How to Overcome Depression and Find Your Passion

Years ago, I struggled with depression.

Not your normal, everyday kind, it was pretty severe, and it lasted for several months. I was physically sick, and I had pretty much stopped eating. I lost weight. I lost my joy. I lost hope.

Life wasn’t any fun. It felt like I was barely hanging on to a thread that stretched down from the universe. I believed God was at the other end, but I couldn’t feel Him. The several different kinds of antidepressants I had been taking, (when one lost its effectiveness, I was on to another) stopped working. I really lost hope.

Then a friend gave me a book titled, “The Wall: A Parable” by Gloria Jay Evans. As I read the book, I began to realize how I had slowly built a wall around me, stone by stone, until the wall was so high and so thick that no one would be able to penetrate it and hurt me again. It had become my safety zone: safe from the world. But with this wall, I grew lonely, and it was dark inside, and I felt as though I had no purpose in life. What was I really good for? Good at?

The book was simple with child-like illustrations, and it had captured a snapshot of my life; perfectly describing how I felt. And if this wasn’t bad enough, that wall caused me to die emotionally—just the opposite of what I wanted. I had become a prisoner, paralyzed with fear.

This was when I knew I wanted out, but I first had to push the first stone out. Soon, Jesus’ light warmed my face, and God reached in. That first step was difficult because I knew I’d be vulnerable to the world again, but better to be vulnerable than hiding in a dark, lonely place.

It didn’t happen overnight, but one by one, God gave me the strength to remove the stones until the wall finally fell. He helped me to understand how important it is to find someone you can confide in, to eat healthy, and exercise as much as you can when you find yourself slipping into depression.

Related Post: 3 Truths to Remember In The Valley

Something to Live For

Which brings me to the present.

Without a purpose, you can easily lose hope.

That’s why I believe everyone is born for a purpose. I don’t think we’re born, we live, and then die without a purpose. If this were true, then life would be meaningless, and we’d be insignificant beings walking blindly into an unknown future without much hope. Finding purpose in my life opened up another world that I hadn’t known before, and I know it can help you, too.

I’d love for everyone to discover their passion and purpose in life. Step out and pursue goals and dreams and use them for God’s glory. I think it’s great news that we’re not just here taking up space; we’re here for a reason. We each have a gift; something that we can do better than anything else. And that gift wants us to free it.

Maybe you need to further your education, hone your skills, take a few lessons, or learn a new craft that you’ve always thought you’d enjoy but never took the time to pursue it. Maybe you’ve already discovered your passion, but you just don’t know how or where to start.

Sunday school teacher or church leader? Graphic design? Writer? Gardening? Sewing: making quilts, children’s clothes, and doll clothes? Woodworking: birdhouses, flower boxes, plant stands, etc.? Computer skills: building websites, blogging? Social skills? Working with disabled children? Even with little or no experience, it’s never too late to learn a new career, trade, or hobby.

What excites you? I’d like to challenge you to discover your passion by stepping out to discover God’s purpose for your life.

5 Steps to Discovering Your Passion and Living on Purpose Click To Tweet

How to Find Your Passion and Purpose

Here are five things that might help to move you toward a goal.

1. Sincerely pray and ask God for guidance. Take time and think about what you’d enjoy doing more than anything else.
2. Make a list. Write down as many things as you can that you think you’d enjoy.
3. Research. Take your list, get on the computer or go to the library and research your list. Discover what’s involved with each item on your list, and see if you’d really enjoy doing it. You may find that’s it something you really aren’t interested in, which could save you time and money.
4. Narrow your list down. Pick the top three or four things you think you’d really enjoy more than anything else (and possibly make some extra money at), and something you believe you’d be good at and that you could accomplish. Educate yourself on the pros and cons, staying focused on the things that have a chance of becoming reality.
5. Pray some more. When you’ve pinpointed those few things, pray again for God’s direction, and seek His will and plans for your life so that in the end, whatever you choose to do, you’ll feel confident that He’ll be behind you and able to sustain you through the ups and downs.

What’s Keeping Your From Finding Your Passion?

Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

With that in mind, I encourage you to seek people who are willing and able to help you achieve your goal(s). By researching and asking questions, you’ll gain knowledge. These are the steps that helped me discover my passion for writing. But even knowing that, it still wasn’t an easy road. That is for another post, though. ?

In the meantime, I’d love to know what your passion is, and what might be hindering you from achieving your goal. I may not have all the answers maybe we can figure them out together.

What’s Keeping Your From Finding Your Passion? Click To Tweet

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