Tackling Depression God’s Way (4) By Babatunde Olugboji 

This week, we will end this 4-part series on depression, an illness that is far more widespread than many people think. Research says over 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression. If you are one of those, you are not alone. If you sometimes feel like you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, or you don’t want to see or talk to anyone, including your family members, or you just want to hole up in a dark place, there is help from God. There are Bible passages that provide hope, and by meditating on such passages, with the help of the Holy Spirit, things can only get better.

Nothing Can Separate You From God’s Love!

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow -not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below -indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 38-39)

Experiencing frequent episodes of deep depression can make you feel very bleak and hopeless. You may struggle with low self-worth – and that can make you feel like you’re not deserving of God’s love. When you feel that way, the logical next step is to feel cut off from God, out of a self-imposed feeling of unworthiness.

Romans 8:38-39 is the perfect counter to those fears that you’re forever separated from God by your depression. NOTHING, absolutely nothing, can separate you from God. Feeling separated from God is a cruel trick of the depressed brain that can be combated by meditating on this verse.

God loves you exactly as you are. He doesn’t judge you for your depression. He loves you and is brokenhearted when His children are suffering. Instead of fearing separation, draw closer to God in your depression so that you can experience His comfort and love.

Christian Counseling?

There’s no shame in seeking help to recover from episodes of depression. While there are many Bible verses for depression and plenty of examples of people who experienced depression in the Bible, the hope offered by the Bible can be combined with other practical measures to get out of this very debilitating illness.

Have you ever thought of approaching a Christian counselor? In some cultures, seeing a counsellor may come with some stigma, including the belief that seeking such help is a sign that you are losing your mind. However, Christian counseling gives you the opportunity to talk about your feelings and explore the reasons for your depression. A Christian counselor brings a biblical perspective to counseling and can teach you skills for managing your depression.

You can also delve deeper into what the Bible says about depression during Christian counseling sessions.

Have a great week.

Kingdom Dynamics, a weekly column  written by Dr. Babatunde Olugboji, the President, Kingdom House, a non-profit organization in New Jersey, USA.

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