We can find it difficult to forgive ourselves for many reasons. Growing up, some of us were punished harshly for failure. Hence, we are not accustomed to the idea of forgiveness. We may see God as vengeful and angry, and dare not forgive ourselves. Alternatively, we don’t feel worthy of...
All of us have a fear of being abandoned or left behind to some degree. This fear can become spiritually crippling if it is not crucified to the cross, as it prevents us from trusting God and loving people – two very fundamental aspects of being a disciple of Jesus....
Brian Yau felt unloved and depressed as a result of childhood experiences. He was also diagnosed with a medical condition called ulcer colitis by the age of 25. In the midst of his struggles, God sent a friend to remind him of God’s truth and character, that He is love....
Fear, anxiety, and striving are signs that we may be drifting too far away from God. When we follow the Holy Spirit closely, we will experience great joy and peace. We can rest in the knowledge that the One who knows all our tomorrows will lead us safely and assuredly,...
Low self-esteem is rooted in the anxiety of not feeling good enough. No one is born with low self-esteem. It is a self-debilitating condition developed from childhood as a result of feeling unappreciated, undermined or misunderstood by authority figures, mostly parents. When our spirits are crushed by those we look...
C served actively in church but silently struggled with self-condemnation and doubt. From a young age, he was tormented by lies from Satan that accused him of not being good enough until the truth about his value to God set him free. Praise God! For my entire life, I was...
Rarely does gossip represent the full story, it’s simply the side of the story we like to talk about. Most people are drawn to gossip because it seems to build social credit. Yet we dislike being the target of gossip ourselves. God’s Word says that gossipers are like those who...
God has created every human being with survival instincts. Suicide is not a natural choice. Research shows that most who survive suicide attempts do not attempt it again. Let us pray that no one acts impulsively and takes their own lives because suicide, or self-murder, separates us from God. As...
The symptoms of depression are identifiable. Its spiritual roots, however, are not instantly evident. As the testimonies in this post will show, depression can be overcome through the surrender of ourselves to God in Jesus’ name and being filled with His Holy Spirit. But first, we need to know the...
We have all experienced the devastating pain of broken relationships, either through irreconcilable differences, migration, separation, or divorce. Research has shown that emotional pain can be as real as physical pain. How do we pray when our broken hearts are physically hurting, and it seems as if all hope has...
Neuroscience has shown that social rejection sets off similar brain signals as physical wounds, so it feels just as real, but we will remember the pain of rejection more intensely than physical trauma. When unresolved and unconfessed, our painful memories of rejection can lead us to develop fleshly impulses that...
R was trapped into believing that there was something wrong with her. Here is her testimony of identifying the lies she had believed and being lovingly freed from bondage to a schizoaffective disorder by Jesus into His joy. Praise God! (See Chinese versions: 简体中文 > 耶稣使一个老师从精神捆绑中得自由 | 繁體中文 > 耶穌使一個老師從精神捆綁中得自由) Satan had...
Perfectionists often have a hard time understanding God’s love, grace, and forgiveness towards us, because we feel like we haven’t done enough or been good enough. A deeply imprinted inner script convinces us that, “Anything less than excellent is not good enough.” Sadly, perfectionism obstructs our relationship with a God...
Figuratively speaking, our beliefs first begin as ideas that come knocking on the “door” of our hearts. Once we open the door to let certain ideas in and agree with them, they become part of our lives and influence our perspectives. As disciples of Jesus, it is critical for us to identify...
We experience a deep rest and peace in our souls when we feel fully accepted. As adults, we can weather most types of rejection. It is the perceived lack of total acceptance from our own parents that is possibly the hardest to overcome. Conditional acceptance from our parents Conditional...
Self-control is a good thing, emotional suppression is not. What is the difference? Emotional self-control chooses when and how we release our emotions. Emotional suppression hides our emotions and won’t release them at all. Unfortunately, negative emotions don’t go away, no matter how hard we suppress them. They simply get...
C enjoyed a successful career and marriage but felt unfulfilled and trapped. He was stuck in mild depression without realising it. This is his testimony of realising the root of his emotional stagnation and the need for God to show him that He is his perfect Father. Praise God! (See...
Many great men in the Bible had at times, felt overwhelmed and hopeless. Even Jesus said his sorrow felt like death. God can truly sympathise with our sufferings. In the midst of our darkness, God promises to be with us. He will strengthen and protect us when we turn our entire...
Are the relationships in your family fractured, traumatic, painful and full of strife? Let’s never lose hope in what the great Creator of families can do for us. Know that challenging situations are opportunities for our loving Father in heaven to turn our family from darkness into light, from mourning into...
There are Christians who struggle with addictions, fears, self-doubt, anxieties, resentments, mistrust, explosive anger or depression – perhaps for years. It can be discouraging to mentor someone with such deep personal struggles. It would be wrong, however, to give up on them. The Holy Spirit has the power to heal and...