To love others as Jesus commands, we must also love ourselves. God made us in His image, emotions and all. When we suppress pain or reject ourselves, we block His healing love. Receiving God’s love allows us to embrace who we are and extend love to others.

What if hopelessness isn’t just a symptom of depression, but its root? Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” I lived with that kind of sickness for years—searching, aching, doubting. But Romans 15:13 reminded me that God is not just the giver of hope—He is hope. When we trust Him, He fills us with peace, joy, and the strength to hope again.