Do the
HEART
Work
by Israel Joy
Here’s to the dreamers and doers who
envision the call God has for them—yet are stifled
by the sting of depression that creeps up at the
most inconvenient times. We know the dark
rumble of shame that tries to overpower the still,
small voice of God.
I know that person. I’ve been her, and I’ve
warred for her. The victory has been won; the
black hole of depression has no power, in Jesus’
name!
Be gentle with yourself. Process it all—the
good, the bad, and the ugly. Your future self will
thank you for the work you put in today. If you
need to see a counselor, go right ahead. Don’t be
ashamed. I did, and I cannot tell you how much
freedom I’ve experienced because of it. Embrace
the broken places, knock out the stigma of
mental health, and soak in the truth of your story.
Stay diligent in pursuing the confidence of
freedom; there’s power in knowing your story.
Your story matters; you matter. You do. The
sucking power that depression has loses its power
as you begin to own your story. Allow God to
work through the mess with you. He can handle
it—I promise. I do not want to live in a society
where, when someone breaks their arm, everyone
runs to sign their cast, but if someone battles
depression, they run the opposite way in fear of
it being contagious. Depression and anxiety aren’t
contagious. They are ways in which the evil one
tries to knock out God’s kingdom shakers.
No way, you mighty warrior! Fight for your
story. Embrace the truth of it and relish in God’s
glory through the pain. What message is God
revealing to you through the mess? Are you
willing to listen?
Take a chance on your story. You don’t know
the glory that can and will be revealed through
the darkest seasons.
I stuffed the pain to the point of closet
breakdowns; I thought my crying jags were
weakness. Then I recognized that, to love people
better and to serve them better, I needed to
embrace the dark places. Through that difficult
heart work, I finally realized that when I am weak
(in myself), then I am strong (in Christ).
My desire to process and own my story has
enabled the Jesus in me to empathize and love
people on a much deeper level. I will embrace
the work I have done and continue to do it—to
process, heal, and grow.
The presence of God is not a place to overlook
your emotions; it’s the place to process them.
Heart work is worth the hard work.
Be gentle with yourself.
Process it all—the good,
the bad, and the ugly.
Your future self will thank
you for the work you
put in today.
A MIRACLE LIFE | from page 24 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For God is love. And love showed me that
I was somebody. Love showed me my voice
was just as important as another’s voice. Love
shouldered my burdens. Love healed my
broken heart. Love helped me persevere in
hope. And you know what else? Love showed
me that my life wasn’t a mess; it was a miracle!
And my miracle life mattered to God! And so
does yours.
No matter how far you’ve gone, I want you
to know that you’ve never gone too far for
God’s love to find you. He is right there in the
middle of your darkness, ready to help rebuild
your life. He is calling out for you; listen:
“Come to Me, and I will give you rest.” (See
Matthew 11:28–30.)
Most of us spend our entire lives looking
for unconditional love, for someone who
will accept us as we are—our faults, our failures,
and our dysfunctions. You don’t have to look
any further. Jesus Christ is the love you’ve
been searching for. If you accept Him, He will
heal your heart, take your pain, and give you a
hope for your future, too.
kojministries.org Issue 4 2017 25
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