1 Samuel 30:6b-8 (NKJV) But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”
Perhaps you wonder if things could be different for you. Is it possible to be “up” in a down world? Will your sky ever be blue again? Does God have real answers? The good news is that God cares, and He has given us real answers through His Word to help us. In addition, He’s gifted and empowered professionals to also assist us.
If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, take heart that we can draw strength from God, as David did. We can stand in faith and encourage one another, whether the depression is rooted in spiritual, biological, clinical, or circumstantial factors.
If one is taking antidepressants, they should not stop taking the medication because God heals us through medical science too. Taking medicine and consulting doctors are not signs of weakness or a lack of faith, and neither is depression or mental illness a stigma, as they are simply forms of illness, the result of living in a fallen and broken world.
We must not forget the needs of the caregiver. Those caring for a family member with chronic illnesses will face the same struggles, including frustration, anger, and possibly disappointment with God. Providing full-time care can be emotionally and physically draining. Often, the patient’s anger, frustration, and disappointment are vented onto the caregiver, especially if the illness is prolonged, causing both to lose hope in the fight against the illness. We need to learn to appreciate the caregiver through words and actions. If we are caregivers, we should also learn to care for ourselves, including taking time off to unwind and ensure we are recharged spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
How do we strengthen ourselves in the Lord and deal with the varied emotions throughout the day? In her book “Up: Writing A New Chapter of Joy and Laughter”, Beth Jones wrote: “To overcome feelings of depression and discouragement, we have to accept the fact that we are responsible for our happiness. It’s not up to God, our mom, dad, husband, wife, children, best friend, president, journalist or pastor. It’s up to us! We must take responsibility for seeking the Lord and choosing His will….God uses people to encourage us, but ultimately He wants us to be independently dependent upon Him—and Him alone.”
Reflection: Have you been expecting other people to carry the responsibility for your happiness instead of bringing your heart honestly before God?
Sermon Series： 2026 CG Campaign — Up Part 1
在主里坚固自己
撒母耳记上 30:6b-8 大卫却倚靠耶和华他的神，心里坚固。大卫对亚希米勒的儿子祭司亚比亚他说：“请你将以弗得拿过来。”亚比亚他就将以弗得拿到大卫面前。 大卫求问耶和华说：“我追赶敌军，追得上追不上呢？”耶和华说：“你可以追，必追得上，都救得回来。”
也许你正在想，你的处境是否能有所不同？在消沉的世界中，我们是否可能保持“积极向上”？你的天空还会重现蔚蓝吗？神真的有答案吗？好消息是，神顾念我们，并且祂已经通过祂的话语给了我们真实的答案来帮助我们。此外，祂还赐予专业人士恩赐和能力来协助我们。
如果你或你认识的人正在经历抑郁，请放心，我们可以像大卫那样从神那里汲取力量。无论抑郁是根源于属灵、生理、临床还是环境因素，我们都可以站稳在信心之中，并彼此勉励。
如果有人正在服用抗抑郁药，他们不应该停止服药，因为神也通过医学来医治我们。服药和咨询医生并不是软弱或缺乏信心的表现，抑郁或精神疾病也不是一种耻辱，因为它们仅仅是疾病的形式，是生活在堕落和破碎世界中的结果。
我们绝不能忘记照顾者的需求。那些照顾患有慢性疾病家庭成员的人会面临同样的挣扎，包括挫败、愤怒，以及可能对神感到失望。提供全职照顾可能会在情感和身体上消耗殆尽。通常，患者的愤怒、挫败和失望会宣泄在照顾者身上，尤其是当病情延长时，导致双方在与疾病的抗争中失去希望。我们需要学会通过言语和行动来体恤照顾者。如果我们是照顾者，我们也应该学会照顾自己，包括抽时间放松，并确保我们在属灵、情感和身体上都重新充满活力。
我们如何在主里坚固自己，并应对一整天里各种不同的情绪？贝丝·琼斯（Beth Jones）在她的书《天天向上：谱写喜乐与欢笑的新篇章》中写道：“要克服抑郁和沮丧的感觉，我们必须接受一个事实，那就是我们要为自己的快乐负责。这不取决于神、我们的妈妈、爸爸、丈夫、妻子、孩子、最好的朋友、总统、记者或牧师。这取决于我们！我们必须承担起寻求主并选择祂旨意的责任……神使用人来鼓励我们，但最终祂希望我们独立地依赖祂——唯独依赖祂。”
默想：你是否一直期待别人来为你的快乐承担责任，而不是将你的心诚实地带到神面前？
讲章系列：天天向上! 细胞小组活动 2026 第一部分