We are mere mortal humans. Yes, we are create to have the Lord live in us and infuse His live into us, but we are still human. We know nothing. The minute we think that we know anything, we are wrong.
There is a story in the bible that goes a little something like this... God asked a man to kill his own son. The man went up the hill to do it. Fortunately, the Lord told the man to stop and that he didn't have to kill his son. What if that man went around telling people, "Hey everyone, God wants us to kill our sons!!"
God gives us each our own problems, our own convictions, and our own ways to live. I would never try to convince another to homeschool, eat gluten free, go on medicine, go off medicine, to be a certain way, or to do a certain thing.
We are here to listen to each other and encourage each other on this earth.
My husband told me today that 5 years ago he did not understand depression. His response to my depression would have been... "get over it. We all go through rough times, right? You don't need medicine, just the joy of the Lord."
And that is the worst thing you can say to a person with depression. It would be like he was assuming he knew anything. We are not here to "know" things. We are here to love one and another. We are here to encourage and listen to and be with one another.
After I went off my medicine in March(completely my own choice) I experienced depression. Rather, I lost the will to live. I lost the ability to connect to another human being. It was not the same depression I felt after Chris' aneurysm or after I had a baby and was depressed for 6 months.
Chris saw for the first time that this was beyond my control. And since the Lord was not taking it away, I just had to find a way to live with it. My husband saw that this was unlike anything he had ever seen.
The minute we become more than a trusted friend, brother, or sister and we begin telling people what to do or that our convictions from the Lord should be their convictions too, we're wrong. We don't know what the Lord wants from and for another person.
I used to think that homeschooling was the Lord's will for Christians. I would read the scripture that tells us to train up our children in Him, and take that to mean we need to homeschool. What I have come to realize is that it's only what the Lord wants from me and that to put my conviction that homeschooling is what Christ wants from everyone on another, is wrong. The Lord doesn't give us instructions for others. He gives us instructions for ourselves.
As I end this I would like to add that I know nothing. I only know what I know for my family as far as what the Lord wants. The Lord gives us knowledge pertaining to our jobs, our roles in social circles, and our missions. Beyond that, we don't know anything. Even leaders, even (most)doctors, and even the president... the Lord's the only one with wisdom.
If you come across someone in crisis, please don't do anything stupid... like tell them it's not real, everyone goes through "this", to go against their doctor's wishes, or give any kind of wisdom at all. Only God can give wisdom. (Yes, I know God lives in us, but that should only make us see even more how little we really know!)
If you don't understand something, that doesn't mean it's not real. Just listen, love, and try to remember that our convictions are our convictions and not for everyone.
I have gotten so much positive feedback from these blogs about depression. More of my blogger friends than I ever know of struggle with depression or family that has it. I am glad that I am not alone in this.
I also know that I have a lot of readers who don't have this and so I really just want to shed some light on it. The best way to help is to love, not to give knowledge and wisdom for another person that we don't have. Usually it ends badly when we do that anyway. :)
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Jackie
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