Tackling Depression God’s Way (2) By Babatunde Olugboji
Depression, which affects over 300 million people worldwide, is a major disorder that is often characterized by severe medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act. It causes feelings of gloom or a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed and diminish your ability to function at work and at home.
The good news is that as followers of Christ, we can delve into the scripture for help and this week, we’ll consider two key Bible passages that we can meditate on to tackle this monster known as depression.
1.The Lord Hears Your Cry
‘I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.’ (Psalm 40:1-3)
When you’re experiencing deep depression, the feeling can be that of someone drowning in a pit of despair, just as David described in Psalm 40. When depression sets in, it’s common to feel like God is distant or that He isn’t hearing your cries of anguish, but He always hears our cries. In this Psalm and other Scriptures from which we can seek succor for depression, we’re reminded that God is always near to the brokenhearted.
No matter the depth of the pit of despair you may be in, God is willing, able and happy to drag you out. Just as He did for David, God can set you back on a path towards hope and He will steady you whenever you start to stumble. It may take time, but when you completely trust God, He will lead you out of the mire of depression and give you hope so that you can sing a new song of praise to Him. That was what David experienced in this Bible verse about sadness.
2.The Lord is able to renew your strength
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles.They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Depression can be exhausting. It can be draining. It can feel like you’re dragging heavy chains around with you everywhere you go, sapping your strength and making it hard to be productive. It’s a heavy feeling. It is common to struggle to even get out of bed when you’re feeling depressed. You may not want to see anyone. Even your loved ones who care deeply for you.
This Bible verse for depression is a huge source of hope because it reminds us that when our reserves of strength are depleted by depression, God is there to renew our strength. It can be a great relief to realize that you don’t have to depend on your own strength. When you trust God for your strength you can find hope that you don’t have to find your own way out of the depths of depression.
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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