I Exchanged Depression for Dependence on God-Nathan Bieber

I Exchanged Depression for Dependence on God

My name is Nathan Bieber, and this is my story.

As a child, I attended the Lutheran Church with my family. I was confirmed when I was 13 and stopped going to church shortly thereafter. As I grew older, exercise and weight lifting became the center of my life. In addition to this, I began to use drugs and alcohol. In 1975, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blade, which affected the rest of my body and eventually left me disabled. In the meantime, I married my wife, Karen. We had two baby girls, Heather Ann and Faith Christene.

One Saturday night in 1978, my brother called my wife and I and began to tell us of God’s plan of salvation. He told us that Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” He told us that we are all born as sinners according to Psalm 51:5. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

He explained Romans 6:23 that tells us the payment for sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” He also showed us that we were headed for the eternal fire of hell spoken of in Revelation 20:14,15 and 21:8: “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

"To repent means to be sorry for your sins in such a way that you despise your sin and want God to change you."

But then he showed us that God’s eternal Son, Jesus Christ, had died on the cross to pay for our sins. Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We need to repent of our sin, and receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

To repent means to be sorry for your sins in such a way that you despise your sin and want God to change you. To receive Jesus means to trust in Christ’s death on the cross as full payment for our sins. You must believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Acts 4:12 says, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

“From that moment on, things began to change.”

That night I knew Jesus was the only way, but I was too full of pride to get down on my knees in front of my wife and ask Jesus to save me. A few nights later on Thursday, March 9, 1978, I came across a Christian program on television. I watched with great interest.

At the end of the program, an invitation was given to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. At that moment I turned off the television and got down on my knees and I gave my heart and life to Jesus to live for Him from then on. I knew that Jesus heard my prayer. I was bubbling over with joy.

From that moment on, things began to change. I became a new person in Christ, as 2 Corinthians 5:17 states: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” That night the Lord took away my habits of drugs, alcohol, and swearing. The Lord has been helping me in the area of my temper as well. I now had a desire to read the Bible and to get to know the God that saved me from my sins and hell.

I have had several bouts of depression over the years. 1988 was the beginning of my victory over this. As long as I put God first in my life, seek His face every day in prayer and Bible reading, and witness for Him every chance I get, God gives me the victory!

God is still working on me and changing me into the image of His dear Son. If this story has touched your heart, I hope and pray that you will make Jesus Lord of your life. You will never regret it.