Today's guest blogger is Anne Dryburgh. Anne is a missionary in Belgium, a place that is spiritually dry and emotionally depressed. Anne's desire for the people she ministers to is that they would find their hope in Christ rather than alcohol or medications. She has a difficult assignment from the Lord, and yet she perseveres diligently.
As I was reading this, I wondered how many of us would willingly undertake such a ministry? Just some thoughts...
I have asked her to do a follow up on this in the future. Now, here's Anne's blog.
This morning I was preparing to meet with a woman who has suffered depression for just about all of her 60 years. Over the years she has been to countless people for help, both secular and Christian. At the moment she is taking a lot of medication and struggles to function on a day-to-day basis. Thinking about her life is heart-breaking.
As I was preparing to meet with her, I was thinking about the human heart. I was thinking about how we are responsible for our reactions to the events of life. I don’t think this woman has heard that before. Up until now she has been taught that her needs have not been met by important people in her life, that she had to be freed of demonic bondage, and that she has to proclaim Bible verses in order to live in victory.
While her needs were not met, there may well be demonic influence, and it is great to be proclaiming Scripture, no-one has taught her to deal with her heart.
I have no idea how she will respond to this teaching because it puts the responsibility on her. My hope and prayer is that she will see the hope of Christ when I explain it to her. Think about the hope that she has in Christ! Since the sinful, negative way of responding to life is coming from her own heart, she can
change since Christ can change her heart! In Christ, she can think and live differently.
Christ can truly meet the needs of her heart and free her from the bondage of Satan as she lets him change her!Labels: Guest Blogger