By Pastor Andrew Farland
Like millions of you, I deal with depression and anxiety. It’s a constant battle that I face every day.
On one of those days, as I was driving in my car during a season of depression, I had an “aha moment.” It was one of the first times I had ever felt God stop me in my tracks and say, “Look. I have something you need to hear.”
So, as any normal person would do, I ignored the voice the first time and kept driving. But again, I felt God yelling at me, “Stop what you’re doing. I have something to tell you!”
At that point, I figured I should probably stop and pay attention. I pulled over to the side of the road and heard God tell me, clear as day, “One person filled with hope can minister to millions.”
It was my aha moment.
God had given me a clear direction for my life.
As someone who had gone through serious bouts of depression and anxiety, God told me that my job isn’t to run out of the burning building and never look back. Instead, my job is to turn around and try to help as many people as humanly possible. I’ve found that you don’t know how many people are suffering from depression until you’re struggling with it yourself.
Since we’re just beginning this 40-day journey together, I want you to know that I understand what you’re going through. I have walked in those shoes, I’ve walked through the darkness, and I’ve come out on the other side. Over these 40 days, I want to help you, and other people like you who are struggling, catch a glimpse of the peace that surpasses all understanding that only God can give.
I am grateful you’ve decided to walk with me. I am praying for you as you take steps toward God because I know how difficult each step can be.
Let’s pray these words from Psalm 16 today:
Psalm 16:1-2
Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
Be encouraged today because God is with you.
