Testimonies

Returning to what I already am

by Adriaan, 63 yrs.

In April of this year, I was ill for a short time. To my great surprise, all kinds of feelings of guilt and depression suddenly came over me. They reminded me of the depression I went through in 2003. That was a terrible time. I began to look back on the past and was plagued by guilt over all my mistakes and missed opportunities. I saw the specter of depression looming before me again and felt it threatening me. I was shocked by these unexpected bouts of depression after all these years.

In one conversation I was admonished to be careful not to judge myself. If I do that, I am, so to speak, sitting on the throne of God and pronouncing judgment on myself. God did not give me that seat.

The following night I took a clear stand against this power of self-judgment. Since He does not think negatively about me, I no longer think negatively about myself! From now on I will see myself with the eyes of God.That was tremendously liberating. And when the depressive feelings and guilt want to come back, I can now effectively resist them: God doesn’t judge me, so I also don’t anymore!

The message of the May 2022 Friends Meeting delivered the final death blow to this evil force of depression and anxiety. I recognize the cause of my guilt, anxiety and depression in what I was told as a child: You are a sinner, you are lost, you must repent to God, otherwise you will go to hell!

In the message “Collective Maturity” Ivo says about this: “When the Bible talks about ‘rebirth’, it means: You have to recover, accept what is already in your cradle as a child. You just have to return to what you already are.” (See Titus 3:15)

Instead of looking back at the past and feeling guilty about all my mistakes, I am now practicing to return to what God put in me from the beginning: His divine maturity, His divine nature.

Dear reader, do you also sometimes experience depression, guilt or melancholy? Then I would like to warmly encourage you to look at the message of the Friends Meeting (en.ocg.life/friendsmeeting2022/) and to watch Ivo’s broadcast with the titel “7-fold superiority – Humans as multiple beings”.

Shake off this yoke and join us to transform this world into a paradise ☺.