I Decline

Have you ever been woken in the morning by media presentations of all your failings and shortcomings? have you ever confronted the torment of a bleak existence that only exists in your mind? In these presentations your past often catches up with your future and your imagination runs rife, filling in the gaps.

The more you process the slideshow the more depressing it appears - nothing in your life seems to be working right and there are more incidences of failure than success.

If unchecked, depression soon gives way to more chronic health problems. With lockdown, many have succumbed to various forms of mental health problems. The NHS reckons that one in four adults in the UK experiences at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any given year.

For many Christians, Satan is the root cause of most forms of depression as he bombards people's minds with lies and deception preventing them from acknowledging and being grateful for all the blessings they have in their lives. Discussing my challenges with my sister a few days ago, she shared how she handles those moments when her mind is assailed with lies and deception and she is invited by Satan to sign-up for his presentation. At such moments, she simply declines. She has a choice to respond - to sign-up, but she declines. Sometimes she has to do this multiple times during the day but she is determined not to cave in.

The Bible commands us to guard our minds with all diligence because out of it flow the issues of life. Therefore, like my sister, when I'm tempted to succumb to the temptation to view the melancholic presentation from hell, I decline.