Proverbs Guard Your Heart

A Fresh Look at Depression

Yet, take heart that you are not alone. In his book Lincoln’s Melancholy, Joshua Shenk tells us, “Affecting more than 100 million people a year, depression is the world’s leading cause of disability. In 2000, about a million people worldwide killed themselves—about equal to the number of deaths from war and homicide that year put together. Adjusting for population growth, unipolar depression is 10 times more prevalent than it was 10 years ago.” Depression is at epidemic proportions. Alarmingly, depression is even moving into the ranks of the very young—our teens and preteens.

Even though medical science is researching a cure for this mind-altering, personality-changing malady, the cause remains mysteriously elusive. The truth is, depression is not like any other infirmity. It is estimated that over 10 million people in the United States are taking anti-depressant drugs. These drugs are admittedly dangerous—just listen to the list of warnings in a commercial—and they treat the symptoms, not the problem.

You cannot wait for science to provide a cure. You can escape this horrible, debilitating black plague, and suicide is not your only option.

Want to break free from the black cloud crowd?

We have good news for you: There is a way out of depression! Here is even better news: You will not have to invest a lot of money in psychiatric sessions, medical doctor visits or dangerous drugs to find the way out. However, you will have to work very hard at times to change your thinking and your behavior—how you conduct your life. Prepare yourself for some joyful, positive change. Let’s get started.

Many Have Found a Way Out

Men and women—the great and the not-so-great—have found the way out of depression.

Guard Your Heart – a spiritual oasis

We are living in challenging times! You have probably heard someone say something like that hundreds of times. The truth is: We are living in challenging times. But, do you think we are the only generation to face challenges?

No. People of every generation have suffered hardship, questioned their faith and yielded to temptation. They have also overcome great adversity through the power of prayer and faith’s persistence. Many who have come before us have risen to the challenges. They’ve seen opportunity and seized the day.

The way we handle life’s challenges is, more-often-than-not, a matter of the heart. In fact, Solomon’s wise counsel states, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life,” It’s tough to be a teenager in today’s challenging world, especially if you’re a new Christian. Ron Luce helps you live bold, live pure, and live free! Based on Proverbs 4:23–”Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life”–you’ll see how you can face temptations and plug into the power of God. What is the purpose of the Proverbs? Well, a cursory reading makes it clear that this collection of sayings was preserved by King Solomon in an effort to showcase the way of wisdom. Another unmistakable message in the Proverbs is that the way of wisdom is ultimately the way of God and greatly to be desired by those who wish to experience God's blessings […] Whether we are thinking of modern marvels like the Millau Bridge over River Tarn in France, the world’s tallest road bridge; or, one of the hundreds of ancient Roman bridges which are still standing, bridges truly are amazing. These structures have been our means for reaching a desired destination for as long as humans have […] What psalms are your favorites? This is a difficult question for me, since life's changing circumstances bring different psalms to the fore. However, there are several that are seldom far from my thoughts. As I sit here on the front porch composing this post on a beautiful spring day in May, these are my top twelve psalms (and why). […] While my main mission in life is not the preservation of the American way of life, I am grateful for the nation of my birth. Since it is likely to be the place where my children and my children’s children will reside during their earthly sojourn, I am becoming increasingly concerned about the course our nation is on. I’m concerned for the direction our natio […] When it comes to studying the Scriptures, one of the most exciting sections is the revelation from Jesus Christ, which God made known by sending his angel to his servant John.