I keep a journal of my favorite quotes, & some of my favorite quotes in it are very relevant to the book I’m featuring today, ‘Out of the Cave: Stepping into the Light When Depression Darkens What You See’ by Chris Hodges…
“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”- author Madeleine L’Engle
“However vast the darkness we must supply our own light.”- Stanley Kubrich
“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.”- Desmond Tutu
“Even the darkest night will end & the sun will rise.”- Victor Hugo
“In the midst of darkness, light persists.”- Mahatma Gandhi
“Don’t fight darkness–bring the light, & darkness will disappear.”- Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
(and this one that is the first line in ‘Out of the Cave‘ in the book’s foreword, written by Rick Warren, a pastor & author of ‘The Purpose Driven Life’:)
“Sometimes you have to experience the darkness before you can appreciate the light.”
When Pastor Chris Hodges read the news that a fellow pastor had taken his own life, he set out to research more about the #1 health problem in the world that causes more deaths each year than cancer, & that caused his fellow pastor’s demise: depression. Depression doesn’t discriminate. Pastors, along w/ the followers of Jesus, aren’t immune from depression (or suicide), nor are they exempt from the umbrella of symptoms of mental health struggles, such as anxiety, which more & more people struggle w/ every day. (I do, & so do many people I know!).
Bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges helps those struggling with depression find liberating solutions by drawing from the life of the prophet Elijah.
Shame about the dark thoughts swirling in your mind. Guilt about how powerless you feel to overcome negative emotions. Alternating bouts of sadness and numbness. You might be asking, Should a Christian even be having these struggles?
Depression is the number one health issue in the world today, yet those who suffer are still sometimes stigmatized–especially followers of Jesus. Many assume God’s peace, power, and protection should prevent us from ever feeling anxious, depressed, and afraid. But the Bible teaches otherwise, particularly in its depiction of the life of the Old Testament prophet Elijah.
In Out of the Cave, bestselling author and pastor Chris Hodges uses Elijah’s life to show us that everyone is susceptible to depression. Even when we’re walking closely with God, we can still stumble and get lost in the wilderness of tangled emotions. But we don’t have to stay there, because we serve a God who meets us in the darkness. Out of the Cave helps us:
- remove the stigma of depression and realize we’re not alone;
- understand the ways our temperament and view of God affect the way we handle depression; and
- learn a comprehensive approach to wellness—mind, body, and soul—from Elijah’s journey.
With his trademark blend of Bible-based wisdom, practical application, and vulnerability in sharing his personal struggles, Hodges explores the causes of depression we can’t change, the contributors we can conquer, and offers transformative hope and spiritual power to help us win the battle.
This is an inspiring, motivating, uplifting, deeply personal & honest book about depression that will help many people, spiritual or not, overcome some of the feelings they’re dealing w/ while hopefully helping them to find the right road to recovery. Thank you Thomas Nelson Publishing, TLC Book Tours & Chris Hodges for my gift copy of the book!
Click HERE to visit me on Instagram & give this post a LIKE to show support to the author (& Me!😉)
“The darkness of depression is real even when you’re living in the light of God’s grace.”- Chris Hodges, from “Out of the Cave’
Purchase Links
Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Chris Hodges is the founding and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands. Under his leadership, Church of the Highlands has launched campuses all across the state of Alabama and has grown to more than 60,000 people attending weekly. He also cofounded the Association of Related Churches, launched a coaching network called GROW, and serves as chancellor of Highlands College, an accredited ministry training college. Chris and his wife, Tammy, have five children and seven grandchildren and live in Birmingham, Alabama.
*Mom Loves Reading* 