How to Defeat Depression
Dealing with Feelings Sermon Series
Psalm 42
Sermon #6
[Open with Film Clip from beginning of Sleepless in Seattle scene with discussion about
change and relocating.]
Because of the extreme discomfort of depression some sufferers make drastic changes
seeking relief. They change jobs, homes, marriages. Some even change worlds. (The
National Institute of Health estimates that in the US approximately 75,000 people commit
suicide each year because of depression.) The problem is that if you pack up your bags
and make a move to get away from depression, you somehow always pack depression up
and take it with you. In spite of all of the changes you make, when it comes to depression,
you still have you. Even after Tom Hanks moved from Chicago to Seattle, he was still
depressed. You cannot run from depression.
Depression is on the scale of epidemic proportions on the United States. It’s estimated
that 20-30% of Americans will suffer from some sort of depression during their lifetime.
At any given point in time as much as 15% of the population experiences feelings of
depression. Studies have shown that it is more physically and socially disabling than;
arthritis, diabetes, lung disease, chronic back problems, hypertension and gastrointestinal
illnesses. The only more disabling medical problem than depression was advanced heart
disease. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 severe depression will be
the second largest cause of death and disability.
Depression isn’t new. The first clinical description of it was made by Hippocrates in the
400 B.C. Aretaeus, a physician living in the second century A.D., described the
melancholic patient as “sad, dismayed, sleepless...They become thin by their agitation
and loss of refreshing sleep... At a more advanced state, they complain of a thousand
futilities and desire death.”
No one seems to be immune to depression. Martin Luther suffered from bouts of
depression and confessed, “For more than a week I was close to the gates of death and
hell. I trembled in all of my members. Christ was wholly lost. I was shaken by
desperation and blasphemy.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who lit the fires of the 19th
century revival movement, struggled so severely with depression that he would vacate his
pulpit for two to three months at a time. In 1866 he stunned his congregation of 5000, “I
am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such
extremes of wretchedness as I go through.” The world’s greatest preacher knew
personally the valley of depression.
Great heroes of the faith; Moses, Job, Elijah, all struggled with depression. Spirit-filled,
mature believers get depressed! Both godly men and women get depressed, Sunday
School teachers and youth workers get depressed...even preachers get depressed!
Depression is unbiased. It can afflict anyone; men, women, rich, poor, old, young, saint
or sinner. Christianity does not always equal happiness. While Christians are commanded
to rejoice, Christian joy can sometimes be mixed with cheerless despondency. The
Apostle Peter knew that believers could experience joy and despair at the same time, 1
Peter 1:6 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to
suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”
So, is depression a sin? No. It is an indication that something in your life is not right.
Depression is like the engine light on your car. When the engine light comes on you pull
over, stop and check out your system. When you are struggling with chronic depression,
stop and check out your emotional, spiritual and physical system. Something is out of
wack. Some area of your life is not right and you need to stop and give it some attention.
And please note, if your behavior is contrary to God’s standards of righteousness, this
will usually result in depression. It produces guilt and guilt is a component of depression.
If you are living in sin depression is one of God’s warning lights. He is saying to you
“Stop!” Repent and seek the Lord’s forgiveness. However, sin is not the cause of all
depression.
Obviously, a Sunday morning discussion is not an adequate arena to deal with a subject
as complex as depression. Also, because I’m not a medical doctor, I will not be focusing
on depression which is caused by a biochemical imbalance. In our time this morning I
want to focus on my area of expertise, the healing medicine of Scripture. In our time this
morning I believe that we can find some basic tools for Defeating Depression.
1. What is depression? In one of his many writings, noted Christian author, Philip
Yancey, tells the story of a friend who went swimming in a large lake at dusk. As he was
paddling out on the water at a leisurely pace about a hundred yards offshore, a bizarre
evening fog rolled in across the water. Suddenly this friend could see nothing! No
horizon, no landmarks, no objects or lights on shore. Because the fog was so thick he
couldn’t even discern which direction the sun was setting in. For thirty minutes Yancey’s
friend splashed around in panic. He would start off in one direction, lose confidence and
then strike out blindly in another. He lost all sense of direction and was terribly
disoriented. Periodically, he would stop and float, trying to conserve energy and
concentrate on breathing slower. He was completely lost until, he finally heard voices
calling from the shore. Had these voices not guided him back to safety, he would have
certainly drowned. Depression is similar to that. It’s like living in a fog. Feelings of
overwhelming fear, panic and isolation are some of the many feelings that may
accompany it.
Typical symptoms of depression are: easily fatigued; feelings of hopelessness; inability
to enjoy normally pleasant activities; decreased sex drive; apathy; change in sleep or
eating habits (some starve, others binge); more pronounced physical aches and pains;
disregard for order in one’s life-manifested by drug or alcohol or even sexual
promiscuity; irritability; lack of motivation; poor mental concentration; tendency to be
overly critical; pessimistic; negative self-talk; poor work habits; frequent bouts with
feelings of guilt and low personal value; poor hygiene and disorganization; difficulty
handling emotions (tears, fear, even anger overwhelm them without warning over the
smallest incidents); loss of perspective; irrational thinking; withdrawal (they avoid
people, cancel activities or don't return phone calls); suicidal thoughts. Ultimately,
depression ends up in hopelessness. Depression is a miserable detractor from the life of
fulfillment God desires us to have.
Christian psychologist, Les Carter, defines depression this way: “Depression is a feeling
of sadness and dejection accompanied by a gloomy mind-set. Depression usually involves
a sense of mental dullness that manifests itself in a variety of symptoms including poor
concentration and pessimistic thinking patterns. It can last anywhere from a few hours to
several months or; in rare cases, even years. Depression is distinguished from simple
unhappiness by being more prolonged than circumstances reasonably warrant.”
While the New Testament never specifically uses the word depression, it does use three
Greek words to communicate the idea of being dispirited or depressed. They are
translated as to grow faint or to grow weary, 2 Cor. 4:1. Jesus brings up the subject in
the context of prayer, Luke 18:1 “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them
that they should always pray and not give up.” There’s a wonderful truth in this simple
verse. As we abide in prayer, it helps keep us from succumbing to despair or depression.
It takes diligent faith to live above the clouds of depression.
2. Some important facts about depression. The demanding stresses of life, the complex
chemical construction of the human body, the genetic predispositions with which we are
born, unresolved childhood issues, even the unpredictable reactions of our minds and
bodies to the foods we eat can cause anyone at any time to become depressed. Everyone
is vulnerable to depression. Because it is so common, let me share some important facts
about this affliction.
A. Depression is not terminal. While depression can cause one to want to die,
depression cannot kill you.
B. Depression is usually temporary. A minor depression may last no longer than a
headache. A major depression may last for two or more years. The wisest counsel that
someone suffering from depression can hear is, “It may take time, but you will get
better.”
C. Depression often requires help. A severely depressed person is often unable to help
themselves. Ministering to someone who is struggling with deep depression is an
opportunity for believers to fulfill Gal. 6:2 “Carry each other's burdens, and in this way
you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Please, though, do not just tell someone who is dealing
with deep depression to just “snap out of it.” That only complicates matters. Chronic
depression may require the help of a professional counselor and in extreme cases,
hospitalization. And we must take threats or attempts at suicide very seriously.
D. Depression often responds to medication. While I am not a great believer in
continual medication, in most cases, antidepressants can give someone a needed edge,
that extra help, particularly if they have suffered for any length of time from severe
depression.
My hesitation is that some become dependent on the drugs and never resolve the core
issues. Many depression sufferers take medications and never get counseling. Some of
them have even had antidepressants prescribed for them by a General Practitioner. In
most cases antidepressants are a temporary solution. They should not be used to avoid
solving the root problems.
Some are not going to like what I’m about to say. To use antidepressants to anesthetize
the pain to avoid dealing with root problems is not much different from someone who
uses alcohol or marijuana to escape reality.
Some medical conditions though do require constant medication. Personally, I believe
God would rather have someone on medication and functioning, rather than someone
who has convictions about not using any drugs but is unable to function. Even Scripture
encourages drug usage to cope with depression though it was the medication of that day,
Prov. 31:6-7.
E. Depression can be dangerous. A severely depressed person can lose touch with
reality. It can cost them their job, destroy their relationships and even result in suicide.
3. Depression has three common causes.
A. Physical causes of depression. Physical problems can trigger depression. Diabetes,
thyroid problems, hypoglycemia, menopause and other issues can cause us to be
preoccupied with a “blue” mood. A chemical imbalance or bipolar disorder can cause
depression. Even medication can cause depression. When my friend, Terry Pauley was
diagnosed with Hepatitis C, he had to take Interferon. One of the side effects of
Interferon is depression.
One of the primary physical causes of depression that is easily solvable for most of us is
fatigue. The prophet Elijah became depressed and suicidal simply because he was
exhausted. Some of you struggle with depression or are more vulnerable to it simply
because you think that you’re superman or superwoman. Some have been doing this for
years and one day the bill may come due. It’s been wisely observed that “fatigue makes
cowards of us all.”
B. Circumstantial causes of depression. Certain traumatic circumstances can trigger
depression; the sudden death of a loved one, loss of a job, news that you or a loved one
has a serious illness, relationship problems, even the letdown experience after the birth of
a baby–all of these events, along with a host of others, can lead into depression.
The Bible contains many examples of this kind of depression. When David learned that
his son, Absalom, had been killed, he was crushed so deeply that he lost his perspective
on what had happened. As a father he was grieved because of Absalom’s violent death.
But remember that Absalom was a rebel who had led an insurrection, seeking to kill his
own father. The people who had rescued David risked their lives to fight against
Absalom’s forces. David’s grief was normal, but because he ignored the feelings of his
friends and loyal followers, he allowed grief to cloud his perspective. He became
emotionally paralyzed and could not function as king. His general, Joab, had to go to
him and point out that his grief was excessive. David had to pull himself together and
start running the kingdom (2 Sam. 19:1-7).
Job is another example. After losing it all and suffering from horrible boils, Job was in
such despair that he longed for death. He even questioned why he’d ever been born. It
was a normal reaction to tragedy. Job had lost his children, his health and his possessions.
Tragic external circumstances can cause internal despair. But Job had not done anything
wrong. This should rid us of this notion that depression is the result of sin. Sometimes,
depression is simply a response to the tragic circumstances of life.
C. Spiritual causes of depression. In Deuteronomy 28 the Lord spoke of the
consequences that would come on the nation of Israel if they disobeyed Him. In verse 65
He warns them, “Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the
sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with
longing, and a despairing heart.” Among the tragedies listed is a “despairing heart.”
Much depression is the result of disobedience and sin.
This is also the point where we must part company with secular psychiatry. As a
Biblicist, I do not believe that all emotional suffering is bad. Yet some counselors are
trying to make people comfortable when God is trying to make them miserable. One
popular movie, Analyze This, has a psychiatrist helping a mobster deal with panic attacks.
I read an article on HBO’s popular series, The Sopranos. One of the main characters is a
psychiatrist who attempts to help one of the mobsters deal with his anxiety issues. I don’t
want to make people comfortable about “wacking” people.
Guilt is a major cause of depression. Secular psychiatry wants to make homosexuals and
people living together or having affairs to be comfortable in their sin. God did not design
us to live with guilt. Guilt is miserable and a cause of depression. The only cure is the
Cross and God’s forgiveness.
King Saul suffered from depression. He had rebelled against God and was consumed
with jealousy. Jealousy will cause depression. Some spouses are violently suspicious of
their mates. It’s been my experience that it is often a result of premarital sex or other
promiscuous relationships. If their spouse is late getting home or does anything out of the
ordinary, their jealousy meter shoots up. Extreme jealousy will result in depression.
Psalm 32 is a record of David’s depression after his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. In
verses 3 and 4 he says, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning
all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.” That’s depression caused by unconfessed sin.
Unresolved anger or bitterness can cause depression. Someone has dubbed depression as
“frozen rage.” Another has said that “depression is anger without enthusiasm.” The
prophet Jonah despised the people of Nineveh and was ticked off when God did not
destroy them. At the end of his book we find him in a fog of depression. Unresolved
anger causes guilt which will result in depression. If you have bitterness toward someone,
your parents or your spouse or someone else, you are going to struggle with depression.
And guilt, if not dealt with, can ultimately lead to suicide. That’s what happened with
Judas.
Depression is often a result of guilt. We are all guilty at some level because we are all
sinners. Guilt can be a good thing in that it can lead us to the real cure – the Cross,
forgiveness and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
4. How to defeat depression...
A. Commit your life to Christ. Since guilt is a source of depression for most people, we
need the cure. A basic step in overcoming depression is to commit your life to Christ and
to accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Although Christians are not free from
problems, they have an infinite source of strength in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
If you have committed your life to Christ and unconfessed sin is causing you to be
depressed, then repent of it and confess it (1 John 1:9). Accept His forgiveness and bask
in His love.
Committing one’s life to Christ also protects us from false guilt. Satan wants to sabotage
us any way that he can and sometimes he uses false guilt. Scripture says that he the
Accuser of the family of God (Rev. 12:10). He wants to make us feel guilty about
confessed sin that is already taken care of.
Some folk are tragically paralyzed by false guilt and depression from criminal acts
against them as children, usually sexual in nature. Dear friend, you were a victim and
have nothing to feel guilty about. Please accept your victory in Christ.
B. Share your depression with your Heavenly Father. Sharing burdens with a friend
helps lighten our load. When we are suffering from depression we need to cry out to God
as a first, not last resort. Claim 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He
cares for you.”
But please hear this. Give it to God and move on. Sometimes depressed people further
entrench the depression because they give it to God and keep praying about it. They’re
like a person with a loose tooth, they won’t leave it alone. If you gave it to God, leave it
with Him. For most that’s the toughest thing of all, to leave it with Him.
Richard Berg tells the story of a small child who is caught on the second floor of a
burning house. He goes to the window of the bedroom, alone and frightened, and cries
out for help. His father looks up and calls to him, “Jump, son–I’ll catch you!” But the
child responds, “But I can’t see you, Daddy, I can’t see you! I’ll fall!” The child is so
frightened that he will not move. The smoke has clouded his vision, and he cannot see his
father below him. “But, son, I can see you! Jump and I will catch you.”
Sometimes we’re like the frightened child. We cannot feel God and therefore will not
take that leap of faith. But even when we feel that His presence has been extinguished,
He is there and waiting. We must let Him walk with us in our depression and lead us out
of it.
C. Develop new mental habits. This is illustrated by a short story entitled,
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson: Chapter 1: I walk down the
street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost…I am helpless, It isn’t my
fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter 2: I walk down the same street. There is
a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I fall in again. I can’t believe I am in
the same place but, it isn’t my fault. It takes a long time to get out. Chapter 3: I walk
down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall
in…it’s a habit. My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out
immediately. Chapter 4: I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the
sidewalk.
I walk around it. Chapter 5: I walk down another street.
Depression is a harmful, habitual way of thinking and we must develop replacements for
those mental ruts.
Often depressed people will say, “I can’t do that...I’ve tried.” Can I be candid? Most
people breaking the habit of smoking or smokeless tobacco or alcohol or anger say the
same thing. I’ve had folk involved in adulterous relationships tell me that they just could
not break off the affair. All of these are habitual behaviors, yet all of them can be broken
and replaced. Or, God is a liar and His grace is not sufficient.
I am not saying that it is going to be easy. But by God’s grace it can be done and for
your freedom, it must be done. When it comes to depression and negative thinking, some
have gotten comfortable with misery.
Many fall too into the trap of trying to figure out why they’re depressed. Sometimes that
can be helpful. Most of the time it’s just a rat maze that pulls you deeper into the
depression. You probably don’t need to figure it out, you just need to get out of that
mental rut and focus on something else. Even prayer can be a rehearsing of the mental
rut. Some people try to “pray through” depression. Friend, give it to your Heavenly
Father and walk away.
Rather than going through that destructive rut, meditate on God’s promises. Then, think
about and talk to yourself about the things you enjoy. Everyone has internal mental
conversations. Wouldn’t you rather have nice ones and pleasant ones, rather than
negative ones? In Psalm 42:11, the psalmist gives us an example of positive, edifying
self-talk, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your
hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.” Do you enjoy negative
conversations? Then, why would you have one with yourself?
D. Have a plan of action and do it. When we are depressed, we’re tempted to stay in
bed or to withdraw. That’s about the worst thing that one can do. Depression is an
internal mental habit. Getting out, particularly with other believers who love and care
about us, forces us to be external. Even just taking a shower or going for a walk helps us
get out of the mental fog. Do what is right and the feelings will usually come along.
Christian Bovee said, “Activity and sadness are incompatible.” This was part of Martin
Luther’s cure. Luther advised people with depression to ignore the heaviness. "A good
way to exorcize the Devil," he maintained, "was to harness the horses and spread manure
on the fields." In other words, get to work, do something productive and you’ll feel
productive. Doing affects feeling.
Sometimes depressed people have no idea what they enjoy. Rather than going into the
sludge of depression, use this as an opportunity to learn the things in life that you truly
enjoy – do them and then think about them.
E. Develop a life of praise and giving. A depressed believer can start by praising God
that they know depression is temporary. No one is depressed in heaven. You can also
thank Him for allowing it because it will make heaven all the more richer for you.
Develop the habit of praise. Count your blessings!
All of us have those things that we can be thankful for...if we’ll just look for them. A
woman once approached a man who had a sour expression on his face. She encouraged
this grumpy looking man to be thankful. He replied, “Thankful for what? I don’t even
have enough money to pay my bills!” The woman thought from a moment then said,
“Well, then be thankful you are not one of your creditors.”
Become a giver...give of your time, your talent, your money. Depressed people suffer
because they are so self-oriented. Giving helps us be “others-oriented.” Eminent
American psychiatrist, Dr. Carl Menninger, once gave a lecture on mental health and was
answering questions from the audience. Someone asked, "What would you advise a
person to do if that person felt a nervous breakdown coming on?" Most people thought he
would say, "Go see a psychiatrist immediately," but he didn't. To their astonishment, Dr.
Menninger replied, "Lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks, find somebody in
need, and help that person." To overcome depression, don't focus on yourself, get
involved in the lives of other people.
Conclusion: Some of our greatest hymns were written by William Cowper (pronounced
Cooper). He wrote There is a Fountain Filled with Blood and God Moves in Mysterious
Ways. He was a personal friend of John Newton, the famous pastor and writer of
Amazing Grace. But what you probably don’t know is that William Cowper suffered
terribly from depression. Three times he attempted to commit suicide. It was his
depression that ultimately brought him to Christ and salvation. Even after he was bornagain though he still struggled with depression but now he had hope.
In spite of his mental depression, emotional melancholy and spiritual doubts, God used
William Cowper to pen the words of great hymns of the faith that have been an
inspiration to the Church for two hundred years.
As we close, I want to suggest two lessons from his life. 1) God can even use our
struggles, our depression for His glory. That’s what He did with William Cowper. His
hymns have a richness that comes from a more a melancholic spirit. 2) We must never
despair of the despairing. John Newton was William Cowper’s pastor and friend for the
rest of his life. He wrote him and visited him again and again. He was used by God to
keep Cowper on track and in the light. Perhaps God has brought someone suffering from
depression into your life. Don’t weary of them. Let God use you to be a ray of light in
their life. Be patient with them as God is with you.
Are you struggling with depression today? Is it because you do not know Christ?
Perhaps there is unconfessed sin and guilt in your life. Your Heavenly Father wants to
clear the fog out of your heart. Why don’t you let Him today? Get it right with Him.
If your depression though is not caused by guilt, learn to rest in His love and grace. His
grace is sufficient for you. Replace depression with focusing on His many blessings.
“Trust Him when dark days assail Thee, Trust Him when thy faith is small...Trust Him
when to simply trust Him is the hardest thing of all.”