Anxiety, Depression and LonelinessSample

## The Mirror Of Depression There are five lessons we can learn when we go through moments of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Today we will see the first lesson. Lesson Number One: Our inability. Depression puts you in front of a mirror which shows a reflection of you as you are. Many of us go through life thinking we can do it all, but when we are hit with anxiety, loneliness, and depression, we realize we are not who we thought we were. When the prophet Samuel went to anoint the person who would succeed king Saul, he met David’s seven older brothers. Samuel thought the older brother was the one, but God had to tell him, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” And God chose the youngest son of Jesse to be King. The Bible describes David as the man after God’s own heart. David realized that even though he was the youngest, God didn’t choose his brothers; in God’s eyes, he was important too. When you look in the mirror of depression, see yourself, and realize you cannot do everything you thought you could because you are the youngest, weakest, or least accomplished, God tells you, “You are the one I will use.” That is how you know you have God’s favor over your life. As a teenager, I had severe acne. It was not just a small flare-up but a huge volcano coming from my forehead. My schoolmates enjoyed bullying me because of that. It made me depressed; I would hide and not want to have friends. I grew up craving approval from my father and my teachers. At the age of fourteen, I felt like I had no future. I thought I was going to die suffering from acne all my life. One day I followed my pastor’s advice. I woke up, looked at myself with all my acne in the mirror, and said, “God, I thank you for this boy here. You know I have this acne that I do not like, but I accept myself just as I am.” When I humbled my heart, the acne disappeared from my life forever. God has used my life to do great things I had never felt qualified to do. Meditate on this today: Even when I am at my lowest point, I go up to the mirror and thank God for the reflection I see. God loves me and has a kingdom for me as He did for David.