Hello beloved child of God, I hope you’re fine by God’s grace.
Have you ever noticed that depression often has to do either with being unhappy about the past or negatively anticipating the future.
Feeling guilty about past events, past sins you’ve already confessed to God and for which God has already forgiven you can make you depressed as well as being worried about your future, what you’re going to eat or drink, how you’re going to solve your problems and fulfill your dreams, can make you depressed.
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
What I want to teach you today is to live in the present, and to enjoy the present moment.
I know you may think “It’s hard to enjoy the present moment with all my problems” or “It’s hard to enjoy the present moment when I think of my past” but I want you to realize that when you dwell on those negative thoughts daily, you aren’t able to
- Enjoy the food you’re eating while you’re eating it
- Enjoy the taste of the water you’re drinking
- Enjoy the quietness of the room in which you’re sleeping
- Enjoy the beauty of the scenery when you’re walking/driving to work
There are so many things you’re missing out on feeling just because you’re busy thinking negatively.
If you just stop right now, and relax, you’ll be able to look around you and find things you can rejoice for and enjoy.
For example:
- The quietness of the room (if you’re in a calm room)
- The freshness of the air
- The beauty of the flowers around you
- The texture of the sky (when you look outside)
- The cleanliness of the room
- The scent of perfume in your house
Even this simple feeling of being relaxed when you’re just seated and resting.
There are “little” things in your journey on Earth which you don’t even get to enjoy just because you’re so absorbed by your past mistakes or by worries about the future.
You can train yourself to pause all those negative thoughts and to consciously enjoy the moment, relax and find things around you to thank God for.
Don’t be so focused on the destination that you fail to enjoy the journey.
There’s a beautiful example about this in the Anxiety and Depression Workbook For Dummies. The authors share about their dog Murphy. Murphy loves to ride in the car. What’s odd is that most of the time she’s in the car, she’s being taken to the groomer. Murphy hates the groomer — as in really hates the groomer. Nevertheless, every time her owners open the car door, she eagerly bounds in and enthusiastically sticks her head out the window to enjoy the wind. When they arrive at the groomer’s shop, she gleefully jumps out of the car, hoping to go for a walk. About 20 feet from the door, however, she sees where she’s going and promptly plops down on the parking lot pavement. She refuses to move, so they end up carrying her in.
If Murphy were a person, she’d mark her calendar with her grooming dates and then worry and obsess about the appointment for days, if not weeks, ahead of time. She certainly would not enjoy the car ride — like how you miss your present because you’re focusing on the past or future — and all those enjoyable moments would be lost.
You see, you have to learn to just enjoy the moment.
I know it’s difficult especially for people who define their lives by setting goals. For example, let’s say your goal is to succeed in an exam for which you’ll have to prepare for a whole year. Imagine you put your life on standby while preparing for that exam, you don’t take care of your skin anymore, you don’t take care of your health, you don’t even offer yourself the choice foods you love, for a whole year you sacrifice everything and all you have in mind is “I’ll take care of myself after the exam” you’re missing out on so much because you’re so focused on your goal.
You could be focused on your goal but at the same time embrace present moments. Enjoy when you’re having a nice warm bath, eat mindfully as you enjoy your food, relax consciously as you rest or enjoy the walks you take during your study breaks.
All those beautiful colours which God created, who do you think is supposed to enjoy looking at them? -You
Sleep which God created to rest, who do you think is supposed to have enough of it?- You
Varieties of foods which God created who do you think is supposed to enjoy it?- You
Ecclesiastes 2:24 ESV
There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,
But if you’re just seeing those things without really looking at them, sleeping without really resting, eating without enjoying it, living life without really being present in the moment aren’t you cheating on yourself?
Let me try with another example. At times when you want to praise God or worship Him or even focus at church your mind starts wondering and you get to worry about your future (what will I do next, what will I buy, how will I take care of my kids, what will I cook) or you get so absorbed with your past mistakes that you don’t even enjoy the moment in God’s presence because you’re not living in the now.
In the end your life passes you by and you ask yourself “What was I doing during those 20 years? My kids are all grown up!”
I’m inviting you today to start to be present in everything you’re doing. Stop living in the past, stop living in the future
- If you’re sleeping, sleep well
- If you’re studying focus on what you’re studying
- If you’re worshipping put all your attention on God and enjoy the moment
- If you’re eating, pay attention to the taste, colour, smell of that food and be grateful to God for it, thank Him for it
- If you’re having a conversation face-to-face with someone, enjoy the conversation (especially with family, don’t keep your eyes on your smartphone and miss everything about your kids growing up. Be present)
- Don’t make a grocery list in your mind while you’re supposed to be listening to the sermon at church. Live in the present moment
1 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV
Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
Conclusion
The culture of this world believes that living in the present and enjoying life is about sinning as much as possible, doing every “trendy” thing imaginable even if it goes against God’s will, dishonouring their health and their bodies.
However, Jesus Christ came so that we can have life in abundance. The easiest way you can enjoy life is by stopping to worry about the future, stopping to live in the past, and starting to thank God for the “little” things every single moment which make the beauty of life (peace, tranquility, relationships, family, food, rest, godly music etc.)
John 10:10 ESV
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Fight depression by thanking God for the “little simple” things and by living in the present moment.
Prayer
Father Lord God Almighty, as from today I choose to be intentional in forgetting the past, and not worrying about the future but in seeking You and thanking You for every “little” thing, living in the present moment, enjoy the details and simplicity of life, rest, food, family, relationships, in a way which honours You, all that giving thanks to You. Help me Lord to live in the present in Jesus Christ’s Name. Amen.
It’s Now Your Turn
Answer the following questions in the comments section please.
1. What are your favorite healthy foods?
2. What’s your favorite scent?
3. How many sleep hours do you need everyday to feel rested?
Watch our for those things, help yourself with them and thank God for them as you’re enjoying them.
Don’t forget to share this blog post on your social media accounts and to invite your friends and family members to join us as we’re waging war against depression. You may save a life by sharing.
If you’ve not done it yet, subscribe to my Newsletter so as not to miss any post on depression and also, make sure to invite anyone whom you know is suffering from depression.
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Invitation
Click here if you’re looking for a church. I recommend Elevation Church to you. A wonderful Christ-centered Church in which you aren’t limited by your location and in which you can see what God can do through you.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this blog post please subscribe to my Newsletter so as not to miss any new post.
Also, please consider sharing this blog post on all your social media accounts.
God bless you
Victoria Eyog
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