It was a blue day.
Olajumoke
A glimpse of light stole through my window as the sun set.
I sat on the floor, my legs sprawled out before me.
I felt gloomy, like a dark cloud was over my head, my heart sinking deep into an endless abyss.
Like I was passing through a dark tunnel with no hope for light at the end of the tunnel.
Like the first time, suicide seemed like an escape from the darkness.
The feelings were real.
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Sometimes we can find ourselves in waves of darkness, doubt, weariness, and so on. As Christians, these should be far from us, but the truth is that as long as we are in this world we are not immune to them.
In the book of Psalms, we will see emotional outbursts by the Psalmists when they experience trouble, anxiety or depression. Therefore book of Psalms is an added advantage to us as we look at the issue of depression.
A Psalm worthy of note is the 42nd one. It displays an honest prayer coming from a discouraged saint. Twice in this chapter, the psalmist, in despair, had to minister to his soul. He was downcast, but he chose to sing praises to God while waiting expectantly for His help.
We too, like the psalmist, will likely experience low moments.
What is Depression?
Depression is a spiritual or emotional fog that affects our happiness and hope. It can last for days, weeks, months or years. Its symptoms include sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, listlessness, etc, and it could be caused by disappointments, loss of loved ones, rejection or a broken relationship. It may even be difficult to explain.
Depression should not be seen as a result of physical or chemical substances alone, but also as spiritual attack from Satan. You see, God desires that we have a life filled with joy and the riches found in Christ Jesus. At the same time, Satan desires to put man in despondency and hopelessness.
Notably, most of the attacks of Satan take place firstly in the mind (the mind consisting of man’s faculty of thinking, reasoning, and applying knowledge). While depression has physical symptoms, it starts in the mind. Satan always aims to shoot fiery darts of doubts at our mind, and we are more vulnerable to him in our low moments. He can magnify and escalate issues in the mind till we get to a state of hopelessness and distrust in God.
Jesus had his fair share of trouble. As the time of Jesus trial and agony was approaching, Jesus expressed how distressed He felt to His disciples. Like Him, we are not exempted from trouble and despair, but we can choose to respond and rise above them and sing a victorious song. As Christians, we have somewhere to turn in times of trouble, truths to rehearse until our hearts catch up with faith.
How should we respond to Depression?
- Know that God is with you– Most times in our low moments, it feels like God is far away. We should have an assurance that darkness cannot hide us from God. The psalmist in Psalm 137:7, 9-10 reveals that we cannot hide from God no matter where we go. We can have the assurance in our hearts that He is closer to us in times of trouble.
- You are loved– Romans 8:35,38-39; shows us that nothing can separate us from the love of our Father. We should have this confidence that not even darkness or gloominess can separate God’s love.
- Open up to friends and seek counsel– Jesus opened up to His disciples about how He was feeling in John 12:27. In Matthew 26:38-40, Jesus invited His disciples/friends to pray with Him. In Psalm 42, the sons of Korah express their emotions to God. Similarly, we can express our feelings, frustrations, and emotions to God and our friends.
- Remind yourself about the goodness of God– The psalmist reminded himself of the good times, how he used to go with other worshippers to the house of God. Similarly, we can call to remembrance all the good times we have had with God.
- Minister the word of God to yourself– The word of God is a healing balm. Stay in the word of God till light dawn in your heart again.
- Stay Encouraged– In Proverbs 12:25, it says anxiety causes depression, but a word of encouragement can do wonders to restore joy to the heart. Choose to feed on the life-giving word of God. Hold fast to the confession of faith even if your circumstance says otherwise.
- Fight to Hope in God– Put on the shield of faith, confessing the word to yourself till your mind catches up with faith. I cannot tell you how many times I have had to encourage myself in the Lord, fighting till joy rises in my heart again
God desire is that we should have life in abundance. How we respond to depression matters a lot. Thank God that we can run to Him, expressing our emotions like the sons of Korah, holding on to our confession of faith till hope dawns in our hearts and joy flows like a river, once again.
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Olajumoke Ogunleye is a child of God who delights in obeying and moving with Him. She is a physiotherapist interested in raising a generation of young people that will serve the purposes of God.
For more content like this, visit her website at https://tourchbearer00.wordpress.com/.
In Plain Sight 