“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”
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| Photo by Kassidy Mitchell |
Do you ever talk to yourself?
Sometimes it helps. In the scripture above, David did just that, talking to his
own soul or inner man.
Sometimes it is not enough, though.
We may need the strength of another. Even the strongest among us are not capable
of picking ourselves up by our own bootstraps, but I know someone who can pick
us up when we’re down. His name is Jesus.
The thing about depression is that
sometimes we don’t always really know exactly what causes it. Some of the
listed causes include: abuse, medications, conflict, death, a loss, genetics, major
events, personal problems, serious illnesses, and substance
abuse.[i]
Though I am not trained in psychology,
psychiatry, or medicine, I can attest to the verity of many of these causes for
I have seen some of them up close and personal.
So, I know there are various causes. Multiple things can sometimes work together to bring one down in the dumps. Sometimes there may be no known explanation.
As depression feeds on itself, we might
become depressed over our own depression.
Though it may not be popular or
accepted among professionals, I know that sin
in our lives can cause us to be despondent. In some cases, this may be the main
culprit. If we are not walking in obedience with God, something deep inside our
spirits will nag at us, telling us that something is out of balance – just not
right.[ii]
For the sake of this article, let
us just talk about the depression that is just caused by, well, life – bills to
pay, difficult people, disappointments and unfulfilled dreams. In other words;
bad news got you down? How about we counter the bad news with some good news?
Through praise and thanksgiving,
God can lift up our countenance. He will lift up the hands which hang down, strengthen
our feeble knees, make straight paths for our feet and provide healing for our
troubled souls.[iii]
No wonder David said; “At midnight
I will rise to give thanks to you.” Most of us have had those midnights, those
dark hours, those troubling thoughts in the evening. What a wonderful
opportunity to rise up in thanksgiving to God. He can take our depression and
turn it into victory!
[i]
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/causes-depression#3
[ii] Again, this is not to say that all
depression is caused by sin. Guilt for wrong is strong enough to bring us
down without adding more guilt for feeling depressed.
down without adding more guilt for feeling depressed.
[iii]
See Hebrews 12.12-13.
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