GLORIOUS RUINS (Overcoming Depression)

8 "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

Have you ever had to lead a nation of anywhere between 1-2.5 million people? Ok maybe that is a little far-fetched but as you can imagine it probably was not the easiest task to complete. As a leader of any capacity, you are subjected to run across some problems or issues that may arise, either with the people you are leading or possibly within yourself. It is inevitable. A couple of years ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to serve as youth pastors at one of the fastest growing churches in America, as labeled by Outreach Magazine. We were so stoked, as most anyone would be, to play a part in what God was doing at this church. We picked up everything we had, said goodbye to our family, and moved out for our next part of the journey. The expectation was through the roof for us. How many of you know that sometimes your expectation crashes really hard into reality? It didn't take long at all to know that we were in over our heads a little bit. We were having to preach three middle school services on Sunday mornings, and not to mention plan a High School launch team that was going to happen at the first part of the new year that was soon approaching. We saw tremendous growth in the students both spirtually and numerically. As one would expect, at a church that was very fast paced, the launch of the High School ministry had to be pushed up way before we were ready. So within a couple of weeks we had to gather what resources, volunteers, and interns we had and plan for the launch. The day finally came and the third service of the day turned into our High School service. We were expecting around 20 students to show up because we werent able to advertise the way we wanted, but would you believe that 250 students showed up that day? We were not ready for this explosion of bodies to happen. We struggled to find chairs and food for everyone and not to mention our band showed up 45 minutes late to the service! It was a complete disaster. Everything that could go wrong, did! The next day we met with the pastor in the office and we were asked to resign from the church. The instructions were simple, LEAVE. No goodbyes, no going away parties, not anything. I was destroyed and defeated. Physically, mentally, and spiritually broken. As we began packing to travel back home, I cried, because the dream of leading was soon a distant memory. For about a year and a half, I fell into deep depression. I felt so unworthy of being a pastor, preacher, leader, or really being alive. I didn't eat or sleep much. To be honest, I thought my life was over. My passion quickly turned into depression. I felt so sorry for my wife, because she tried everything she could do to lift me out of this self-made pit that I was in, but it just didn't work. I told myself that if this is what church, christianity, and Jesus is all about, then I don't want any part in it. I felt like Joshua probably did, whenever Moses asked him to take the lead and push everyone toward the promise land. (DEUT 31) Could you imagine what it felt like to lead millions of people into a land that you know nothing about? God had to constantly remind Joshua of the promise that "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Perhaps you are facing a situation in your life today that has basically weighed you down to the ground. You have no idea how you are going to get up and when and quite frankly you don't know if you have the strength to. God is speaking this promise over you right now in this moment. To be honest we are all unqualified, but through Jesus, we are able to speak to the mountains in our lives and they have no choice but to move. I want to give you 5 quick things that allowed me to overcome my depression and unworthiness:

SEE - "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the

one who takes refuge in him."

Psalm 34:8

THANK - "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

Psalm 100:4

ASK - "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"

Luke 11:9

NEW - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

2 Cor 5:17

DECLARE - "As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,"

Psalm 75:9

If you take the first letter of each word it declares the promise to STAND. Even in the midst of your failure, in the midst of your pain, in the midst of your scares, God wants you to See that he is a good God, Thank him for always being faithful in the midst, Ask him for anything and he will be sure to answer, realize that you are made New and that you are not the same person you used to be, and then Declare his name to every issue, thought, fear, failure, and doubt because his name is above every other name. God wants you to STAND up to your depression. I believe in you and God believes in you!

STAND!