds because she was hungry for knowledge, constantly asking questions about everything, and daily growing in maturity. That is what we should be doing in our spiritual lives as well. Yet, too often, people get comfortable as baby Christians and stop yearning to know more about God. They leave Bible knowledge to pastors and theologians and are content to get a few drops of milk in their bottle or sippy cup when they go to church.

The unidentified author of Hebrews blasts believers in his letter for this same thing: “Though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Heb. 5:12-14, emphasis added).

How can we know if someone’s telling us a lie unless we’re reading the Bible for ourselves and maturing in our knowledge and faith? Doctor Luke praised the Jews in Berea for educating themselves before gulping down every new thing they heard about God: “The Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men” (Acts 17:11-12). They did believe that what Paul was preaching was true, but not before checking their facts.

How about you? If you’ve been a believer for more than a year, are you making good headway through the book of truth you claim you base your life on? Or are you relying on sermons, devotionals, or TV preachers to tell you what it says? Perhaps you believe the Bible on your coffee or bedside table is fueling your mind by osmosis. However, if that’s not happening, how will you know what to believe? You can be sure the enemy is making his lies readily available without any effort on your part.

They say the best way to recognize counterfeit money is not by studying it, but by handling the real thing so often that the feel, smell, and look of it becomes second nature. (That’s a theory I’d like to test.) So rather than focusing on the lies foisted on us, we must zero in on a daily diet of God’s Word.

I hope that if you’ve been lax in this spiritual discipline that you don’t give up. Today is the day to start. Don’t worry about gulping down huge passages each day just to check it off your list. It’s better to read a little, stopping occasionally to digest, meditate, ask for understanding or forgiveness, or simply to revel in God’s love. He wrote this amazing book for you! And if you find it difficult to understand, ask Him for help. What author wouldn’t be thrilled to discuss His work with a reader? Especially when the reader’s life and well-being depend on knowing the truth it contains.

Lies We Believe Series

We live in a world full of lies. There are bold-faced lies, lies of omission and exaggeration, half-truths, white lies, information out of context, twisting the truth, and many more versions of the same perversion. So many of these lies sound so reasonable too! How can we know what to believe and not believe? How can we keep from becoming another victim of the enemy?

“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’” (John 8:31-32). That sounds easy enough, until we remember we have an enemy whose main objective is to deceive us and pull us away from our relationship with God and living victoriously in Him.  And he’s very good at it, because he’s been at it since the beginning of time. Lies are his native tongue. Just check out the partial truths and seeds of doubt he planted in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5).

I really want to know and seek the truth; I hope you do too. To do that, we need to recognize false information when it comes our way, and ask God to weed out any lies that have already taken root in our hearts. In order to do those things, it helps to know why we believe lies in the first place. The Bible tells us three reasons why we do:

·         because we don’t know any better

·         because we believe the messenger, and

·         because we want to

Over the next few posts I want to expose some of these lies and encourage you to watch out for the dangers lurking behind them. Otherwise they can destroy our view of God and who we are in Him, our relationships, our finances, our health, and most importantly, our eternal destiny.  I hope you will join me.

The Spiritual Battle With Depression

It’s time for the last installment of this series and I’m excited to share how we can battle against depression in our heart. Our heart is the third part of our being, the spiritual center that relates to God. Not all depression has spiritual roots, but it’s an option we dare not leave out. God examines our heart through His Word, Bible, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul (our mind, will, and emotions) and spirit (the heart), joints and marrow (the body); it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (the spirit)” (Heb. 4:12, parentheses added).

Depression can attack our heart from within or without. If you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who gave His life for the sins of the world; if you have asked God to forgive you of your sins; and if you have invited Jesus to reign in your heart as Lord, you are a Christian. Satan cannot dwell in (or possess) the same place where Jesus is Master, but he can oppress us from the outside with a constant barrage of attacks in order to crack our defenses. If we give him access, Satan can divide our heart and prevent us from enjoying the full benefits God desires for all believers.

Depression can be a symptom of a divided heart – one committed to God, yet holding back one or more areas for self. Beth Moore says this in Breaking Free, “Only the places we allow the love of God to fully penetrate will be satisfied and, therefore, liberated.” I encourage you to get alone with God and ask Him to show you if there is a heart issue contributing to your depression.

This means being naked and vulnerable before the Lord. Robb Thompson shares some interesting facts about eagles in this regard: “When these majestic birds molt, they shed all of their feathers, causing them to become extremely vulnerable. Without feathers, they are unable to fly away from danger. To protect themselves, they soar to the highest rock they can find before their feathers fall out. All by themselves, huddled on the towering rock, they lie in the sun and wait…eagles fly to a safe place…trust[ing] they will fly again.” God is our safe place; He is our Rock.

This is not a complete list, but here are a few ways Satan can divide our heart:

·         Anger

·         Unforgiveness/ Bitterness

·         Doubt

·         Pride/Insecurity (believe it or not insecurity is a form of pride, believing our inadequacies are too big for God to handle!)

·         Addictions

·         Failure to bow to God’s supreme authority

·         Legalism

·         Seeking satisfaction from anything/anyone other than God

Over the past several months, God has done an incredible work in my heart, revealing areas where I had allowed Satan’s lies to creep in – mostly in the arena of self-esteem and control. My physical and emotional difficulties added fuel to these “heart problems” and God took me to a safe place for a complete makeover. And what a blessing it has been! Dark – yes; embarrassing – yes, convenient – no, but life-changing.

Once I resolved to “stay in camp” until I was healed, God was able to speak to me in ways I hadn’t heard when I was busily seeking perfection in my own power (not very successfully may I add). The more I searched through scripture and let it search me, the more I was able to release my grip on the things that troubled me. Each time, His Spirit flooded those hungry places of my heart, filling me with a new sense of satisfaction and joy.

Kay Warren’s definition of JOY is: “The settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life; the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright; and the determined choice to praise God in all things.” This takes knowing God, trusting Him, and choosing to praise Him even when I don’t get what He’s up to at the moment.

This process to wholeness is a lifelong deal. God saves us in a moment, but continually fills and refills us with His Holy Spirit throughout our lives as we walk with Him. If you are battling depression, be kind to yourself and let God do the work to heal you body, soul, and spirit. At the same time, relentlessly pursue God and let Him fill the gnawing hunger you feel.

I pray for you, my fellow traveler, that you will trust God to care for your every need along the way. He is good and His will for us is good. May He bring you back into the sunshine once again.

Books That Have Been Helpful to Me:

As I’ve sought God’s healing in these dark months, the Bible has been my main textbook. He has also used others who’ve been this way before to help me in the journey. I recommend the following books:

 

Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough, Kay Warren

So Long Insecurity: You’ve Been a Bad Friend to Us, Beth Moore

Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk about God’s Deliverance, Beth Moore

Praying for Your Prodigal Daughter, Janet Thompson

Rooms, James L. Rubart (a powerful fictional account of our heart - Christ’s home)

Child of Divorce; Child of God: A Journey of Hope and Healing, Kristine Steakley

Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life (Bible study workbook), Beth Moore

Solitary Refinement: The Hidden Power of Being Alone, Robb Thompson

Bonus Info on St. John’s Wort and Depression

I talked for almost an hour the other day with the Naturopath I’ve been seeing for about ten years. She is a born again believer. She combines her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with her training in Naturopathic medicine to help people learn how to live healthier lives. A very rare combination! The information she shared with me was so helpful, I wanted to pass it on.

I expressed my concerns to her about how tired I’m feeling since I started taking St. John’s Wort. The depression has lifted, but I feel sluggish and sleepy; I’m not used to having to rest all the time. I’m used to being on the move.

Karen explained, “St. John’s Wort isn’t what’s making you tired, Beth. It’s actually an amazing supplement that has many uses. It is working to build up your depleted system.” I had already found out from my research that it can be helpful for depression, for fighting viral and bacterial infections, in the treatment of PMS and fibromyalgia, for chronic pain, and sometimes weight loss.

Karen continued, “One of the best things it does is feed overworked nerves. If you’ve been under prolonged stress from grief, pain, anxiety, or whatever, your nerves eventually get to the point where they can’t let down. You’re feeling tired because you are tired. The St. John’s Wort is helping your body let down so you can rest and heal.”

Hmm, so the answer was not to take less so I can do more, but to rest when I feel tired and let God do His healing work. An amazing concept.

I’m not out to sell St. John’s Wort or any other product, but if you’re seeking a natural solution for depression and thought you might try it, this is information that could be very helpful. Make sure you do not take St. John’s Wort if you’re already taking another antidepressant.

In our western culture, we’re used to taking medicine so we can feel better, in order to keep right on doing what we want to do. But I’m learning that sometimes it’s better to feel worse for a while in order to treat the source of the problem and not just the symptoms. I hope this is helpful information.

Next time, I will address some of the spiritual causes for depression and how we can allow God to heal us in this area.

The Soul’s Battle With Depression

Did you wonder if I had dropped off the face of the earth? Well, kind of. It is definitely an odd season of life; one which I am not comfortable with. For those of you who have expressed concern for me, let me reassure you that even though depression is not fun, God is oh so close. It is dark and sometimes seems endless, but He is holding my hand and giving me an impossible sense of peace. Daily He speaks messages of love and assurance, and I cling to the knowledge that He is in control. So, let’s get to it and I will share some nuggets of truth God is teaching me about the battle with depression.

Our soul is made up of three parts: our mind, our will, and our emotions. This is the part of our being that relates to other people – our horizontal nature. I want to talk about each one separately, because although they are intricately intertwined, each one builds on the one before.

The Battle of the Mind

Everything begins in our head. What we think about feeds our desires and plays out in our actions. Our mind can work for or against us, depending on what we feed it. Of course, reading and meditating on God’s Word is essential. This word meditate literally means to ruminate - like a cow chews, swallows, digests its food for a while, then brings it up for another round, before sending it to the second stomach, and so forth.

Listening to God-music is another way to influence our minds. Ephesians 5:19-20 and Colossians 3:16 are great reminders of this. I have actually started waking up with songs already playing in my head. I know this is His special answer to my prayers for renewed hope.

Bible reading and music can have little effect on our mind, however, if we do not squelch the competing voice of the enemy. Second Corinthians 10:5 tells us to, “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This especially includes lies concerning our personal value. Satan wants us to constantly replay hurtful scenes from our past to beat us down. God wants us to frisk every thought for contraband and anything destructive to the truth of who we are in Christ.

My friend Gwen uses the “It is written” method that Jesus used against Satan (Matt. 4). She fights back by speaking scriptural truths out loud. We agreed that if it was good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for us!

The Battle of the Will

The second area of the soul is our will. This is where we decide whether we will do our own thing or submit to God’s leadership. Isaiah 30:15-16 in the Message paints a descriptive picture: “God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel: ‘Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me—The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do. You’ve said, ‘Nothing doing!’” And Psalm 81:10-12 also, “Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. ‘But my people would not listen to me…would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices” (NIV).

God recently gave me a strong message from Joshua 5:7-8. It says: “They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way…after the whole nation had been circumcised, they remained where they were in camp until they were healed.” Circumcision is an operation to cut away the foreskin of a man’s most private part. God instructed the Israelites to do this as a sign of their covenant (promised) relationship with Him and purity. You’re probably wondering how that applies here, aren’t you?

He said, “You have not allowed me to cut away the things that are dragging you down, Beth. I want to help you. Will you, in obedience to me, stay in camp until you are healed?” My first thought was, “But I want to do battle against the enemy, Lord! And we’re this close to the Promised Land. Can’t you just heal me quickly?

He said no.

He pointed out that trusting Him is essential. That to go into battle right now would endanger me as well as others. That His timing is perfect. So I am slowing down, being still, hanging back from the things I’m normally involved in, and resting. God has made it easier for me to obey by allowing me to experience fatigue like never before. I’m so tired, I can’t do much else!

I still have the choice to obey Him or to fight His healing work. Time after time, I bow my will in submission to His loving care, even though it is very difficult to be still.

The Battle of the Emotions

The third part of our soul is fed by our mind and will - how we feel about our self, our life, and our relationship with God. I keep going back to a phrase coined by Pastor Rob Baker of Oasis Fellowship, “How do you deal with what you feel? You’ve got to go with what you know.” In other words, emotions are real and powerful, but they can’t be trusted. We must learn to influence our feelings by choosing to first submit our minds and wills to Christ.

In order to combat these overwhelming feelings, I have become like a terrier in my morning devotions. For the first time in my life, I usually have the freedom to spend as long as I want in the Word. So I am taking advantage of it. Like Jacob, who wrestled with the man from God and told him, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Gen. 32:26), I too am wrestling until the blessing comes. And it is good.

If you are currently struggling with depression, I hope my journey is helpful and encouraging. Be assured, God is with you; you are never alone. Reach out for His hand in the darkness and let Him comfort you. He is there. He will hold you.

The Physical Battle With Depression

As I said in my initial post, I’ve been learning a lot about things that can contribute to depression. Today, I’m going to share what I’ve learned about the physical causes of depression and what we can do to combat them. We cannot always control how much we’re affected by the first four contributors, but we can learn how to respond to them in healthy ways.

The first might come as a surprise to you: Loss. When we face a loss of any kind, it drains our energy and affects our emotional balance. Researchers have discovered that extreme losses such as death, divorce, a lifelong career, home (due to fire or other sudden disaster) can take 85% of a person’s energy to recover from. That leaves only 15% available for mental, social, spiritual, and physical functioning. That can send a person spiraling into depression.

Unrelenting pain can also deplete our energy to fight back feelings of sadness.

Hormonal changes, such as PMS or menopause take more physical energy than our normal output and can leave us feeling lethargic and sad. Women aren’t the only ones who have hormonal cycles, but since men don’t have the physical symptom of a period to mark these changes it’s harder for them to recognize hormonal changes.

Also, Physical Changes of aging or a debilitating sickness or injury can be a bitter pill to swallow. We want to keep moving at the same speed and energy level we had in our 20’s, or like we did before we were sick or injured. It’s another kind of loss.

The next three contributors to depression we do have control over, but often we don’t see how intricately they are intertwined with the other two parts of our being - our soul and spirit – and choose to “cheat” a little here and there until it’s out of control.

Fatigue is a common culprit in depression. We joke about it all the time, but forcing our bodies to keep on moving with regular doses of caffeine “uppers” - coffee and energy drinks – can contribute to depression. If we refuse to rest when our body’s had enough, eventually we’re going to crash, physically, emotionally, or both.

Of course you knew this one would get in here somewhere, our Diet is extremely important to emotional health. God created our bodies to burn food as close to its original form as possible, without colors, additives, and processing. You’ve heard of stuff like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and unflavored water? Simple but true, a body full of sludge will eventually poison our emotional health.

We also need regular Exercise to burn that fuel. A stream with no outlet stagnates and stinks. It’s amazing how much a walk can release pent up emotions and improve our mood.

I told you in my first post that I had been “doing all the right things” yet have still been battling the worst season of depression I’ve had in years. I eat a pretty healthy diet (although I do enjoy coffee and chocolate!), take a whole gamut of vitamins and supplements, and try to exercise at least five times a week. However, I realized I haven’t been resting when I needed to because I felt guilty spending “unproductive” time reading or curling up for a nap. So instead of fixing myself a cup of coffee or forcing myself to do just one more thing I’m trying to listen to my body’s needs and practice better self care.

There were also things I couldn’t control – personal losses and feelings of grief, unrelenting back pain, and the changes of menopause. I realized that any one of these ‘uncontrollables’ could trigger a depression, but when they came at me one after another my body’s defenses were eventually too depleted to fight anymore. I began to search out natural remedies to replenish serotonin levels in my body. I have began taking St. John’s Wort and so far, it seems to be helping.

However, as I said, we’re not just physical beings, but body, soul, and spirit.  My next post will have to do with how depression can affect our soul, which is made up of the mind, will, and emotions, and how I’m learning to combat depression in this important area.  

Fighting Depression Series

It’s a stupid commercial. Every time it comes on, my husband and I either look at each other and laugh, or chime in with the corny phrase, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” This is followed by the actor’s anemic struggle and pleading eyes. Then the announcer touts the special call button you should always wear around your neck and tells us how we can order one. How ridiculous, we think. Until it happens to you.

The dumbest injury I’ve ever suffered is the time I got trapped under my own yard debris bin. It was full and heavy. I yanked on it with all my weight to roll it down the driveway for pickup, but it flipped over on me instead, pinning me to the ground. I pushed and strained to lift it off; I even tried sliding out from under it, but it wouldn’t budge. Eventually, pain and fear trumped pride and I called for help. I was hoarse and pretty shook up when someone finally heard me. It took three of my neighbors to lift it off. I still have a dent in my leg from where it fell.

Depression can be like that. We don’t like to admit we’re down; we’d rather be up on our feet and roll our own trash to the curb. But the truth is, sometimes we do fall and we can’t get up. That’s when we need help to lift whatever is weighing us down. Depression is not a sin, it’s a feeling, and certainly not anything we choose. But we can choose how we respond to it. Like all human struggles, God has the answers for it.

I am just coming out of the worst season of depression I’ve experienced, other than when I went through an unwanted divorce. It was a heaviness I couldn’t lift - a darkness I couldn’t dispel. Even though I love the Lord and have much to be thankful for, I woke morning after morning with no desire to get up, to do anything, or see anyone. But I did it anyway. I continued to do all the “right” things, while the darkness clung like festering tar.

I continued to press my “call button” and follow God’s counsel. Today, I can truly say the JOY has returned. Praise to God! I know I’m not the only one. Many of you deal with depression on a regular basis or are currently suffering a season of depression. What I share with you in the next three posts is not as an expert, but as a fellow sufferer testifying how God has helped me get up from this all too human frailty. Each post will include what I’ve learned can help when depression hits.

We are created in God’s likeness and He is made up of three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have three parts to our identity as well: Body, Soul, and Spirit. My first post will list some of the physical causes of depression and how we can counteract them. The second post will deal with the soul, which is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions, and how we can fight depression in those areas. The final post in this series will deal with ways to battle depression in the spiritual realm. I hope this series will help and encourage you, or provide something to share with a friend who is fighting depression.

See you next time.

Are You Worn Out, Lagging Behind?

My new grandson Kai makes the perfect model

I love the new song by Tenth Avenue North called “Worn.” It certainly expresses the way I feel sometimes. I thought of it the other day when I read these verses: “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God” (Deut. 25:17-18).

Isn’t that the way it is? The enemy always picks off the tired, injured, and unaware. He watches for signs of weakness and attacks when we’re most vulnerable.

What is it that wears you out? For me, it's sickness, pain, discouragement, heartache, and doubt that sap my strength. Often I overdo it, expending energy on unnecessary ventures, or trying to do for others what they should do for themselves. When I take side paths or get involved in discussions God does not intend, I lose my way. Sometimes I’m not even aware I’ve gotten behind until I feel a sudden thud against my spirit; a signal I’ve been hit. Then there’s a feeling of panic.

How can we keep from falling behind? The Bible says that God led the Israelites with a cloud by day and fire by night. Day or night they always knew what direction to go if they looked up. That’s the key for us as well. If we don’t want to get left behind, we need to keep looking up for direction. It may sound simplistic, but it works: reading the Bible every day, listening to God, and Christian fellowship are still God’s answers for making it safely to heaven (our Promised Land).

What about when others straggle behind? Do we just leave them and keep moving? Well, I know how I want to be treated if I start lagging behind. It doesn’t help for someone out front to keep barking, “C’mon, lazy bones; you’re going too slowly. Pick up the pace!” Especially if I am unable to go any faster. I want someone to encourage me to rest, pray for me, walk with me a while to make sure I’m not alone. I try to remember this when I notice one of my fellow sojourners in a weakened state and falling behind.

The sad fact is many will fall to the enemy along the way. Some, because they neglect their own self-care or have leaders that fail to be watchful; others, because they willfully separate from the group. They claim they’re strong enough to defend themselves and don’t need to be a part of the whole. I shudder when I see them fall prey to the devourer because of their own pride and stubborn waywardness.

All of us get worn out from time to time. If you are currently lagging behind, please, let someone know how you feel. Reach out for a helping hand. If the first person you talk to doesn’t respond, keep trying until you find a friend. And look to Jesus for the strength to carry on.

He invites us all, “Are you tired? Worn out?…Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-30, Message).

Here’s the link to “Worn.” As you listen, be assured you are not alone on this journey: http://tenthavenuenorth.com/