His name is Tom. He’s in his early 50s. Recently I asked him how he was doing as I passed through his checkout line at the supermarket, and he told me that he was depressed. He added that he’d been snakebit with depression since his teen years.
When I offered to loan him a copy of my new book, Snakebit: We’re all snakebit, which has a chapter on how to beat depression, he accepted it. I suggested to him that he only try Step One every day for a week, and he agreed.
When I saw Tom again a week or so later, he had a big smile on his face. “It worked,” he said. “It really worked.”
Here for your consideration is a condensed version of Step One that worked for Tom.
“Let’s say you’re paralyzed by depression, barely able to move, let alone think or function. If you’re only able to do one thing, do this!
“STEP ONE. In the Bible, Jesus Christ says, ‘I stand at the door and knock. If anyone opens the door, I’ll come in…’ (Revelation 3:20). Tell Jesus, ‘Come in. You’re welcome here.’
“Not sure who Jesus is? That’s okay. He says, ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good. (Psalm 34:8). Here’s your chance to do exactly that. Check Him out!
“Do this and you’ll have just done something huge. This is the Creator of the Universe you’ve just welcomed. When you say, ‘Come in,’ He will, and the shining light of His presence will begin to beat back your darkness. You don’t have to do anything else. The Bible puts it this way: ‘This is the secret: Christ lives in you.‘ (Colossians 1:27) Imagine that! Seriously! Imagine that experience happening to you right now! You really can have this experience.
“What happens next may be somewhat mysterious. But you’ll know it’s real when your darkness lifts and gets replaced b y an amazing peace and joy. Don’t try to explain this. Just enjoy the moment. And simply repeat Step One each time the darkness tries to overtake you. You’ll get stronger each time as you develop this habit. And know that you can’t wear God out. So keep asking–and keep enjoying the result.”
I do Step One every morning before I do anything else. I hope you’ll join me!
Oh, and after you’ve been doing Step One for awhile, I’d love to hear from you.
BECOME THE PERSON YOU WERE MEANT TO BE! 