Getting Free & Staying Free, Pt. 4

Living a life free of anxiety and depression is possible. The key is having
a relationship with the God who created you. Knowing Jesus is the start.

Getting Free & Staying Free, Pt. 4

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

(John 8:32)

Living a life free of anxiety and depression is possible. The key is having a relationship with the God who created you. Knowing Jesus is the beginning, not the end. We must grow in Him daily or we will slip back into old patterns and sins. It is imperative that you and I stay in God's Word, reading and praying every day. We must be in community with other believers, serve, and be a blessing to others. We must be able to say, "I am sorry. Forgive me. I am the problem. That is my fault. That is on me." This takes an awakening in your soul, a humility that, if you lack it, you will be stunted in your spiritual growth, and you will be a hindrance to others.

I heard a powerful testimony from Dr. John Delony. He works for Dave Ramsey, is an author, and has his own podcast. The caption reads: "Mental health challenges and broken relationships are a part of life—but they don't have to define you." In an interview with Carey Nieuwhof, Delony shares with transparency.

Delony is very much a proponent of taking ownership when we mess up and not blaming others. He states:

"And so, I think, first and foremost, you have to go to the mirror, and you have to acknowledge these stories that are just going on and that are on loop. 'I'm not okay.' I got to say that out loud. 'I am over my head. I am exhausted... And I'm part of that problem. I don't like that I've put on 72 pounds.' Whatever the thing you are wrestling with, or things for most of us, you have to look in the mirror and have courage and say, 'I've got to own this story.'"

Delony speaks candidly about how he almost ruined his marriage. He shares about how he had created an unsafe place in his own home. He was not physically threatening his wife, but he was overbearing. His wife felt as if she was walking on eggshells. He owned up to his sin and told her, "I have made this home unsafe, and I'm sorry. I'm going to work on healing." He also said, "I made a world where my wife was not safe to say, 'I don't like that,' or, 'I don't want to eat that,' or, 'I don't want to watch that movie.' She couldn't say those words. Not because I was mean or yelled or whatever, I just made it unsafe. So, 'I've made this place unsafe, and I want to heal.'"

He changed, and his marriage is healthy today, and so are his relationships with his children. He does not take himself so seriously, and his home is now a happy place. My favorite story Delony tells is the following:

"I go by, and I like to pray over my kids' door, or I want to whisper into their rooms, 'Goodnight.' And my daughter, who's six, her light was still on. So I opened her door gently to see if she'd just fallen asleep with the light on, and she's reading a book. She's not really reading; she's just looking at the pictures. And she said, 'Daddy,' and I looked at her, and in a split second, I said, 'I challenge you right now, if you dare, to a game of air hockey down in our basement.' I said, 'Do you want to get demolished?' And her eyes got as big as silver dollars, and she hopped up, and goes, 'You're dead.'

"And I walked over to the bed, she got on my shoulders, I carried her down. Dude, we played for seven minutes. We talked trash; she was like, 'Ho ho, how do you like...' I mean, my six-year-old daughter was letting it fly. It was incredible. And she beat me, and then she got back on my shoulders, we went back up, and I tucked her in. She'll remember that story for the rest of her life. And more importantly, I will too. And there was no movie night, no go-kart night; there was seven minutes of something special between a dad and his daughter. And that's what we need, man. Turn the things off and connect with those who love us right there in our world."

(Source.)

There is freedom in Christ to love and be loved, to be a blessing and be blessed. Are you living this kind of life? If not, surrender your life completely to the Lord, and watch how He will change you for the better.