Depression
In Ps 119:25 the Psalmist says “I am laid low in the dust”, and then in verse 28 “My soul is weary with sorrow” (one commentator paraphrases “I have collapsed with intense sorrow”). These days we’d probably diagnose him with depression and pack him off to the doctors to get some happy pills. But for the writer of this Psalm, there is no question where he will turn first for comfort and strength – the Word of God.
25 I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
…
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
Of course, I in no way want to trivialise the very real issue of depression, or glibly claim that a few hours of Bible reading will automatically fix it, but it does raise the issue of where we do we turn in times of sorrow. Part of the battle with depression is the battle for the mind (see Matt Hosier’s excellent prayer for depression), and to fight that battle effectively we must fill our minds with truth.
Grace and Truth
The reason the Psalmist turns to the Word of God when he is feeling low is that he knows that it is a source of grace and truth:
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;
be gracious to me through your law.
30 I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set my heart on your laws.
This is an interesting combination of terms since in John 1:17 it says that “the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John is not denying that the law contains grace and truth, but is claiming that the fullest expression of God’s grace and truth is found in Jesus. This is why a christological approach to Scripture is so important. The Bible leads us into grace and truth as we let it point us to Christ.
Freedom
The final verse in Psalm 119:25-32 (“the Daleth strophe”) is perhaps favourite in the whole Psalm, although it would appear that the translators can’t quite agree on how the second phrase should be translated. I like the NIV 1984’s “you have set my heart free” and think it fits well with the metaphor of running:
I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
It is often assumed that a life of following commands must be one of drudgery, but for the Psalmist, the opposite is true. For him, it is when he is “running” in the path of God’s commands that he is free from anxiety and fear. Running in God’s way is both liberating and refreshing. I think the Psalmist would agree with the sentiment of Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire when he says, “when I run I feel His pleasure”.
Anxiety and depression have reached almost epidemic proportions in Western society, and the church is not immune from this. At Gateway we have called a day of prayer and fasting today for those who are struggling with depression, but knowing exactly how to pray can be difficult. How, then, should we pray for Christians who are suffering from these illnesses? Here are a few pointers…
Pray with sensitivity for the body of Christ
· If you are a Christian you are intimately and organically connected with other Christians, and this is worked out by your membership of a local church. What happens to one part of this body affects every other part – as 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, “If one member suffers, all suffer together.”
· This means praying for others with compassion even if you cannot empathize with what they are going through. Those who have never suffered depression can find it very difficult to understand the illness – don’t let this be a bar to compassion!
· The letter to the Galatians says that we are to “bear one another’s burdens” yet at the same time each one of us is to “bear your own load” (Gal 6:2,5). Corporately we are to help each other. Individually we are not to give up!
· As 1 Thessalonians 5:14 urges us, we need to treat people with an appropriate combination of gentleness and firmness – and recognize that we won’t always get this balance right.
Pray for sudden breakthrough
· Sometimes those suffering with depression have an encounter with God that leads to their immediate and total healing. We should pray for this!
· Sickness is part of the curse of our fallen world, and as the kingdom of God breaks in sickness is banished – so we should always pray for immediate deliverance.
Trust in the sovereignty of God
· While we pray in faith for immediate breakthrough, very often we have to endure under hardship. Immediate healing is under the sovereignty of God, and so is patient endurance.
· We need to believe Romans 8:28-30!
· Our troubles are meant to drive us closer to God, as they prove and purify our faith. The struggles we go through are permitted by a sovereign God in order that we might be conformed to the image of Christ.
· Often it is our sufferings that do the most to shape us in a Christ-like way, and the end result of this is our glorification!
· We mustn’t allow our lack of understanding to be a bar to God’s perfect understanding. Often our suffering will seem inexplicable (just look at the story of Job!) but we must stay firm in the belief that God is working out his sovereign plan.
· In this life we will experience many things that cause us to groan in pain, but the sure hope of resurrection should keep us pressing on (2 Corinthians 5:4).
· Recognizing the sovereignty of God also releases us from the pressure of thinking we have to fix everything – in the end God is in control.
Fight the battle for the mind
· Our worship of God is meant to involve our bodies and our minds, and this means we need to engage in a fight that is both body and mind (Romans 12:1-2).
· Sometimes the cause of depression is physical, due to chemical imbalances in the brain. When this is the case we need to pray for physical healing.
· We also need to pray for the development of right thought patterns. Our minds can be trained for better or worse. We should train them for better!
· The battle for the mind involves a fight against anxiety and for God’s peace (Philippians 4:6-7). The way we engage in this fight is not by focussing on anxiety, but on truth and hope. Truth and hope grow in us as we make a practice of thankfulness. We need to train our minds towards gratitude.
Break the power of sin
· Anxiety/depression can be the result of sin.
· If the sin is something that has been committed against you, then lay hold of the death of Christ which is our expiation. This means that Christ’s death has absorbed all the sin that has defiled us. Christ’s death means you are no longer defiled by what others have done to you, but declared spotless because of Christ’s atoning blood.
· Laying hold of this means developing the practice of forgiveness. As long as we remain in unforgiveness to someone, we are not free from what they have done to us.
· However, if the root of anxiety/depression is sin that has been committed by you, then repent, and lay hold of the death of Christ which is our propitiation. This means that the wrath of God which should be our just reward has instead been born by Christ, so God’s anger has been turned away from us. Hallelujah!
Identify our cultural vulnerabilities to anxiety/depression
· Many people suffer from options paralysis – we have so many options we find it impossible to decide which to choose!
· Choice is not always a blessing and can be the cause of huge mental stress.
· In the Western world we are not engaged in a physical fight for survival, as most people in most places for most of history have been. But our enemy is always looking for ways to destroy us – and emotional sickness is one way by which he attempts this.
· In response, we need to find our security and identity in Christ, and be alert to Satan, resisting him so that he will flee from us (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Recognize that it is often good things that cause anxiety/depression
· Significant causes of depression are things that should make us happy! This includes such things as a house move, job change, marriage, or having a baby.
· We need to identify Satan’s tactics to rob us of joy – and fight!
· We need to recognize a spiritual fight for what it is, and lay hold of the armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Thank God for common grace
· There are many things God provides for us that can help us in the fight against depression, and we should thank him for them, even if they seem very ‘normal’.
· These things include friends to talk to, medication, sick pay, and appropriate therapies. These are gifts from God, which we are to be thankful for.
· Thankfulness is a powerful weapon against depression!
Fight the stigma and shame
· The shame of suffering depression can be a significant reason for keeping us locked in depression. We need to fight this.
· This doesn’t mean that everyone has to know everything about our mental health – just as we might not want everyone to know everything about personal physical health issues.
· We need to recognize that Jesus is our scapegoat, who has born our shame and disgrace (Hebrews 12:2). In him, we will never be put to shame!
· We also need to see the honesty and rawness of the Bible, when great saints of God call out in emotional pain to him. E.g., Psalm 22.
· We need to find people we can talk to appropriately, about what we are experiencing, without feeling ashamed.
Grasp who you are in Christ
· If you are a Christian then you are chosen by God and precious to him. You are part of his body and bride, and he delights over you. Jesus died to save you, the Father has adopted you, and the Spirit dwells in you. Feed yourself on these truths.
No comments:
Post a Comment