Victory Over Depressionናሙና

Do you want to get better?  

Some have experienced symptoms of depression for so long that it has become familiar and even comfortable, like a heavy blanket. For others, even considering the thought of having a mental illness is culturally unacceptable. It certainly was for me years ago. As an African-American Christian in my community, I was told we did not “get depression.” That certainly has a double meaning—I wasn’t supposed to be diagnosed with depression, nor did many in my community have a full understanding of what it was. I remember being told that depression was a curse or punishment from God. But that is not what the Bible says! Psalms tells us that God is close to the person with a broken spirit and contrite heart. That word for contrite in Hebrew, dakka, is translated as crushed. This is certainly how many depressed people feel at times. God’s word says He is near the one with the broken heart—that doesn’t sound like a curse to me!

But sometimes we do not feel Him near us and begin to doubt that He is there. We get caught up in how we feel and find comfort in something other than Him. Has depression become a comfort blanket for you? Have you wrapped the gloom around you like a shroud because getting better temporarily only results in being right back to where you started? Or have you been made to feel that Christians should not get depressed? The problem in both cases is the mindset. If you have your mind set in fear, fear of not totally getting better or fear of being thought of as less than a perfect Christian, it can immobilize you. Unless you make up your mind to move forward, you will stay the same way and not get any better. 

Remember the old Tom and Jerry cartoons? Tom the cat would sometimes have an angel on one shoulder telling him to do the thing that was good, while a little demon would be on the other shoulder telling him to do something bad. You have life and death choices set before you every single day. What will you choose? You do have to decide if you want to get better. Refuse to stay stuck or continue wandering in the wilderness. Decide today that you will choose life and life-giving principles so that you can walk in victory.