Be A Light for One in the Dark by Chelsea Temple

When someone is caught doing something horrible, or they are abusive, stole millions from the government--people like to say that they knew something was wrong. An old, gray man gets on camera, and says, “I always knew there was something up with that guy”, but people are never eager to take the blame when someone does harm to themselves.

On average, 132 people take their own lives every day in the United States, and there are over 3,700 attempted suicides among young people every single day. 

As a Christian, I know that there is a great joy to be found in the Lord. David jumped and shouted with joy. People all throughout the Bible thank the Lord and praise his name. The book of Psalms is full of exaltation and reflection, but just because we are endowed with the joy of the Lord, does this mean that we can’t feel the negative emotions that cause so many people to take their own lives? 

Twenty-five-year-old me attended church every Sunday, she read her Bible every day, and she prayed at nearly every opportunity as she fought to gain closer to communion with God. Twenty-five-year-old me was also struggling with severe depression. 

The disease was stalking me. It followed in the car behind me as I traveled to work. It waited in the peripheral of my vision as I spent time with my family. It stood over my bed while I slept. It was something that I simply couldn’t get away from no matter how hard I tried. 

It made me feel like less of a Christian because I was struggling so much. As I was reading my Bible, and looking for a solution to the thoughts and emotions that were plaguing me, one in particular verse stuck out to me: “He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Psalm 9:14 

Trust: a simple five-letter word that was quickly becoming more than its denotation. If I was a Christian walking in step with the Lord, why was I so upset? Why was I crying all the time? Why did I have these dark thoughts? If I trusted in the Lord my God, why did I want so badly to fade into non-existence? 

But the truth is this, God on the mountain is still God in the valleys. There is no magic cure for depression. The road to recovery is one that is full of counseling, support from friends and family, and medical supervision by trained professionals. Just because you are struggling doesn’t mean that you are not worthy of your faith. Depression and faith are not mutually exclusive. 

The Lord understands you more than anyone else on Earth. He knows the thoughts that are inside your mind. He knows the things that you struggle with, and he knows the plans that he has for you. “Plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11. 

The struggle is not reserved for unbelievers, and sometimes, the harshest hardships are reserved for the faithful. My recovery was not an instant thing. I was not healed from blindness like Apostle Paul. I did not instantly recover after touching the cloth of Jesus’ garment, but I did start to see the ways in which I thought a previously silent God was still there in my life. 

Each day, the monster of my mind gave way to the clarity and light that is the Lord. I realized that God wasn’t ignoring my prayers, but rather, that he was intently listening to all of the hurt and anger that I needed to express. 

Instead of condemning people who struggle with things like anxiety and depression, perhaps as a Christian community, we should encourage each other, meeting those who struggle not with empty words but with solid support. Reach out to those that are struggling, listen to them, pray with them, help them clean their homes, or take a walk with them in the sun. 

We are supposed to act as beacons of the faith. The light of God is supposed to shine from us to guide those who are lost. We can be that for each other. 

Chelsea Temple is an English teacher from East Tennessee. Her favorite part of having a relationship with the Lord is that she always has someone to see her classic "side-eye" look. She believes that the Lord appreciates her humor while she tries to appreciate all of his. You can watch as she raves about books at thinkmyhappythoughts on Instagram. She attends Lyons Park Missionary Baptist in Church Hill, Tennessee.