You Not The Only One!!
You Too! Me Too!
A famous quote from C.S. Lewis is, “What you too! I thought I was the only one!”
Frequently, people say, “I’d go to counseling, except I don’t want people to know I have struggles.” This implies that they are the only ones struggling; no one has a hurt, harmful habit or hang-up similar to yours. You are the only one with depression, anxiety, addiction, co-dependency, marriage problems, or parenting struggles.
So if any of these stories describe you …
I married a wonderful woman who I know God made just for me. But when she needed me most, when she was faced directly with a dilemma, I did not come to her rescue. I was not the man God made me to be for her. I feel overwhelming guilt. Adam
I have a great husband, and we had two children, two boys. They were very different, but we loved them both. We brought them up to love the Lord. We did not deal with their sibling rivalry, and a Mother’s worst nightmare happened. My eldest son murdered his brother, and now he has been sent away. I will never see him again. My grief is overwhelming at times. Eve
I love the Lord and always tried to do precisely what he told me to do, even when it seemed crazy. But I have a ruinous alcohol problem. I got so drunk my kids found me passed out and naked. Now, I can’t even face my kids. Noah
I was adopted, although I knew my biological mother. I have a terrible temper, and because of my anger, I killed a man. I have low self-esteem and continue to struggle with who I am and what I can do. Moses
Iam a people pleaser. My brother is a great preacher/leader, and I enjoy being his right-hand person. Being a people pleaser caused a problem when he was away from the ministry. I let and actually led the congregation into heresy. Aaron
I struggle with depression. Everyone thinks I’m a great guy and seem to have unbelievable success. But at times, my depression gets the best of me, and I find myself asking to die. Elijah
I struggle with co-dependency. I know when I should say no, but I can’t help myself. I go along with the things my husband asks of me that I know are not fair or safe. Sarah
I chose poorly when picking a spouse. My Mom was a great Godly woman. I was raised to know better, but I married a non-believer, and now I am struggling with being unequally yoked. Samson
I lost my way. As a young boy, I spent my time outside, praising God. My life changed, and I found myself on top of the world. I had it all, but I spent too much time looking around at what my neighbor had. I used all my power to get what he had. Now, I have to deal with the death of my son. Thank goodness God forgave me. David
I have marriage problems. In fact, I would describe my marriage as a disaster. Hosa
I don’t have any self-confidence, and I doubt everything; I find it impossible to trust. Thomas
I am so co-dependent that I spend my day worrying about ensuring I do everything to make everyone happy and get everything done. Because of my co-dependency and anxiety, I don’t make good decisions. Martha
I had the best biblical training from the best teacher! But I still make bad choices. You may not believe this, but I actually denied my Christianity three times. Peter
I am still a work in process. At one point, I adamantly denied Jesus and was even part of a group actively fighting Christianity. Now, I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I am in full-time Christian Ministry, although I still have struggles. I don’t know why, but I continue to do what I know I should not do. Paul
What mask are you wearing? How is that mask affecting your life? Do you have a place where others accept your struggles and are there to help? Find a counselor who can help. Below is the link to the Biblical Counseling Coalition counselor location map.
https://partners.biblicalcc.org/counselor-map/
Come, let’s talk this over, says the Lord; no matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you white as wool! Isaiah 1:18
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2024 Cheryl Gowin and Dennis Gowin
