Depression: Looking Up From The Stubborn Darkness
Where is God in the struggle? Looking away from despair towards hope can feel risky. What if God doesnt come through for you? What if you dont feel instantly better? Instead of offering simple platitudes or unrealistic cure-all formulas, Edward T. Welch, a biblical counselor at CCEF who specializes in these matters, addresses the complex nature of depression with compassion and insight, applying the rich treasures of the gospel, and giving fresh hope to those who struggle.
Depression Isnt What The Church Sometimes Makes It Out To Be
Its not a character defect, a spiritual disorder or an emotional dysfunction. And chief of all, its not a choice. Asking someone to try not being depressed is tantamount to asking someone whos been shot to try and stop bleeding. Such an attitude can dangerously appear in the Church as, if only you had enough faith.
Cue the record scratch for any Christian regarding matters of healing. Having faith in Gods ability to heal is hugely important, and personal faith can help ease depression. But to deny medical or psychiatric treatment to someone suffering from mental illness is really no different than denying them to someone with a physical illness. The difference between the two is that the former is invisible.
Speaking of the invisible, some faith traditions are quick to suggest demonic attack as the cause for depression. While Im convinced that theres definitely a spiritual elementthe enemy will exploit any weaknessmedical science holds that major depressive disorder is real and the causes are manifold.
To The Depressed Christian
I close my eyes, turn toward the back of the couch and curl my knees up to my chest.
Dont hang up, I cry softly into the phone. Im afraid to be alone.
My husbands coming home early. Todays one of the bad days.
If I admit my thoughts to someone, theyll think Im crazy. Am I going crazy?
No, youre not.
For me , depression came with the winter, though warning signs could be felt and seen much sooner. A born and bred Southern girl, Id gotten married, started a new job and moved across the country to Minnesota all within two weeks, and just in time for the cold.
I was tired. Really tired. I was edgy and emotional and anxious. I began noticing that I felt exactly like it looked outside gray and miserable. Numb. I sank further and further until finally breaking down one day at a work conference. I just could not go through the motions anymore. I felt like I was dying inside.
If youre in the thick of the dark and lonely place that is depression, I wish I could wrap my arms around you and cry with you, because I know how badly you hurt.
I am a Christian, but depression tempted me to distrust God. I was desperately seeking deliverance. He seemed to be withholding it from me.
“Why will you not lift me out of this pit?” Id cry. “Are you not a deliverer? Why do the voices of despair sound so much louder than yours?”
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Is It A Sin For Christians To Be Depressed
Some people suffer from depression, but should Christians be among them? One man told Billy Graham that he has a chemical imbalance in his brain that needs to be treated with medication, but his Christian friend told him to just pray about it and have faith in God.
Confused, the man asked Graham what he should do and if it’s a sin for him to feel depressed. The evangelist, in turn, answered his question with another question.
“Let me ask you a question: If you broke your arm in an accident, do you think your friend would claim it was a sin for you to have a broken arm, and all you needed to do was pray? I doubt it,” he wrote on his website.
In the same vein, Graham said it is not considered sin for the depressed man to seek treatment for the chemical imbalance in his brain. Psalm 139:14 says that people are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and Graham agrees, adding that people’s bodies and minds are all very complex.
“Although doctors can’t solve all our problems, we should be grateful that God has enabled them to understand more about our bodies and minds, and has given them new ways to overcome many of our problems,” he said. “Don’t feel that you are somehow sinning by seeking treatment for your depression it would be wrong for you not to seek treatment.”
“Through prayer we draw near to God, and the closer we get to Him, the more we will realize that He loves us and wants to help us,” he said.
Misconception: Its Shameful To Discuss Mental Illness Openly
Reality: Church community should be a safe environment for people to discuss mental health without judgment.
Sadly, some Christians can be very judgmental about mental illness, but that is not a biblical response. Mental illness is not something you should be made to feel ashamed of or fear sharing with your church community.
Depression and mental illness should receive as kind and gentle a response from Christians as they do from Jesus.
Jesus made it clear He was not pleased with people who put on a show of being very religious and moral and who judged others.
A group of religious leaders called the Pharisees were the epitome of religious people who act like they have it all together and judge others who do not. Jesus often called the Pharisees out for their hypocrisy. In contrast, Jesus was gentle and kind with people who were struggling and even sinning but who were open to God changing their lives.
The Christian community should never be a place where people feel they need to hide and cover up what they are really going through. In a genuine Christian community, people can share all of their struggles and ask for prayer without fear of shame or judgment. They can testify about how God is working through whatever is happening in their lives.
Depression and mental illness should receive as kind and gentle a response from Christians as they do from Jesus.
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Identifying Triggers In Your Marriage
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lias story, youll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
What Does The Bible Say About Depression
Proverbs 12:25 mentions depression directly, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad” . That’s a good place to begin. In this little couplet God, via the wisdom of Solomon, provides both a diagnosis and prescription that can help people grow beyond depression. A heart full of anxiety is the culprit. Jesus said:
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light”.
Matthew 11:28-30
In broad strokes, many Christians suffering from depression can find hope in biblical foundations. You can also find stories of the Bible where certain people experienced depression: Moses , David , Elijah , Job, Jonah , Psalmist .
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Its Ok To Seek Professional Help
Seeking help for depression does not mean you do not have enough faith or that you are a bad Christian. In the Bible, we see Jesus heal many people from physical illnesses, but Christians who understand the Bible well would not use that as proof that people with physical illness lack the faith to be healed or are being punished. When Christians are physically unwell, they visit their doctor. The same wisdom holds true for your mental health.
If you want someone to address your depression in the context of your faith, some large churches have counselors on staff, and there are many Christian counselors available to help.
Christians can still benefit from secular counseling. Often, insurance will not cover faith-based counseling services, so secular counseling may be more financially viable for you. Some Christian counselors have the option of a sliding scale for payment based on income.
The Bible Doesnt Provide Easy Answers
The Word is full of wisdom and encouragement for those suffering from depression and anxiety disorders, but it doesnt come in one-verse doses. Be anxious for nothing and do not worry about your life can easily be taken out of context, which is problematic. First , doing so fails to appropriately handle Scripture, carelessly misconstruing the larger intent of the passages.
Another really scary thing this does is it can convince a person in the worst throes of their illness that theyre not obeying God. Add that to what feels like the inability just to be every shaky breath hurts and getting out of bed is impossible and youve thrown gasoline onto the fire.
A true examination of depression and anxiety in the Bible shows the existential dread that accompanies the illnesses instead of an easy out, one-and-done antidote. Gods hand isnt always apparent. As Dan Blazer pointed out in Christianity Today, most of us have no idea what David meant when he further lamented, I am forgotten by them as though I were dead. Severe depression is often beyond description.
Rather than prescribing a bit of a verse divorced from its context, a better strategy is to look at those instances of mental suffering along with the Church body and to offer comfort in the fact that even the saints struggled.
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Moms Raising Sons To Be Men
Mothers of boys have the special calling to shape future men of God. Popular speaker Rhonda Stoppe, mom to two sons, knows this opportunity is a challenge, a joy, and probably the most important work of a womans life. Drawing from years of experience, this inspirational resource will revive the faithfulness and fortitude a woman needs to partner with God as they shape the character and heart of a future godly man.
Is It Wrong For A Christian To Be Depressed What Is Depression
If you are asking this question in response to your own or your loved ones depression, we are so sorry for the pain youre experiencing. The church often treats depression poorly, which doesnt help the depressed person, regardless of the cause of their depression. We hope that we can give your heart some answers that will empower you to reach whatever next step toward management you need.
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Facing Depression As A Christian: Beware These Misconceptions
Not only can depression make you question God or feel distant from Him, but it can also make navigating Christian community more difficult. Depression can be even more challenging for Christians because, unfortunately, there are misconceptions and stigmas associated with depression in many Christian communities.
When you or the people around you do not understand the reality of depression, it makes seeking help more difficult. Depression can already distort your perception of reality or make you doubt your judgment. Its crucial to be able to recognize what is and is not true about depression.
Many well-meaning people may actually give you bad advice because they dont understand depression.
Misconception: Depression Is A Sin
Variation: Being depressed means you are failing to trust God. Being depressed means you are failing to be joyful in all things or to give thanks to God.
Reality: Depression is an illness, not a sin.
If you get a cold or suffer from back pain or any physical illness, does anyone ever tell you that youre being sinful or failing to trust God because you are in pain? It sounds unreasonable because it is. Its just as unreasonable to say suffering from depression or any other mental illness is a sin.
God created a perfect world, but when evil entered, perfection was shattered and the world was never the same. We all suffer in some ways from the results of evil breaking into Gods perfect creation. Illness, whether it be physical or mental, is one of the many ways we see how broken our world truly is.
Yes, mental illness is often triggered by stressors or negative environmental factors, but that does not mean it is not real. Physical illness is also frequently triggered by stressors and negative environmental factors. Stress can cause ulcers and increase the risk of a heart attack, very serious illnesses that, like depression, need treatment, not condemnation.
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Spiritual Depression In The Psalms
In this sermon, Pastor John preaches a series of six steps for walking through seasons of darkness in our lives, following Davids example in Psalm 42. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God .
Piper says,
Its not wrong to want relief from the darkness and to pray for it. It is sometimes right to pray for the defeat of enemies. But more important than any of that is God himself. When we think and feel with God in the Psalms, this is the main result: We come to love God, and we want to see God and be with God and be satisfied in admiring and exulting in God.
The sermon also draws on Martin Lloyd-Joness classic book by the same title, Spiritual Depression. Lloyd-Jones exhorts us to preach to ourselves: Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? .
Strong Churches Dont Fix Depression
Given all of the above, its easy to understand how the stigmarelated to depression, even in the Church, will prevent people from seeking Christian guidance and support. The most Christ-loving and helpful community might not have the appropriate framework for dealing with such clinical disorders, and many churches dont have licensed psychologists on the staff. Pastoral staff can be ill-equipped to deal with depression and err toward a spiritual solution rather than psychological or medical treatment.
Even churches that seek to provide a safe haven for those suffering in their midst might not have a judgment-free place to discuss their struggles. Programs like Celebrate Recovery can provide an invaluable forum for people to interact with others who experience hurts, habits, and hangups, and can help deal with some of the self-medication many people with depression and anxiety use to numb themselves. Without a carefully planned strategy to deal with mental illness, though, all are welcome might not be enough. Healing comes from a prayerful, loving community that seeks to truly understand major depressive disorder and related conditions, and one that develops a positive response.
Brandon William Peach is a writer, social media specialist, and the co-founder of Theologues. His work has been featured across the web on topics such as religion, pop culture, technology and more. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonPeach.
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What Causes Depression
The causes for depression can be very diverse, as everyone’s story is different. We are all capable of being hurt by different things in different ways. While one situation may not affect certain people negatively, that same thing could easily damage another’s mental health. We’re listing a few of the common causes of depression here, but this list is by no means exhaustive. If you feel you or a loved one is suffering from depression, please seek advice and diagnosis from a trained professional counselor or health care provider.
Unconfessed Sin vs. False Guilt: While it’s true that depression can stem from unconfessed sin, it’s far from the only cause. There are times we may feel depressed over something we perceive as sin but that isn’t actually sin, rather it is false guilt, which is a result of a misinformed conscience. What’s a misinformed conscience? It’s when “conviction” from the Holy Spirit, which is good , gets confused with “condemnation,” which stems from Satan’s attempts to shame us .
Living in “survival mode” for extended periods of time: Unfortunately, establishing a “normal” state which focuses solely on surviving from day to day, moment to moment, often leads to depressive symptoms. Our brains physically begin to produce less dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphinsall the natural chemicals that make us feel happiness. At that point, even things that normally bring us joy would have little effect.
Action Steps That Help
When you feel depression beginning to take hold of your life, try to do the following:
- Make sure youre still reading the Bible and praying. You have the power, in Christ, to do what God wills.
- Thank God for loving you and bringing you through the bout of depression. Gods Word, not your present emotional outlook, is your authority.
- Try not to make a major decision while in a depressed frame of mind.
- Thank God for taking care of you and loving you even when you cant feel it or see it. This exercises your faith and strengthens you.
Here are a few additional thoughts to keep in mind for those struggling with depression:
- At times, depression can relate to emotions that have been ignored or pushed away for years. Be willing to face them through Christs strength. As Matthew 5:4 says, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
- Though not advisable in every situation, medication may provide needed physical help for people struggling with depression. Talk to a doctor about it.
- Reaching out for Christian counseling can provide support, help you address underlying causes of your depression, and help you develop a plan of action.
From Conquering Depression: A 30-Day Plan to Finding Happiness, published by Broadman & Holman Publishers. Copyright © 2001, Mark A. Sutton and Bruce Hennigan. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.
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