Dear Sir,<\/p>\n
I recently suffered a blow-specifically, the affliction of physical illness-and I have been feeling sorrowful and distressed.<\/p>\n
When I am at church among my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, I regain my strength and feel filled with hope. Yet, when I return home and face my current situation, I see no hope; I feel like a candle that has burned down almost to the end, on the verge of going out. I do not know what to do, though I have poured out the sorrow and pain in my heart to God.<\/p>\n
Just yesterday, a pastor was called home to the Lord. Hearing this news made me sad, though I know that because he labored for God, a great reward awaits him in the Kingdom of Heaven. My sadness stems from the realization that if God were to call me<\/strong> home, I am not yet ready; I have not yet done any work for the Lord. I simply feel a deep sense of sorrow. Life feels empty; everything is vanity.<\/p>\n Furthermore, God has said that worry and fear are sins, yet I am so weak that I have committed both. I fear illness and worry about the future. \ud83d\ude14 Could you share some words from God and offer some spiritual insight? I am seeking your help.<\/p>\n May God bless you.<\/p>\n\t “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you<\/em>” (Philippians 4:6-9).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n When depression strikes, it is often difficult to break out of the cycle of negative thinking. Paul mentions several things that can counter anxiety and depression:<\/p>\n You have the support of your brethren (Roman 12:10, 15), but more importantly, God is present to hear and answer your concerns. “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken<\/em>” (Psalms 55:22).<\/p>\n Be thankful for what you do have. This gives you a more balanced view of life. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful<\/strong>. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness<\/strong> in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks<\/strong> through Him to God the Father<\/em>” (Colossians 3:15-17).<\/p>\n This is more difficult when your mind is stuck in a rut. It keeps returning to what it is used to doing. Find positive things to read. Find the benefits, even in hardships. For example, you mentioned a preacher who recently died. Realize that he is now with God. If he was ill, he is no longer suffering in this world. He is not alone; he is with those who have gone on before him. Certainly, he will be missed, but one day we too will cross to the other side.<\/p>\n Put the gospel into action. Do good to people around you, even if you might think of it as a small thing. When you focus on the needs of others, you have little time to focus on your feelings. Send cards. Volunteer to do things for other people. Spend time visiting others. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven<\/em>” (Matthew 5:16).<\/p>\n Question: Dear Sir, I recently suffered a blow-specifically, the affliction of physical illness-and I have been feeling sorrowful and distressed. When I am at church among my fellow Christian brothers and sisters, I regain my strength and feel filled with hope. Yet, when I return home and face my current situation, I see no hope;…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[397],"class_list":["post-97277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-depression"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":44145,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/when-i-learn-about-the-bible-i-get-anxious-that-im-not-doing-well-enough\/","url_meta":{"origin":97277,"position":0},"title":"When I learn about the Bible, I get anxious that I’m not doing well enough","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 6, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I've been reading through a lot of these questions and answers looking for some guidance, but I continue to feel a little lost. I've always struggled with anxiety, and when I pray to God asking Him to forgive me, guide me, and tell Him that I have faith\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52368,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-we-feel-guilty-because-god-is-disciplining-us\/","url_meta":{"origin":97277,"position":1},"title":"Do we feel guilty because God is disciplining us?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: How do we know if God is disciplining us? When we feel guilty after sinning, is that discipline? The Bible says that God disciplines those He loves. I sometimes wonder if God disciplines me, and I find it comforting to imagine that He does because it reminds me He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36039,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-dont-i-feel-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":97277,"position":2},"title":"Why don’t I feel God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 5, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I'm 15 and I have accepted Christ. You see I always say I'm sorry for my sins. But my friend told me that when he repented he could feel God in him like all of him was being hugged like a warm feeling. I don't understand. Why haven't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":52280,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-i-give-her-another-chance\/","url_meta":{"origin":97277,"position":3},"title":"Should I give her another chance?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Sir, I have written you before about my divorce and you responded, and I appreciate that. I am a member of the church of Christ and have been for many years. I listen to sermons on your website daily for at least 2-3 hours per day and really enjoy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16453,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-find-myself-repeatedly-committing-fornication\/","url_meta":{"origin":97277,"position":4},"title":"I find myself repeatedly committing fornication","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I am 21 years of age. I read a brother's email about how he fell into fornication over and over again and how he is ready to ask God for forgiveness and change if God will accept him. I have fallen into such a trap. I have repeatedly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17075,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/ive-committed-adultery-and-i-dont-know-where-to-begin-picking-up-the-pieces-of-my-shattered-marriage\/","url_meta":{"origin":97277,"position":5},"title":"I’ve committed adultery and I don’t know where to begin picking up the pieces of my shattered marriage","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 18, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a young wife who has committed adultery and I am unsure where to go from here. I have told my husband and we are trying to work through all of this, but I still feel like my husband and I are not meant to be together. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97277\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Answer:<\/h2>\n
Realize that You Aren’t Facing Life Alone<\/h3>\n
Count Your Blessings<\/h3>\n
Think About Positive Things<\/h3>\n
Practice Positive Things<\/h3>\n
See Also:<\/h3>\n
\n