Depression: A Devotional For The Wounded Spirit Намуна

Yesterday we looked at the fact that it’s okay to grieve. However, sometimes we can make the mistake of isolating for long periods of time when what we really need are other people to share the burden of what we’re feeling. In the midst of depression or a sense of worthlessness, we can feel our burden is too much to bear by others. And it just might be.

Imagine the death of a loved one, going through a horrible break-up, and losing your job all at once. This scenario could easily cause many of us to spiral quickly into despair, and we’d need a lot of support. This is why community is so important in the midst of our hurt because it’s a lot of heaviness for just one or two people to bear.

We can often turn to one person all the time instead of God, and look to them to fix our depression or have them act as our functional savior. When you turn to multiple people the weight of the burden is shared. Each of them can also help point you to the cross and our true Savior who sympathizes and mourns with us better than any of our friends really could.

The Scriptures remind us that it’s important to “weep with those who weep,” so having a biblical community that can sit with you in your grief and encourage you is essential. The complex emotions you’re experiencing may bring you to tears in front of your community, and that’s okay.

Even Christ himself wept in the midst of his friends when he learned Lazarus has died. He allowed himself to experience grief with the family and others in the story. He didn’t negate the pain of the moment, even though he knew that Lazarus would rise again and live. Instead, he wept with those who were weeping, reminding us that he also cares for our afflictions, even though the beautiful ending we can’t see may be on the horizon.

Today’s practical step:

Try finding a different person in your church/community/friend group for every day of the week who will help encourage and sit with you in the midst of what you’re going through.