The Joy of the Journey: Unbroken

The Joy of the Journey

Unbroken

In a world of uncertainty, fear, and pain, many find themselves struggling beneath the heavy weight of depression and anxiety. Yet in the darkest valleys shines a light, the presence of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He does not stand distant from our pain; He enters it, redeems it, and calls us to rise above it through His power and love.

Jesus declared in John 16:33, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”Hardship and sorrow are not signs of God’s absence but opportunities for His overcoming presence to be revealed. The Son of God rose not only from the grave but through every storm of fear and hardship humanity has known. When we face depression, fear, or anxiety, His victory becomes our hope.

Jesus understands our pain.  The first truth to embrace is that Jesus understands. Hebrews 4:15 says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus knows what it feels like to be overwhelmed. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus told His disciples, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death”Matthew 26:38.  Christ was no stranger to emotional anguish. He prayed with tears, wrestled with sorrow, and felt forsaken as He bore the world’s sin. Yet, in His darkest moment, He trusted His Father’s will. He shows us that even when the night feels endless, we can bring our pain before the Father and rest in His promises.

Jesus gives us His peace.  When depression and anxiety surround us, peace is not found in the absence of problems but in the presence of Christ. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and said, “Peace be with you”John 20:19. In that moment, fear turned into faith.  That same peace is offered to us today. Philippians 4:6–7 gives us these words to live by, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace doesn’t always remove the storm, but it guards us through it.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can rise above the brokenness.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, His resurrection power now lives in us. Romans 8:11 declares, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit.” That same Spirit empowers believers to rise above despair. Depression may whisper defeat, but the Spirit declares renewal and life.

Our hope is not in changing circumstances, it’s in the unchanging character of Jesus Christ. Psalm 34:18 remindsus, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” When life feels too heavy to carry, Christ carries us. He calls us to rise not by our own strength, but through His steadfast love.  Even in the darkest valleys, His light still shines. Isaiah 60:1 calls us to action: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Through Christ, we rise—not because the darkness disappears, but because the Light within us is greater than the darkness around us.

If depression, fear, or anxiety have clouded your heart, remember this truth: The Son of God has already overcome. You are not abandoned—you are loved, understood, and empowered by the One who conquered death itself. Rise up, not in your strength, but in His. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the Light of the world, and let His victory lead you from despair into hope, from fear into faith, and from darkness into glorious light.  Through Jesus, we are unbroken! “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5