Chapter 52—Depression (Part 3)
The Cheering or Discouraging Power of the Printed Page—My husband has labored untiringly to bring the publishing interest up to its present state of prosperity. I saw that he had had more sympathy and love from his brethren than he has thought he had. They eagerly search the paper to find something from his pen. If there is a tone of cheerfulness in his writings, if he speaks encouragingly, their hearts are lightened, and some even weep with tender feelings of joy. But if gloom and sadness are expressed, the countenances of his brethren and sisters, as they read, grow sad, and the spirit which characterizes his writings is reflected upon them.—Testimonies for the Church 3:96, 97 (1872).
A Discouraged Man Is a Burden to Himself (counsel to medical students)—I have had presented before me the fact that in your class of medical missionary students are those whose first work should be to understand themselves, to count the cost, and know when they begin to build whether they are able to finish. Let not God be dishonored by breaking down the man in the process of educating him; for a broken-down, discouraged man is a burden to himself.
To think that in any work that he may plan to do God will sustain him, while he piles upon himself studies, and subjects himself to exposures that imperil health and life and violate the laws of nature, is contrary to the light that God has given. Nature will not be imposed upon. She will not forgive the injuries done to the wonderful, delicate machinery.—Letter 116, 1898. (Medical Ministry, 79).
Hopelessness Concealed Under a Facade of Bravado—A child frequently censured for some special fault, comes to regard that fault as his peculiarity, something against which it is vain to strive. Thus are created discouragement and hopelessness, often concealed under an appearance of indifference or bravado.—Education, 291 (1903).
Overcoming Costs Efforts (counsels to a family)—You can be a happy family if you will do what God has given you to do and has enjoined upon you as a duty. But the Lord will not do for you that which He has left for you to do. Brother C deserves pity. He has so long felt unhappy that life has become a burden to him. It need not be thus. His imagination is diseased, and he has so long kept his eyes on the dark picture that if he meets with adversity or disappointment, he imagines that everything is going to ruin, that he will come to want, that everything is against him, that he has the hardest time of anyone; and thus his life is made wretched. The more he thinks thus, the more miserable he makes his life and the lives of all around him.
He has no reason to feel as he does; it is all the work of Satan. He must not suffer the enemy thus to control his mind. He should turn away from the dark and gloomy picture to that of the loving Saviour, the glory of heaven, and the rich inheritance prepared for all who are humble and obedient and who possess grateful hearts and abiding faith in the promises of God. This will cost him an effort, a struggle; but it must be done. Your present happiness and your future, eternal happiness depend upon your fixing your mind upon cheerful things, looking away from the dark picture, which is imaginary, to the benefits which God has strewn in your pathway, and beyond these, to the unseen and eternal.—Testimonies for the Church 1:703, 704 (1868).
The Fruits of Gloomy Forebodings—Your life is now miserable, full of evil forebodings. Gloomy pictures loom up before you; dark unbelief has enclosed you. By talking on the side of unbelief you have grown darker and darker; you take satisfaction in dwelling upon unpleasant themes. If others try to talk hopefully, you crush out in them every hopeful feeling by talking all the more earnestly and severely. Your trials and afflictions are ever keeping before your wife the soul-harrowing thought that you consider her a burden because of her illness. If you love darkness and despair, talk of them, dwell upon them, and harrow up your soul by conjuring up in your imagination everything you can to cause you to murmur against your family and against God, and make your own heart like a field which the fire has passed over, destroying all verdure and leaving it dry, blackened, and crisped.—Testimonies for the Church 1:699 (1868).
Overcoming Emotional Instability—You belong to a family who possess minds not well balanced, gloomy and depressed, affected by surroundings, and susceptible to influences. Unless you cultivate a cheerful, happy, grateful frame of mind, Satan will eventually lead you captive at his will. You can be a help, a strength to the church where you reside, if you will obey the instructions of the Lord and not move by feeling, but be controlled by principle. Never allow censure to escape your lips, for it is like desolating hail to those around you. Let cheerful, happy, loving words fall from your lips.—Testimonies for the Church 1:704 (1868).
No Need to Be a Slave to Depression—Remember that in your life religion is not to be merely one influence among others. It is to be an influence dominating all others. Be strictly temperate. Resist every temptation. Make no concessions to the wily foe. Listen not to the suggestions that he puts into the mouths of men and women. You have a victory to win. You have nobility of character to gain; but this you cannot gain while you are depressed and discouraged by failure. Break the bands with which Satan has bound you. There is no need for you to be his slave. “Ye are My friends,” Christ said, “if ye do whatsoever I command you.”—Letter 228, 1903. (Medical Ministry, 43).
One Remedy Suggested to a Minister Suffering Depression—You should labor with care and observe periods of rest. By so doing you will retain your physical and mental vigor and render your labor much more efficient. Brother F, you are a nervous man and move much from impulse. Mental depression influences your labor very much. At times you feel a want of freedom and think it is because others are in darkness or wrong or that something is the matter, you can hardly tell what, and you make a drive somewhere and upon somebody which is liable to do great harm. If you would quiet yourself when in this restless, nervous condition and rest and calmly wait on God and inquire if the trouble is not in yourself, you would save wounding your own soul and wounding the precious cause of God.—Testimonies for the Church 1:622 (1867).
Dwelling Upon the Disagreeable—When you see iniquity all around you it makes you all the more glad that He is your Saviour, and we are His children. Then shall we look at the iniquity around us and dwell upon the dark side? You cannot cure it; then talk of something that is higher, better, and more noble
Now we may go into a cellar and stay there and look around into its dark corners, and we can talk of the darkness and say, “Oh, it is so dark here,” and keep talking about it. But will it make it any lighter? Oh no! What are you going to do? Come out of it; come out of the dark into the upper chamber where the light of God’s countenance shines brightly.
You know our bodies are made up of the food assimilated. Now, it is the same with our minds. If we have a mind to dwell on the disagreeable things of life, we will not have any hope, but we want to dwell on the cheery scenes of heaven. Says Paul, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).—Manuscript 7, 1888.
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/78.571#601
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the privilege of trusting You in every situation, especially in those designed to depress and rob the spirit of abiding joy. Please bless us to really believe that You love us and mean to do us good, that we might cease to fear or be depressed about anything. Please bless us to trust You as a child trusts a loving parent. Please bless us to fully embrace the power of Your grace to obey Your commandments, to show our love for You in action, and to be always a living witness for You that we ourselves and others might be uplifted and encouraged in rightdoing. Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, please bless us to be all You would have us be and grant us the mind and love of Jesus that others might be drawn to You through how we live and what we say. Because we ask all these in the Awesome name of Your Son, Almighty Jesus the Christ, our Savior, we say Thank You and Amen.
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DID YOU KNOW THIS…?
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 KJV—The WORD OF GOD—It’s the only flesh that is safe to eat (meditate on) to live forever!]
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Do you feel sorrowful, disconnected—without a place to feel at home or useful? I pray this might show you the way forward. Watch…
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NOTE: These began as daily texts to encourage my academy roommate and dear friend of nearly 50 years, until she suddenly passed March 2023. Now I continue to compile and send them to anyone who will receive them and to her family in honor of their mom. Lately, I have begun featuring consecutive chapter portions of a select Bible-based book.
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My personal prayer is that God will bless me to find ways to multiply this gift, so that we all may be encouraged to be found faithful in the sight of a Holy God, whenever Christ returns or our eyes are shut in the sleep of death.
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