Steve Lyston | Rising above problems, stress and depression

Where the leaders of the nations have failed to seek God in order to effectively lead their nations, the people have been experiencing great problems, stress and depression. As such, suicide rates have increased significantly as their problems increase. Many are giving up hope. Some don’t know how to fight anymore, and don’t have the smallest measure of faith to keep going.

Lawmakers and business leaders pile on new laws and rules daily without an ounce of mercy or compassion. Hence, more people plunge into stress and depression, and their only answers seem to be drugs, pharmaceuticals and the streets.

A person may have worked hard to purchase a home of their own, but because of the hardships and challenges, they are now losing their homes and they don’t know how to face their families and friends. No one wants to lend to them, no one will help them fight for their home and to keep their families together, so they want to give up.

Many students want to have a good life while fulfilling their purpose. They only have to get a few more credits in order to graduate, but there is no money to pay for school, so they are not permitted to go to school.

For others, they can’t find lunch money with which to send their children to school, nor do they have any food to feed their three-year-old. The cupboard is empty and when the children ask for food, they don’t understand what it means that there is no money.

There are still those who are being pressured by the boss to perform while their co-worker is trying to fight them out of their jobs, and they are being treated with a general lack of respect because of their circumstances.

What to do?

In all this, what do you do when you don’t know what to do?

What do you do when there are setbacks, problems in your family, problems on the job, all your friends walk away from you. When you connections and political network no longer reaches out to you? When your brothers turn their backs on you, know that crossing the Jordan and the Red Sea is never easy, but we must cross it even when it is bank to bank. God will never leave you nor forsake you. He will not allow you to sink. We will sink if we lose focus and shift it to our circumstances. Sometimes God allows us to go through these difficulties so that we know not to put our trust and confidence in man.

Remember your past victories! God did it for you already – He will do it again. Suicide or quitting are not your options. Suicide is an example of using a temporary situation to make a permanent decision. Think about the people who want you to live and make it in life. Think about the fact that despite night seasons, the morning must come.

Encourage yourself. Great men and women encourage themselves; but even better is to encourage yourself in the Lord. In 1 Samuel 30: 6 – 8, David encouraged himself when he and all his men lost everything – including their families who were taken captive – to the hands of their enemies. That period of discouragement, loss, stress, and problems gave way to victory and the recovery of all that was lost, because David encouraged himself in the Lord and sought His direction. Just as Chaldea became plundered and those who plundered Chaldea was satisfied, those who plundered the poor, the fatherless and the widow, those who plunder shall themselves become plundered and those who plunder them shall be satisfied.

Your present circumstances don’t determine your future. You may be a gardener or a plumber today, but tomorrow you may be the owner of the very company to which you are currently employed. The financial institutions oppressing you may be the owners of the property today, but a bigger plunderer might plunder them tomorrow, and other doors of victory can be opened for you.

You may be from a little-known district that nobody knows much about, but you may become the prime minister or president of your country tomorrow.

Steve Lyston is a biblical economics consultant and author of several books, including ‘End Time Finance’ and ‘The New Millionaire’.