Good Vibes: Don't Lose Heart!

Good Vibes Session 2

Don't Lose Heart!

Dealing with Discouragement and Depression

By Pastor Jonathan Fenix

Ever experienced the following?

- getting such low grades on exams, papers, quizzes you know you've worked so hard on (yung tipong three weeks kang di natulog para lang dun ^^)

-FAILING the exams, papers, quizzes etc. (It's gonna be alright...there, there.) 

- discovering that your friends have been using you and talk mean things about you behind your back

- caught in the middle of conflicts between your mom and dad or siblings

- realizing that no one appreciates you despite everything you have done

If one or more of those events ever happen to us (or happened), we have this tendency to lose heart. Losing heart usually leads to us wearing those sad, long faces and those heavy feelings, as if the little bit of happiness within us has been sucked out. When we lose heart, we lose our will. Our interest on things diminish and we suddenly just 'don't feel like it.' We experience this little scenario called discouragement.

The dictionary defines discouragement as a 

Temporary feeling of disappointment from disadvantageous effects. 

Looking at it from God's point-of-view, discouragement is the devil's most effective tool used against us, His children, which Satan hates the most. He utilizes this tool to take away the Good Vibes our Heavenly Dad provided for us, causing us to complain and mope around rather than enjoy what we still have. 

There are 2 Discouragers (or GV-Stealers as we can also call them)

- Disadvantageous circumstances: usually caused by others. e.g. when we are betrayed by our friends, encounter a bitter conflict between our parents etc

- Disciplinary consequences: usually caused by ourselves. e.g. when we fail in a test because we did not study, grounded because we talked back to our parents etc. 

We become discouraged when things do not go the way we expected or when we encounter matters that just simply wipe the smiles off our faces. When we are caught in the midst of problems and trials we cannot accomplish, we become frustrated and sometimes we feel as if we're not good enough or possibly, weaker than we thought..


If not addressed or resolved sooner, discouragement will eventually lead to depression.

Depression is defined as a medical illness that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and lost of interest (Mayo Clinic, 2012). It destroys one's ability to function as a happy healthy person. People suffering from depression no longer see any happiness in this life and most commonly loses hope easily. What's worse is most depression victims resolve to suicide, believing that killing themselves is the only solution to their problems. 


2 Corinthians 4 is a chapter that talks about NOT LOSING HEART. In the beginning and in the end of the chapter, the phrase do not lose heart is mentioned twice (verses 1 and 16). Ironically enough, this was written by the Apostle Paul who frankly suffered a number of hardships for his mission from God (he's been stoned, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, imprisoned, beaten up- YOU NAME IT!). But despite everything that happened to him, he still writes in verses 16-18:

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewedday by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

In another version:

¹⁶ That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are^[e] being renewed every day.¹⁷ For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! ¹⁸ So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (NLT)

Paul reminds us that these discouraging trials we experience everyday are temporary and smaller than we think. He suggests that rather than focusing too much on our problem as it is now, we should instead focus on what we cannot see and think of it as a way of glorifying God.

How can we avoid being discouraged and BV all the way?

1. Focus on the Lord

When we complain to God, we might think that we're focusing on Him because after all, we are seeking His help. Wrong. When we complain to Him nonstop, we don't realize that we're not focusing on Him, rather we are focusing on the complain itself.Go to God knowing that He is your Father and that you can tell Him everything. Don't complain as much as possible. Just tell Him, similar to how a child tells his/her dad how he/she was disappointed on that day. 

Instead of focusing on the problem itself, focus on the following:

• His goodness (Hebrews 12:6) 

•  His example (Hebrews 12:3)

•  His blessings (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Remember this: Don't judge God based on circumstances, judge circumstances based on who God is. :) 

   2.   Get rid of entitlement 

 We teens sometimes suffer from this entitlement mentality. We say: "I'm still young therefore I am entitled to enjoy life in any way I should." Well, this mentality won't work on God. We claim that since we've been serving the Lord and we've been so good, God should give us this and that because He could and He should.

False expectations often lead to frustration. We should get rid of this entitlement mentality and live a life focused on the Lord in order to avoid disappointments :)

3.   Do what is right

² We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this. 

 2 Corinthians 4:2

Check your response. How are you dealing with all of these disappointing events? Are you dealing them God's way? Or your way?

It's more than just doing your responsibility. We should also keep in mind our response-ability. This is where the popular acronym WWJD kicks in. It stands for What Would Jesus Do? We should stop and think on how Jesus would react on such situation and try our best to mimic His ways. :)

Don't let discouragement be a joy-stealer in your life. Fight it with God and remind yourself that you were made by Him not to be forever sad and long faced (sige ka, magkaka-wrinkles ka kahit 17 pa lang) but to experience the joys He made in this life.

Keep the BV away by keeping in touch with the number one BV-Destroyer, our Dad :))

A smile a day keeps the BV away!

Have a GV-filled week! :D

Good Vibes: Stop Worrying! Tell God Everything!

Good Vibes Session 1

Stop Worrying! Tell God Everything.

By Kuya Daniel Carandang

Happiness.

What makes you happy?

A new Iphone 5? Some new Chuck Taylor shoes? Your crush glancing your way and meeting your eye (intense connection agad? PBB Teens? :D)? 

There is no doubt that these would've made our day, enough to keep a smile on our face that will last up to 24 hours. 

But did you know that happiness based on external matters doesn't exactly last till the rest of our lives? It's what we call Temporary GV (Good Vibes).

Sure, you'll be smiling all day long once you hear your crush say your name. But I bet you that smile would be wiped off once you encounter the troubles of school once again (classmates na ginagawa kang National Bookstore, subjects that won't let you understand them, unreasonable teachers etc.).

Fact is external things are only temporary and therefore, the good vibes we receive from such are also TEMPORARY. Sooner or later, storm clouds are hovering above your head, soaking you in imaginary rain (like in Animes).

In Philippians 4:4, Paul tells us,

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!"

With all the worries this world has to offer, you're probably asking: 'How on earth can I rejoice when my grades are going down? How can I be happy when my family does not appreciate anything that I do? When my friends disappoint me?' In short, how can I maintain my good vibes with all the anxieties around me?

When visited by anxiety, we only have two options:
        
           1. To worry (worry like there's no tomorrow)
           2. Not to worry

Sadly, our tendency is to fall in the first option, us being imperfect, worrywart humans. But God wants us to train ourselves to look at the second option: NOT TO WORRY. Why? Because God loves you and does not want you to live a life of worrying.

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

When worry knocks on our door, here's what we can do:

1.  STOP WORRYING.

Verse 6 tells us 'not to be anxious about anything'. As teenagers, we usually worry about the following:

- grades (especially that Math subject that's been making you miserable)

- financial needs

- future

- family

- looks (are you in or not with the latest fashion? Looking good for your crush in the nearby classroom)

When we worry ourselves, we don't realize that we're stressing ourselves even more. We are already stressed due to our problems and worrying our worries won't help. When we're filled with anxieties, sometimes our minds go topsy-turvy, confusing us. Our bodies become tired and heavier in feeling. We sometimes doubt God's ability to help us with such problems.

Worrying destroys us- PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY.

2. TELL GOD EVERYTHING!

"...present your requests to God..." (Phil. 4:6)

God isn't our Father for nothing. Some of us may have different views of what a father is and perhaps some do not see fathers as potential confidants (secret keepers) or award-winning understanding people but know this- GOD IS DIFFERENT. 

How can you tell Him everything?

Well, you have to know Him first. You cannot trust anyone whom you do not know, right? When you know Him, you'll realize that God is the perfect listener and the best part is- He knows what you're going through. God knows that you're not enjoying failing Geometry or dealing with siblings who disappoint you. He knows.

He made you.

You have to trust Him with your problems and believe that He can help you go through it. Besides, God knows our limits. He wouldn't give you trials He knows you couldn't bear. The challenges given to us are within our capabilities and God simply wants us to trust Him and acknowledge the fact that we need His help and we cannot do things on our own.

Tell Him everything you're worrying about. He listens, I guarantee you. Remember that God only wants the best for you, always has, always will.

Notice that in verse 6, we find the phrase 'with prayer and THANKSGIVING'. We should still remind ourselves to be thankful for everything that God has done in our lives.

THANK GOD BECAUSE...

- God knows everything about us (Psalm 139:1-4 {terrific verse!})

- God is in control and nothing is impossible with Him (Luke 1:32)

- God allows trials only if necessary (1 Peter 1:6)

- HE LOVES US AND WANTS THE BEST FOR US (Jeremiah 29:11)

Stop worrying and tell God everything.

Let's not harass ourselves with the daily fumbles life has to offer us. Instead, let's remember that we have a big I AM standing behind us, ready to catch us when we fall and knows exactly what we're going through. It's best if we trust Him with our worries and ask Him to guide us along the way.

"Cast all your anxieties on him, because He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:7

Have a GV-Filled week! :))

Jzone Elevate is-

JZone.

Sounds familiar?

If you go to school in the South (Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Laguna, Las Pinas, etc.), you might have heard it from some friends or classmates talking about. Maybe while you're out in the malls like Alabang Town Center or Festival Super Mall, you may have encountered a bunch of people your age excited and you catch words like ''Hub' or 'CCF'.

Perhaps a friend of yours already invited you to some sort of event called JZone Elevate and while he/she talks about it, you can't help but notice the excitement and giddiness in his/her voice.

CCF?

Hub? Dgroup?

JZone Elevate?

WHUUUU-?


What is JZone Elevate? (Translated in Tagalog: Ano nga ba ang Jzone Elevate? ^^,)

JZONE is a nationwide organization passionate about transforming lives to make a difference.

We cater, not to those who are perfect and unblemished, rather to those who are hurt, struggling, unwanted, imperfect and in need of someone who will show them what True Love is all about. If you are someone who longs for freedom from lust, gossiping, backbiting, excessive drinking, concealed rage and whatever imperfectness, you are welcomed with open arms!

Feeling lost in the adolescent world? Looking for a meaningful relationship yet consistently failing in finding it?

JZone guides you to meeting the One and Only who can give you what you've been looking for.

We are an organization composed of young men and women who are dedicated to living their lives to please our Heavenly Father. We welcome everyone (tall, short, chubby, not-so chubby, clumsy, funny, etc.). 

Regardless of where or who you are in this life, believe us when we say: YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO US. Because each one- and yes, that includes you- is VALUABLE to GOD :)

Rather than spend your Saturdays bumming out in front of the internet or the TV, eating tons of junk food or mall-hopping, why not come to JZone Elevate where you'll find people who will accept you for who you are?

JZone Elevate happens every Saturday, 4PM at the 4th floor, Main Worship Hall, CCF Alabang. :)

No matter what you've done or who you are, we're hoping that you would drop by at 4PM this Saturday. We would like to introduce you to something that will change your life forever- as it did ours. :))

Kita-kits! 

Find out more @
https://www.facebook.com/Jzonealabang