Depression Hurts Cymbalta Can't Help!

The other day I had a line from that Cymbalta commercial stuck in my head "depression hurt's, Cymbalta can help". It has helped many people I'm sure.... But God has helped more. Let me do a little illustration for you



CYMBALTA SIDE EFFECTS
Include but in no means limited to:

Nausia
Fainting
Redness of skin
Diarrhea
Heart attack
Seizures
Thoughts of suicide
SUICIDE

The list goes on and on and on, I couldn't believe it!! People are risking their lives for peace and happines... risking their life to fill that void that ONLY God can fill. All those depression medications do is increase the flow of that happy hormone into your brain... but God can heal you... God doesn't use crazy drugs, that eventually drive you to kill yourself.


SIDE EFFECTS OF ACCEPTING CHRIST INTO YOUR LIFE
Include but in no means limited to:

compassion for others
Sence of purpose
Feeling that you have help
Companionship with someone who can solve your problems
Renewed energy
Greater patience
Greater love for others
Joy
Peace
Hope


Now when I was reading through the side effect list for Cymbalta, of course, the list never include things like "hope" or "joy". Isn't that what we all want? Not jitters and caffine highs.

No amount of caffine, healthy eating, exercising and especially medication can give you hope. They can offer you less sadness followed by a laundry list of terrible side effects.... including suicide!! Isn't that the very thing you are trying to be free from? Jesus had so much compassion on thousands of people, and His compassion didn't stop when he went back to heaven. He left us His Spirit to help us! That exactly what He's there for! Jesus saw thousands of hurting people, and he cared so deeply for them, even when he was exhausted and sleep deprived, even when his best friend just died, he still showed his love to the thousands of hurting people. He still cares for you! He didn't leave His Spirit behind for you to still be hurting.
Jesus gave us a life guide, His great Medicine... His Word! When you look inside it you see how much love He had for us. He told the people to turn from their sins and follow Him. When we put aside the sin we have carried, we can begin to live in freedom! True freedom comes from Christ alone.
Jesus said "come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will giver you rest take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (matt 11:28-29) Jesus didn't say take his burden(I used to think that's what it meant) no, he's saying to let him take you under His wing, He will be your teacher, line yourself up with Him, walk with Him, be yoked to Him, stop trying to plow the dirt of life alone!
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you, He will never permit the righteous to. Be moved" (psalms 55:22) before you tell me your not righteous, if you confess your sins before God, He is faithful to forgive, if you believe in Jesus and have given your life to Him, then you are righteous "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
" Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He might exalt you, casting ALL your anxieties on him, because He cares for you!" how many times does Jesus have to ask you to stop worrying and stressing and give it to Him for you to see how much He loves and cares for you!
Seek the Lord and He will come to you, and give your burdens to Him, walk with Him, He will sustain you, exalt you, and give you hope! There is no joy in life without Christ.

Faith is Essential

"Doubt is a luxury we cannot afford" I was praying the other day and this line from The Incredibles popped into my head, immediately followed by the verse in the Bible that says if you believe in him (Jesus) with all your heart, not doubting, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9-11) I thought to myself, wow a kids movie just said something so profound, and yet so so many have missed it (no, I'm not saying that there is a secret hidden message in the Pixar film) But how many times have you doubted something, and then because of that doubt you have been held back? Doubt and fear go hand in hand a lot of thw time, if you doubt your ability to preform a certain task, you are afraid of the failure you might produce. Living in fear. God says "fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God" (Isaiah 41:10) If you doubt tthe existance of Jesus. Or that He is the son of God, you will not see all the glory that God has planned for your life. The salvation God has for you is in your assurance of His death and rising for your sake!!

When you are walking in doubt, you are stripping yourself of any worth. If you are in a relationship with Christ, a meaningful and one on one relationship with the one who gave His life foryou, then your worth and value is in Him! Not in your deeds, good or bad. You become the heir to a kindgdom, one greater than this earth has ever seen or been able to imagen. Galatians 3:29 talks about being heirs to a promise, the greatest, most amazing, faithful promise ever written in the History of mankind! Gods Word is the end all. The final say! When God promises you life, believe and you shall receive! (John 10:10) when God promises you abundance, overflowing, believe and you shall receive! (Malachi 3:10), When God promises you peace, believe and you will receive (Philippians 4:7).
The devil has come to steal, kill, and destroy you life. (John 10:10) and the most. Important thing you can hold onto is your faith! So stop doubting and start believing! "Those who bhave faith are blessed" (Galatians 3:9) "Faith come through hearing, and hearing through the Word of God" (Romans 10:17) So if you feel a little, or a lot, weak in your faith, if you feel easily swayed, read Gods Word! It never returns void, God will guide your eyes, and heart and He will plant that seed of faith in you.
You are called to be free (Acts 13:39), but if you doubt Gods faithflness, if you doubt that you can do all that God wants you to do then the devil has already won. Don't give your life over to darkness by doubting. Have some faith, read Gods Word.doubt is what keeps us in bondage. It will bring you to a place so low, that all you can see are the miserable, messed up things you have thought/said/done and your worth will be lower than the scum on the bottom of you shoe... IN YOUR OWN EYES! Not in Gods!that's not who God created you to be! He said "There is NO condemnation for those in Christ!!! (Romans 8:1)
God called you out of the pit just to be with Him, and if he thinks you are worth dying for then believe it! Because no one, and I mean no one except the Jesus the Son of God, ever died for your freedom (john 3:16)
Accept that amazing gift, and believe that He loves you and your worth is greater than what the devil keeps telling you!