DEPRESSION - PRACTICAL ANSWERS FROM the BIBLEনমুনা

Psalm 13 (NLT): For the choir director: A psalm of David. O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!” Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me.

Psalm 42:6 (NLT): My God! Now, I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you—even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar.

Psalm 42:9 (NLT): “O God, my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”

Matthew 27:46 (NLT): At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

1 Kings 19:13 (NLT): When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Expressing your feelings

Yes, you have the right to express how you feel, both the positive and the negative. In Psalm 42, Korah's descendant expresses his dismay to God: "My soul is overwhelmed ...Why have you forgotten me ?"

No, expressing what is in our hearts is not a sin. God knows what is in our hearts anyway. Expressing it out loud is the first step towards freedom.

If you do not know where to start expressing your feelings, look for a list of emotions on the Internet to help you. For example, for emotions linked to sadness: downcast, distressed, discouraged, disappointed, despairing,... Choose the words that come closest to what you are feeling, and dare to say: "I'm desperate, I'm tired because...".

God encourages Elijah to pour out his heart. In the first book of Kings, chapter 19, verses 9 and 13, God repeatedly asks Elijah the same question, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Faced with his discouraged servant, the Lord does not have a word of condemnation but an important lesson for all generations of believers to come.

Even Jesus shows us the way by expressing His pain on the cross, even though He chose to give His life for us: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"His suffering is so violent that He no longer calls God his Father.

Take the time to pour out your heart to God!