I find it interesting when I hear about a celebrity that suffers from depression. How could that possibly happen? Some are attractive, rich, talented, and working in the top of their field.
How could they possibly be depressed? They appear to have all the things the world values.
Reading Matthew this morning,
"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV)
I used to read this only as, salvation. You live here, party like a rock star but you don't know Christ. So even though you have this amazing life, you die and go to hell.
Although that is true, without Christ there is no salvation and eternity will suck, I think Jesus is also talking about missing out on life here and now.
Each of us are created for a purpose, and we find that purpose when our lives are completely surrendered to Jesus Christ. The "food for our souls" is found here, in our calling. Satan would like nothing better than to keep us occupied with any other activities than finding this.
But when you find it, you come alive. Even when we are tired we can be refreshed in a way that nothing else accomplishes.
When Jesus was tired and sat down by the well and had his conversation with the Samaritan woman (John 4), the disciples returned with some food and urged him to eat.
He told them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?"
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. " John 4:33-35 (NIV)
Jesus nourished himself by doing the will of God, then he pointed to the harvest and invited us to do the same.
