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Baptists/I don't want to be depressed
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Question
I am tired of the same old, same old. I am so tired of this day to day hating everything. I don’t want to think of things as things that I don’t want to do. I just want to feel like living life is a great thing. I just feel like I am not getting anywhere. I think that a change of area will make me feel as though life is worth living. I just don’t know what to do to make things worth it. I am depressed. To what extremity, I don’t know. I am just hurting, and I don’t know why. I am tired of not being myself. I want to have lasting relationships with people that want to have them with me. I am human. I want to be liked. I want friends, good friends. This is so sad. I am a sad excuse for a person. I am tired of being depressed. Can you help?
Hi Holly,
Jesus has called us to help others. His word is, "...in that you have done it for the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." In the same way, I think service to others can be the key to good mental health and joy.
When we focus on ourselves it is very easy to lose hope, but when we focus on others amazing things happen, our own difficulties fade into the background.
So, I would suggest actively serving others:
Volunteer at a local food bank
Volunteer to help fight global warming
Volunteer to help out around your church
Volunteer for the church choir
Volunteer at a local school
Volunteer with Meals on Wheels
Volunteer at the Humane Society
Volunteer at your local PBS station
Volunteer to tutor kids
Volunteer as a Big Sister
.... There are so many needs in the world...
By volunteering you help others, you make friends and you live the Christian life more fully.
Determine your interests or local needs and plug in.
As Jesus said:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Love others and God's love will be manifested in and through you.
May God bless,
~John of AllFaith
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Answers by Expert:
John of AllFaith
Expertise
Baptists hold certain unique understandings as well as the "fundamentals of the faith" held by most other denominations. Harmonious with the essential Baptist doctrine known as the Priesthood of all Believers, some Baptists are very conservative (such as Jerry Falwell and Fred Phelps) while others are quite liberal (such as Jesse Jackson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr). For help understanding Baptist and other biblical issues, drop me a line. I can also shed light on questions that are often considered "sensitive." Ask me anything and I'll do my best to share what I know.
Experience
I have a lot of experience in this area. I've studied the Holy Scriptures for over 40 years. I hold a Missionary Baptist ordination as well as one from Calvary Chapel. I was a missionary in Central America for a while, an avid street minister and have preached in many churches, on the radio and so on. I also have an MA Religious Studies from JFK University as well as other pieces of paper. The only ordination that really matters comes from God of course.
While I am no longer a Baptist I can answer any question anyone is likely to have from a Baptist perspective.
My personal beliefs are now more accurately described as Messianic or Noahide Nazarene. If you are interested in this perspective just ask.
Organizations
My current beliefs are best described as Noahide Nazarene. These beliefs can be considered at my web site: http://allfaith.com/Religions/Noahide
Education/Credentials
Education/Credentials
Three Christian ordinations (Baptist, Calvary Chapel and from an independent Christian Church), an MA in Religious Studies, an ordination in Ministry and Spiritual Counseling from the Interfaith Seminaries, 41 plus years of sincere seeking and 13 years answering questions and posting studies online.
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