Faithfully Yours

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

Romans 3:23

There is no difference between "healthy" and "unhealthy" when it comes to His faithfulness to loving you. The comparison that occurs through your own mind is not faithfulness but judgement. At times depression and anxiety can lead you to comparing yourself to others. You look at your life and the chaos that depression and anxiety bring and you compare it to others who are less chaotic. But in His eyes, everyone is equal. You are equal not because of your health but because of your faith in Him. Romans 3:22-23 states: "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

It is not your health that makes you fall short, it is your human aspect, your response to your discomfort, and your reaction to the environment around you. Romans 3:10-12 reads: "As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Not even one individual who does not experience depression or anxiety is better than one who does. There is no "better than" when it comes to the perspective of Him and someone's depression or anxiety level. Depression and anxiety do not have to meet a threshold of acceptance. And those who manage depression and anxiety better or worse than others are not seen as 'better' in the eyes of God. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin" Romans 3:20. It is not how you manage you discomfort that has Him calling you righteous. It is by faith alone. Faith can be observed in the actions of your response or reaction to your discomfort. How you behave based on choices and actions despite the experiences of depression and anxiety. At times it seems that more comfort, or at least a different comfort, comes from faith in Him versus only managing depression and anxiety. While both are important, without Him the other would be essentially impossible.

Comparing leads to a lack of interest, lack of motivation, isolation, negative thoughts "I'm not getting better but they are." Who is "they" because He is focused on you and your wellbeing. He judges you as an individual not as a group. He does not take all those who have depression and anxiety and judge who healed "better," who managed "better," who was fixed "better." He is not comparing you to others. He is not even comparing you to the person you were a day before. He sees you now. In this moment.

Scripture:

Romans 3:22-23

Romans 3:10-12

Romans 3:20

Romans Chapter 3

Questions:

What are you currently comparing?

How does this comparison change your experience of depression and anxiety?

What does knowing that He does not compare you do for you management depression and anxiety?

Are there times that you would consider yourself "healthy" or "unhealthy?" How do those support or challenge your experiences? Think of how you may respond versus react.

Prayer:

Lord, Father God. I seek your love and understanding. I pray for guidance in my responses to my heath. I pray for support in shifting my doubts. I pray for hope in living a life that is centered on you. I pray for those who struggle with depression and anxiety. I pray for others who struggle in general. I know in my experience that coming to you has changed my path to one that is not easier, but is more focused on you and your guidance for me. I pray that others may find their path. I pray that through you, they can see that comparing and focusing on what others have is not your will Lord. I pray that others can see that judging, even ourselves, is not your will Lord. I pray for your will in myself and others that no matter what the challenge is there is hope in you and that your will shines through. I pray this all in your son's name. Amen.