Do you know that you can read the Bible, and yet spiritually dry & mentally depressed? Is feeling void/ emptiness normal for Christians ? You can guess what others, or perhaps, you would say to yourself, if you say, yes.
“No! You cannot feel like that. The Word of God is powerful and alive!”
You feel abnormal, suppressed, and mentally, statement like this is not helpful in curbing your depression. In life, you will go through these cycles of denial with no one to turn to. i am not ashamed of telling you that i went through similar dilemma umpteen times.
So, what is missing here? What has changed me?
SAME DEFINITION OF FAITH ?
The unspoken need for clarity, is often not taken seriously but belittled as an insignificant cry, and constantly drowned by self-defeating thoughts or, selfish expectation from others who are ignorant of empathy, who think everyone is like them, with no sign of effort to understand. By divine appointment, i have stumbled upon and unearthed a misconception of faith. Are we understanding faith the way God wants us to, or have we subscribed to a wrong perspective, or perhaps wrong sequence of priority? Human being’s natural survival instinct is, one cannot trust something if they cannot see or understand something, their brain just short circuited if you ask them to do something against their understanding. It is a God-given response, yet it is not when we deal with the “faith” that pleases God. An endless tug of war between the former and the latter.
So, what is missing here? What has changed me?
IS STATUS QUO A SOLUTION ?
i neglected warning signs God was showing me, at the same time, this decades old Christian(me) needed help, i was neither taking any action nor knowing where to turn to. Remaining status quo seemed to be the safest mode.
Ha, was that so?
The reason most people do not like change is, it takes away their comfort zone. Majority of people are just unwilling to venture, even so risks are calculated. That reminds me of myself, the former ankle deep Christian. Anyway, that is another article. God has a way of changing the situations and events, if you are not willing to change. Initially, God’s best for you may not look appealing or even convincing, it can even be heart breaking at some point, but eventually, you know that His best is your ultimate and absolute best.
A few months ago, though i have read it, someone pointed this verse,
What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true.
Job 3:25 NLT
My heart palpitated with unbelief as it dawned on me again, that He knew what i was going through and thinking. i have never revealed my worst nightmare to anyone. Nothing was able to wake me up from my spiritual slumber, until He used my worst fear to knock me off the orbit i was so gravitated to. My worst fear did come to past, just as King Solomon said, “Nothing is new under the sun.” i discovered that i was not alone. Someone from the ancient past had similar experience, not of the same narrative but it described one’s feared nightmare did finally catch up.
In retrospect, i was wrong about staying silent & unresponsive. As long as no human was watching, it was still ok even though God was watching. i feared man more than God. My mind is continually challenged, transformed and renewed by the Spirit, and that God has given me the ability to articulate this unspoken condition, and entanglement of the heart, so that i can help others. Deterioration of mental health does not happen overnight, they are cumulative, over years, and, biologically, it is the increase of your Cortisol level, which keeps you alert and awake, goes overdrive or rogue, eventually, chronic stress set in with uncontrollable depression.
So, what is missing here? What has changed me?
HOW TO SUSTAIN WITH TAPERING RELAPSE?
God allowed situations to change me. Good that i was wanting to change after that, but the question is HOW ? So that God’s plan will be sustainable with tapering relapse to old ways. You will realise God works through a process, even though He could have a situation changed to His favour, in a twinkling of an eye.( i wrote this 2 days ago, super excited to receive a confirmation today). This process is the long narrow gate that shape our mind into the mind of Christ. Forever thankful to God for introducing and leading me to the field of coaching, and coaching as a tool. Invested in time & finance to learn.
Besides, being a Bible reading coach, i am a professional life coach. i will coach you, individually, or in group, so that you can learn from yourself, others, corporately, and most importantly how this situation is best managed and processed according to His ways – John 14:6. He WAS, IS, and WILL still be my ONLY Source of help. How i managed to close the gap may not be what God wants you to go through the same process. Coaching is neither advising nor discipling. i do not tell you what to do, simply because you know your life better than others. Nevertheless, i will coach you to discover that unique solution God has already given you. You may not realise it, but the answer lies inside you. The process on how coaching solution is drawn out is based on Proverbs 20:5.
IS COACHING FOR YOU ?
After reading this short article, if it has, somehow, caused your mindset to quake and shift even a tiny bit, and you want to explore the possibility of engaging me for a coaching session, please do not hesitate to contact me at admin@charleskwtan.com. The above is just one typical example. i coach in many topics. P & C assured. i have been taught to love people as much as i love myself – Mark 12:31. i am sharing this article because i love life. Because of my experience with coaching, it works for me and so many people around the world. Furthermore, we, Christians, have the Holy Spirit in us. Jesus Christ used it all the time. An omniscient God does not need to ask questions, but He asked more questions than gave answers. Zero count of the word “coaching” in the Bible. What does it tell you ? Coaching is about allowing the Holy Spirit to use coaches to ask God’s choice of questions. Being coached is about answering questions asked while allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you.
i look forward to partnering with you in seeking out a solution to end whatever temporary set back you may have, so that you can start enjoying the abundance life that God has promised you in John 10:10.