Well, Keith challenged me earlier in the week. I was greatly depressed over events that occurred at Prom, and I was asking Keith for help. He asked me if the Lord has shown me anything through his Word recently, and I said honestly, no. Then he told me unless I am willing to become a self-feeder of the Word; he had no sympathy for me being depressed. I went and began to read Acts (Keith suggested I’d start with that), and once I received some insight from the Lord then he’d be willing to talk. It’s been a couple of days, but I wanted to wait patiently rather than hurriedly come to him with some bullshit answer… This is the insight I received today…
A Useless Life
Today is the last full day of high school for me. I received plenty of hugs from my friends who I know I will probably never see again. The teachers wished us luck in college and our careers. The whole end-of-the-year shebang! Well, I was walking out of my government class to head for my final class at high school. I said to my friend before she walked away, “You know it’s kind of sad. Most of the seniors now will never see each other again for the rest of their lives. A whole new set of friends will reappear at college, and then that will move on as well. Once they hit their careers, they have nobody but the people they work with. After that, you end up being an old man who doesn’t even have any friends anymore! What a wasted life, don’t you think?” Well my friend simply nodded her head. She was somewhat clueless to the words I said. I think she just wanted to head out of school finally.
I began to think about what I just said. What a wasted life that really would be! Everyone goes around spending a net worth of billions of dollars over their lifetimes, and what’s at the end of the road? A coffin that has your name on it. Isn’t that sick? Isn’t that unfair? Isn’t that depressing? It’s all of those! This is the great result of the kosmos! A wooden box that holds your dead body forever! Why doesn’t anyone think about this? Why do I find myself so easily caught up in little things like Prom or getting depressed over who likes me or doesn’t like me? It’s because the world is counterfeit, and it’s got us fooled in more ways than one. Then the coolest thought flashed in my brain.
The Life of a King
I am so incredibly blessed. I have friends who I will be spending an eternity with! Not even death will separate us! I got my brothers and sisters in Christ! I can move through life with people who care for me and want to see me become what the Lord has planned for me! Then something hit me like a ton of bricks just minutes ago when I was chatting with Kate! The reason why it’s so depressing knowing that growing up to die alone is because it isn’t what is planned for us!! The Lord’s plan for us as a nation is to be co-rulers in Christ!! He wants us to leave this world with significance!
I thought of this great picture of a King returning from a great war to his home in great victory! He’s glorified by all who are affected by his great efforts of love and victory and are eternally grateful to him! He returns to his throne with joy and rest. This is how the Lord wants us to return to his throne! Not as some old, senile men with nothing to offer!
Ephes. 1:19-21
I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. [21] Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come.
Christ has been given authority over everything in this world! And he wants us to share in that same glory!!
Ephes. 2:4-7
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, [5] even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), [6] and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, [7] so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
We have been given everything through Christ Jesus! Instead of a life-sized box to rot in for the rest of eternity, Christ gave us co-rulership over everything in this world for the rest of eternity! This is the hope we are anchored in. The fact that the Lord gave us the world through Christ’s death and resurrection is completely mind-blowing, and it’s pretty humbling in times of being bitter and depressed. I have no viable excuse to brood over what happens to me. Instead, I’ve been given eternal royalty with Christ, and I have a reason to share this awesome news with others.
The Lord has shown me some great insight, and it’s the fact that I’m a Co-ruler, a King, and an adopted son of God. Is Prom worth getting hung up over? I think I’m beginning to see the Lord’s big picture here. I hope you guys can too. That’s what I got from investing some times in Acts, a mind set on the Spirit rather than a mind set on the flesh. My goal is to read at least three chapters a day of the word, and beginning to rely on the Spirit for insight into others’ lives and a deeper understanding of God’s incredible plan for this world…
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Yeeeha! Yessssirrr! That’s something worth blogging about, now! Imagine what your sorry-ass pathetic little blog would’ve sounded like if’n you had blogged when depressed…it would’ve been a real hoooter…
Your “friend” doesn’t really sound like much of a “friend”…
But that guy who wouldn’t help you sounds like a real prick!
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Way to bust out, Small Z! Welcome back to the blogosphere!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Sweet blog, Smalley. For mels like us, it’s so important to get a reality check when we’re depressed. And the best source is God’s word. It’s a great reminder that not everything sucks because God is good, and He has given us so much.
May 24th, 2008 at 10:02 am
its very cool to see you deal with this in a godly way. i will be praying that God will help you out in your venture to live as one under the Lord and as one who understands grace.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:25 am
indeed Small z, i think this is the reason the cosmetic industry is doing so much better these days. People will pay any sum of money to hide the decay of their bodies as they move ever closer to its inevitable end: the coffin. Pretty soon, it will be impossible to hide the rotting flesh that once was your beautiful face that won you many a roll in the hay. what depressing lives people live, slaves to death. Good thing we believers no longer fear death for we are already dead!
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Cor 15:26
May 26th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
man o man,
i wonder if its the mood im in now or something,
but this is the second blog to make me cry…snaps
o man i wish i could get my self to read the word daily
May 27th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Very nice Jeff. It’s cool to see the Lord’s work in action (like prayer, lol). Keep it up man, you are such an inspiration to me, and I’m sure many others as well.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
ya dude i was just surfing the web with my skateboard and i came across this blog so i read it. I was actually very depressed about some small little thing about an hour ago, and i turned to God and instead of feeling sorry for myself i was able to get some real insight about the reality of how things are really going. Being a mel I often get inside my head a little bit too much. It is important to meditate on whats right and whats true. God and his word are able to peirce through the lies and deceptions that often get into our melencholic head.
So well stated Jeffy-poo i really enjoyed reading this, and how you solved your problem thats excellent. Its not about solving problems by feeling sorry for yourself, or trying to fix the problem on your own. Its about how God can change you, follow his leadership, because when we try to lead our own lives we often fall down into the pooper. You followed the Lords word for wisdom and insight, thats really awesome and an encouraging blog i really enjoyed it!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Thanks mike, I’m glad you found it months after it’s been written… Odd how this is my latest blog ya know? I really ought to write one again. It’s been rough these past months. Not because of girls necessarily but just because of the battle with the Kosmos, it’s a huge battle in college. And facing first hand relationships that I have to contribute to and build up. I’m learning a lot but at a slow pace… I hope to pick it up as things pick up in college.