Get Up!

It can be pretty difficult to move on passed heartache of any kind.  Emotional scars tend to run deep and each new one seems to reach further into the soul,  making recovery harder and harder and harder. But recovery isn't impossible.  

One thing I've learned though is that recovery will only happen if you want it to.  Depression has a way of getting worse the longer you stay in it. The more you cry, the more you sit around doing nothing and the more you stay away from the world, the worse it gets. It just hurts more to sit there and think about why you're hurting. 

People always say "get up,  shake yourself off" to others in such situations and of course it's very annoying to the person who is hurting but I've learned that as cliché as that is,  it's the only way to start the healing process. 

Of course,  there's more to healing than just forgetting your problems.  As a matter of fact, you'll run into bigger issues if you just bury stuff away,  but you can't dwell on them forever. You will only recover if you want to recover. YOU should be your own motivation.  You must want your life to improve for it to happen. You must want to move on for it to happen. You must want change for it to happen. 

My encouragement today for all us is to be your own motivation.  Be determined to rise above,  to move forward,  to grow and to change. 

Devotions like this one and others can be found in the Soul Food Series in Kindle or paperback format. 

To grab a copy, click one of the images below. 

Avoiding self-inflicted depression

Some times we humans crave for things we shouldn't have. Maybe an extra candy bar when we're trying to lose a few pounds, or maybe it's relationship that's off limits for whatever reason. Since the garden of Eden, man has wanted what wasn't good for them.

I'm sure we've all found ourselves in the situation where God has said no about something we want yet we continue to toy with the idea in our heads. We romanticize the moment when we finally get want we want, dreaming of the possibilities and how beautiful it will be. We day-dream and obsess and obsess and obsess. And the more we obsess, the more we need to torture ourselves at the end of the day when we're reminded that the things we spent the day dreaming about can never happen.  When the harsh reality hits, we're on the brink of depression and all we can think to do is blame God. "Lord, why can't things ever work out for me? I never get anything that I want. Everybody is happy except me." Does that sound at all familiar?

Does the thing you want most but know you can't have consume your thoughts? Do you dream that just for one moment things will be different and you will get to have want to really want. Then you need to quit torturing yourself. The answer is already no and God won't change his mind. Dwelling on the situation daily will not make Him change His decision. All it does at the end of the day is make you bitter, angry and depressed. You're destroying yourself and in the process you're failing to see the good things that God has in store for you; the things that are actually yours. Your life could be a lot happier if you'd accept the things you can't have and look to God with trust for your future.

Stop the self destructive behavior. Instead of dwelling on what you can't have, occupy your mind with something productive. Learn a new skill that falls in line with your life plan. Develop a new hobby. Play music while you work to keep your thoughts from straying. Actively monitor your thoughts. When you notice that you have slipped, make a decision to stop and deliberately occupy your mind with some thing else. And of course, ask God for help to overcome the thoughts and the obsession with whatever desire you have. Believe it or not, he will provide a way of escape but you have to be willing to move on and your eyes must be open to see what he's brought you.

Have a blessed day and remember to take control of your thought life. 

Would you like to own a collection of devotions like this one? 

Try one of these titles, devotions from this blog in two collections. 

Joana James - Author of From Redemption to Maturity, Trusting God with your Future,   Nightmare at Emerald High & Alana and Alyssa's Secret & Finding Romeo 

Overcoming Pain through Praise

When going through a difficult situation, it's pretty easy to give up and curse God. "God why do you have to let all these bad things happen to me?" Actually, if God had to let all the bad things that could happen to you happen, you'd be in pretty horrible shape right now. I don't quite understand why God allows certain things to happen in our lives, but I do know from experience, that things usually work out just fine if you keep trusting him.

So what do you do when a situation seems so painful that it threatens to pushed you down, keep you down and suck all the life out of you. I've found a little remedy. You know the bible says to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, but I only knew that it worked in theory, one could understand why it would work but I never really truly understood or experienced it till now.

I have a pretty crazy personality and I refuse to be kept down, so my response to just about anything depressing is to turn up the volume on my music and go crazy dancing in front of my mirror. (Trust me, it's not a pretty sight). This time, I turned up the volume and threw up hands in praise. This praise thing is serious. You could literally feel the load being lifted off your back. You find your faith being renewed as your Spirit connect's with God's. No words are exchanged but you can literally feel God comforting you. I've had the experience where I actually felt arms wrapped around me when I needed to be comforted. Yes, praise does that.

Praise invites God's presence because He loves it when you praise Him. He comes and "chills" in the room, just basking in the glow of your praise. At the same time, your spirit is communicating the hurt that you feel and He responds. Wow. Praise is a truly beautiful thing.

I've learned to trust God again through my praise. My heavy heart has been lifted through my praise. Impossible situations suddenly became bearable after praise. Praise is pretty powerful.

I dare you today to try it. Overcome the depths of your pain with a song. You may not be able to sing it at first, but turn up the volume on your favourite CD or praise station and let the lyrics/music take your spirit into the realms of true praise, then watch God move.

Have a praise filled day.

Today's a good day because my second devotional book Trusting God with your Future is FREE for kindle. 

Trusting God with Your Future is a compilation of some of the devotionals on this blog. If you find it difficult to keep track of my postings (after all there is no schedule), or if you just want to be able to sit quietly in bed on a morning or late at night without having to navigate to the site, then grab a copy.

It's FREE until March 7, 2013