06 April 2008 8AM
Apostle Aje Pelser

If you are an avid follower of the news or you read the newspapers diligently, the chances are that you will be depressed at this stage in South African history. We're now taking a good look at our infrastructure and where we want to go in the next 10 – 20 years, and saying whether we want to be South Africans or not. If you only go according to what you see and read in the newspapers or see on TV, you can easily throw up your arms and become depressed. Thank God that we are not like everyone else, we have Jesus, and His joy is our strength. We are positive about our country. We are positioned in South Africa to send out missionaries into our Continent.Like never before, Africa is depending upon South Africa and its citizens to take a positive stance for Jesus Christ, to be positive about the economy, to work and build the infrastructures that have gone array. God wants us to have a positive influence on our society. If Christians are depressed, what is the rest of the country going to do?
We need to overcome depression, and there are tools in the Bible that we can use to overcome depression.
There is emotional depression and economic depression.

Prov 12:25 – Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.

What are you anxious about? What makes you anxious when you read the newspaper? At a time when Zimbabwe was experiencing 100 000 % inflation, we decided to help a church purchase land. We decided to send a student there and plant a bible college. When the world is looking in recession, we are thriving. When everyone is saying to leave Zimbabwe, we are sending people there. Most Zimbabweans who have jobs in South Africa would prefer to keep their jobs rather than go back.
Don't look at the world and what the world tells you and what it wants you to feel. Be led by the Spirit. That makes you a son of God.
Overcoming depression means dealing with your anxieties. If you are anxious about the economy, pray for it. Pray for the leaders of our country.

A good word, from the Word today, makes you glad. Looking at the positive things that are doing lifts the depression. The Word tells us to put on a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. When you praise the Lord in spite of the situation, the heaviness lifts. When you are feeling heavy about something, it's time to start praising God for what He is about to do and the heaviness will lift. You have to praise Him first. Heaviness doesn't lift and then you praise Him. You praise Him first. We do it as an act of faith in advance for what He is going to do.

You have to lift the depression off your finances, investments, and business. You must speak what the word says about it, and not echo the anxiety and depression of your society. Don't repeat what the newspapers say will happen. Call those things that be not as though they are. Speak words of life over your business and clients. As that anxiety lifts, the depression will lift. You'll see that you do business differently and that God will bless you. You can thrive in the midst of a recession. God will show you ways to do things that you've never thought of. He will give you wisdom, and He will prosper you as your soul prospers. It is not the time to squander the money God is giving you. It is the time to be wise stewards. It is a time to make investments based on Godly wisdom, not on greed. If you try to become rich quick, you will fall into snares. The bible warns against this. It is not the time to be bothered with the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches.

You give God access to your finances by giving to His work. You want God to bless what you are doing, but then you also need to acknowledge Him in that area.
If you own a business or you are a manager, then saying the odd prayer at work is a good thing. Sharing what the word says will uplift the work environment and God will also give you favor with the right people and you will influence the atmosphere where you work. In an atmosphere of negativity, one positive word is like a search light. It's like a spotlight. People will see it and ask you concerning the hope that is in you. Then you must be ready to give them a reason why you have hope.

Rom 8:31-39 – What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus is praying for you. He ever lives to make intercession for you. The things that you are going through now, someone is praying about. If you access that truth, it will settle you.
We are only conquerors through Him that loved us. What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? One example: a boxer goes out for a match, and get a couple of knocks and hits. He comes back having won the fight. For his prize, he gets a belt and sometimes money too. But his wife at home is more than a conqueror, because when he comes back he gives her everything. The boxer goes and fights, wins, gets the prize and gives it all to his wife.
Jesus has fought battles for us, and then we come and enjoy it.

In the area that Satan thinks he has defeated you, praise the Lord. The devil doesn't understand it. He has given you his best shot, and you still believe and you still praise God. The devil does not understand that, and the spirit of heaviness flees.

Speak right concerning the things you do and about our country. Don't speak a negative word against our country, then you are not part of the solution. When the power goes off, use the same energy you would've used to complain and rather pray.