Have you ever been depressed? I have. Did you know that there are different things that we call depression which are drastically different from each other? I did not. What have you done when you are depressed? Did you seek help or just try to pull yourself up by your boot straps? If you sought help where did you seek it? Does The Bible teach us anything about depression? Are there examples of people who are depressed in The Bible? Let me share with you what I’ve learned about depression and hope.
I have learned through my life’s journey that there are several different types of depression. There is situational depression, which all of us suffer with at some point in time in our life. It is caused by things like death of a loved one, loss of a job, divorce, break up with a girlfriend or boyfriend, or other temporary setbacks in our lives. These are temporary and usually go away over a short period of time as the person grieves their loss. However, if it does go for a long period of time a person could be suffering from Major Depressive Disorder. This is more serious and it is what my wife Laura suffered. I would recommend that you seek professional help for this but also seek God for help. I am convinced that there are people who are gifted by God to help those who have Major Depressive Disorder.
I have found that there are several examples of people who showed signs of depression. David is one example. David was depressed when his first son by Bathsheba was dying. You can read the short story about in 2 Samuel 12:15-23 Elijah also struggled to the point where he asked God to take his life. Read 1 Kings 19:1-18. Jerimiah also struggled with depressions. This is apparent when you read Lamentations. Even Jesus showed signs of depression. The first example I learned was in John 11:35, “Jesus wept.”(ESV) This occurred at the death of His friend Lazarus. Isaiah 53:3 says about Jesus, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (ESV) The biggest example would be when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane the night He was betrayed. Mark 14:34-36 says, “And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’ And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’”
The Bible does give me a solution to my depression. I found that David even had an answer for his depression. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalms 42:11 (ESV) I find Psalms 34:17-18 helpful, “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (ESV) and 2 Corinthians 2:6, “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,” (ESV) I also found Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (ESV) So, when I am depressed, I look at the men of God who were depressed and know that I am not alone particularly Jesus. I seek God as The Bible tells me to do.
I pray you will seek help for your depression if it more than situational depression, I pray that you would seek professional help from your church as well as from God who is the source of healing for the depressed. If it is situational depression, I pray you will seek God and trust He will guide you through your depression and bring you help. Now you can trust the promises of God and realize the same hope that only comes from Jesus. It is through a relationship with God through Jesus that solves the problem of sin and brings us hope in the present and the future. I would also encourage you to seek Jesus for He is the only opportunity there is to have eternal life. This is to me the greatest source of hope. In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in our everyday lives. Understanding how Jesus Christ grants us access to eternal life, allows us to live in hope. “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) At the same time understanding you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ will also bring you the greatest hope. Because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfied the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here.
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You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
