TO THE GIRLS WITH ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION

"...the joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

One of the hardest things I've had to struggle with so far throughout my life is finding joy through the hard times, or during a bad day. Sometimes, I would be nervous to get on stage and sing a song in front of the congregation. Some days, I would feel as if the world world was turned against me, and that it was all my fault.

So many people, especially teens, are dealing with mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression. Especially with all of the wars, terrorism, shootings, and other frightening things occurring in our world right now, it's easy to become nervous or worry about the future. There is so many "what-if's" that float through our mind on a day to day basis.

These sicknesses are very touchy topics to touch on, and individuals seem to get very defensive very quickly. Knowing all of this, I'm going to tackle them.

Here's the truth: God knows what you're going through. He knows why you are feeling nervous or sad, even if you don't know. He knows that you're hurting, and that you wish you didn't have this illness to deal with. But the best part about all of this is that Christ has the power to take it away.

You may just have to pray for it to disappear (like Kristin Lauria did - explained in her video here), but that's not the case for everyone. You may have to work at it for a while until you overcome it. Everyone wants their prayer answered instantly, and it's definitely hard to wait. However, that's not exactly how prayer works. A huge part of it is trusting that Christ is on your side and that He will help you get through this. You're not alone in this fight.

Pray for peace. Pray for courage and pray for the strength to make it through another hard day. Pray for the ability to find happiness and everything and pray for joy. Most importantly, have faith that God hears your prayers and has the ability to answer them.

Read more in my article here about how God answers prayer.

It's easier said than done. I know that. But, it's not impossible to conquer those fears or that sadness. It's so important to remember that God is in control of your situation, and He won't leave you stranded.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not into your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Psalm 94:19 - "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."

Proverbs 12:25 - "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."

2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Psalm 56:3 - "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."

There's nothing in your life that God can't change, make better, cure, or beat. We must trust Him, no matter our circumstances, and He will grant us peace.

With love,

Mckenzie

Image Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/YIN4xUBaqnk

#anxiety #depression #mentalillness