God in the midst of Depression

'But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord , take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” '

1 Kings 19:4 ESV

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines depression as, “persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities”. 3.8% of the world’s population has been affected by depression. Now what do we as Christians do when we face depression? You may have heard or told someone; “Well you should just pray”, “You just need more faith”, or maybe “Put on your big boy/girl pants and deal with it”. Unfortunately, this “advice” doesn’t help anyone. Many times we as believers have attempted to help those with depression with our “wise” words and in reality pushed them deeper into depression’s arms. You see depression, like other mental illnesses, is something the body of Christ has mishandled horribly. When in reality, we should be at the forefront in helping those with depression and teaching how to battle it.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12

Now depression does have a variety of roots, and every individual’s root is different. But a common denominator is the lack of hope or the inability to see positive or negative situations as they are. Now when hope is deferred long enough, through trauma, negative perspectives, and hard times in life, it can lead to people feeling depressed. Biblically we understand that depression can be started or fed through hopelessness and psychologically hopelessness is a main symptom of depression disorders.

You may be saying to yourself, “but God is a healer and He would never let a believer go through depression.” Well the fact is, He does. We see it with Elijah, Job, and even King David in several occasions. Now for those who are not of the sensationalist perspective, we believe that God is a healer and a deliverer, but what happens when God doesn’t immediately set someone free from depression after praying, fasting, or even a deliverance? Is depression too strong for God to heal? Absolutely not! God is still a healer and deliverer according to Isaiah 53:5, but God heals everyone differently and at different times. Remember that Jesus rarely healed or delivered people the same way more than once. Sometimes the healing comes through a process and sometimes the deliverance doesn’t come from casting out a demon, but by casting down mental strongholds through counseling and a variety of therapies.

Now depression is no laughing matter and is not easy to talk about. Many know someone who struggles and may have known someone who took their own life because of their depression. So this is why we are speaking about it, for those of you who have been hurt by the church because of your struggles with mental illness we ask for your forgiveness. We ask that you forgive us for not taking you or any of your loved ones seriously. Life is too precious to waste and to go through life with that weight is unbearable. We are here to let you know, there is hope and that God hasn’t abandoned you in the midst of your pain. It’s okay to feel hurt, it’s okay to be upset, it’s okay to be sad, and it is okay that you aren’t feeling like yourself. God isn’t done and you aren’t either, don't give up this fight. You are not alone and we are fighting for you and with you. Remember you are not broken, you are healing, because God is with you in the midst of your depression.

Takeaways:

1. Depression is real and even the most spiritual believers deal with it. (1 Kings 19:4)

2. God does heal depression but sometimes it takes some help, like medication. (1 Timothy 5:23)

3. If you or a loved one is struggling with depression, speak up and listen. If you need help, there are plenty of Christ based counseling and secular counseling that can get you the help you need. ( James 5:16) If you would like help finding some, please message us and we can recommend a few in the DFW area.

Adrian Espinosa is the leader and founder of Lighthouse Ministries, and has worked within a variety of ministry positions for 10 years. He has led evangelism teams, served in homeless ministries, and led anti human/drug trafficking outreaches to at-risk youth in Dallas. He has a bachelor in Secondary Social Studies Education, and has been theologically trained at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Originally from California, he now resides in McKinney, Texas.