“Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.†John 14:27

Does fear paralyze you? Have you ever cracked and had a total panic attack? Have you ever felt completely hopeless and utterly depressed?

Ugh, I have.

When these things come my way I refer to it as falling down the enemy’s rabbit hole. If you’ve ever taken that fall, you know how fast it can happen.

One moment you are going about your day minding your own business, and the next you trip and slide down a dark tunnel filled with fear, worry, doubt, anxiety, and depression.

I just spent the last two weeks falling like Alice in Wonderland down this tunnel and desperately trying to crawl back out of it.

However, every time I tried to escape it, I’d lose my footing and slide backward.

In the depths of the tunnel, God in His power and love showed me the way out.

I am grateful to say that Jesus got me back on solid ground. Now that I am out of the hole, I’d like to share what He taught during that rollercoaster ride to hell.

Here are 10 ways to beat depression

1. When we are in the midst of a spiritual battle, it’s critical to decipher God’s voice from the enemy’s. Whether you are currently falling down the rabbit hole or you just need advice on how to avoid future holes, here is a helpful list that will remind you of the differences between the two:

                     GOD’S VOICE                                            THE ENEMY

                         CALMS                                                         OBSESSES

                     COMFORTS                                                   WORRIES

                      CONVICTS                                                   CONDEMNS

                        ENCOURAGES                                          DISCOURAGES

                     ENLIGHTENS                                              CONFUSES

                        LEADS                                                          PUSHES

                        REASSURES                                               FRIGHTENS

                       STILLS                                                          RUSHES

2.   Be in the Word. The Bible tells us that the enemy is like a lion that is constantly on the prowl, looking to devour his next victim. We must be in the Word daily. If our minds and our hearts are constantly filled with the TRUTH, there is no room in our lives for lies.

3.   Pray! The other day God put a specific lyric from a song on my heart. It was, “All the world starts changing when the church starts praying. Strongholds start to break, ohhhhhh when we pray.†All day long I sang that song but I never took it to heart and stopped and prayed until my friend called me and suggested that we needed to pray. The moment we finished praying a euphoric peace and joy washed over me. Suddenly the darkness I spent all day fighting lifted and for the first time in a week I felt God’s presence. Praying changed everything that night.

4.   Remember that God is IN the waiting. These past two weeks I’ve felt abandoned by God. I’ve been praying for clarity, for answers, for direction and there hasn’t been any breakthrough. I felt like since He wasn't parting the Red Sea, He wasn't with me. Then, that same night after praying, I asked God if He wanted to tell me anything. I opened my iTunes app and put my playlist, "Holy Spirit" (which has 100's of songs in it) on shuffle. Suddenly a song I’ve never heard before started playing. I listened to it on repeat for 3.5 hours because it was exactly what I needed to hear and I knew it was God speaking to me. In essence, He helped me understand that He is in the waiting and that just because He isn't answering ALL of my prayers doesn't mean He's not waiting with me while He prepares the road ahead of me. No matter what we are going through, He is with us and He will never forsake us nor leave us.

Here are some of the lyrics to the song He gave me that night as well as a link to the music video. I listened to it until my heart believed the words.

   "Take Courage"
by Kristene DiMarco

Slow down, take time
Breath in He said
He'd reveal what's to come
The thoughts in His mind
Always higher than mine
He'll reveal all to come

Take courage my heart
Stay steadfast my soul
He's in the waiting
He's in the waiting
Hold onto your hope
As your triumph unfolds
He's never failing
He's never failing

Sing praise my soul
Find strength in joy
Let His Words lead you on
Do not forget
His great faithfulness
He'll finish all He's begun...

Here is the music video. It's really beautiful. I pray it helps you like it's helped me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r49V9QcYheQ.  

5.   Remember that God’s timing is always perfect AND that His definition of perfect is far different than our own. My friend spoke this truth to me last week and it blew my mind because it’s something I’ve never thought about. God’s timing is always perfect but perfect doesn’t mean easy and trouble-free. In God’s eyes, perfect timing can happen in the midst of chaos and crappy circumstances. His timing can appear to our eyes as poor timing but we must remember that His thoughts are always higher than our own. We don’t have to trust the process; we just have to trust Him in the process.

6.   His strength is made perfect in our weakness. In other words, you don’t have to be strong and try to get through hard seasons on your own. In fact, that's the last thing He wants! Rather, He wants us to lay everything at His feet and to trust Him with it. His burden is light and His yoke is easy. When the world gets overwhelming, we truly can cast our cares on Him and He will take care of it all.

7.   Find community. God doesn’t want us to go through this life alone. Don’t try to do it alone. We are supposed to help carry each other’s burdens so spend time with friends.

8.   WORSHIP! No matter what type of funk I am in, turning on a great worship song and singing praises (even when I don't feel like it) ALWAYS lifts my spirits!

9.   Find at least one thing for which you are grateful. Choosing to have an attitude of gratitude changes everything. For instance, today was overwhelming and exhausting with my two little kids. Finally, right before dinner, I realized that no matter how hectic the day had been, I am grateful for them. I am grateful to be a mom and to even have kids. Changing my perspective and having a heart of gratitude turned my day around. A grateful heart is key!

Friend, no matter what season you're in, remember that something beautiful always happens when God is our only option.

Take courage and remember that the WAR is OVER. GOD has defeated darkness and fear is a lie. As believers, the blood of the lamb covers us and the enemy no longer has power and authority in our lives. In fact, the truth is, Satan has to flee from us!

With Love, Kristin