Here lately I’ve been feeling a little blue, melancholy, detached…you might even say depressed. My thoughts have been scattered like a fart in the wind. Confusion and doubt continue to strike at my heart and grab on like a five pound weight pulling it down deeper into my chest. And honestly, I’ve really felt a lot of anxiety at the thought that the rest of my life is going to include these mood swings. I feel like I have whiplash some days…happy, sad, excited, bummed, stresses, relaxed…whewww!
In the midst of all these emotions, I decided to sit out on my back porch to enjoy a bit of sunshine and also to have a little conversation with Dad! I went on a relationing. It’s kind of like vacationing, but instead of packing your bags, you just simply spend time relating with God. In this specific conversation I was trying to relate to Jesus. I point blank asked if Jesus ever felt depressed? I know Jesus felt anger (Matthew 21:12-13), I know He felt anxious (Luke 22:44), and I know he felt sorrow (John 11:35). But did He ever have a lingering sadness? Did He ever have a little black cloud follow Him around? I received my answer the very next morning at church in one of our key verses!
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
Did you know that temptation can mean trial, calamity, or affliction? So the answer is YES! Jesus likely did experience some type of depression. I can’t tell you how comforting this was to me. Jesus has felt all the things I have felt. He’s walked in my shoes. What better intercessor can we have than someone who knows exactly how we feel?
Amazingly, it was through Jesus’ emotions and sufferings that He developed obedience. Just imagine, a young boy Jesus could not fulfill what a 33 year old Jesus did. A teenager Jesus couldn’t have fulfilled what a 33 year old Jesus did. And a 21 year old Jesus couldn’t have done it. It took a maturing through the temptations and struggles of little things to prepare Him to face the biggest thing- the Cross! So, if Jesus came to be like us and we are being made like Him through sanctification, then it stands to reason that our temptations also offer us opportunities to exercise obedience. So, my blueness actually presents an opportunity for me to grow in my faith and exercise trust in God, to be obedient to His word despite how much I want to find a form of release.
And, the best part of the temptations we face is, we don’t face them alone. God is right there with us, Jesus is interceding for us and the Holy Spirit is strength us. All we have to do is turn to Him, seek Him…basically, go relationing with Him!
Father, we thank you for our many blessings, especially your Son Jesus. We thank you for our perfect intercessor who knows our struggles and continues to work all for our good. Help us to remember to go “relationing” with you more. For when we seek you, you seek us. Amen!
Love,
Olivia
Truth and Transformation 
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