III. Overcoming depression

 

Now you know how to identify depression, you know its symptoms, and you can also identify its causes. But this is not enough! You need to know how to overcome it. That is the problem with modern psychology: It only tells people what they are suffering from, but when it comes to the solution, it's absolutely useless.

 

But thank God we don't have to rely on it. As children of the living God, our Father who cares for us has already provided the way and the means for us to overcome. Jesus is the Way; and the Word and the Spirit of God are the means that you need to overcome depression.

 

A. Identifying the problem pattern

But before we can look at how the word of God and the Spirit of God can be applied to dealing with depression, you need to know the causes of depression in your life - the first step in trying to overcome depression. You need to identify the root causes. Most people major on the symptoms; that is what the medical model is based on. They will give some anti-depressant to calm you down, to reduce the symptoms. But dealing with symptoms is like cutting the branches of a tree and hoping that it will die. It is a waste of time! Destroy the roots and the tree will die. It's as simple as that.

 

At this stage you need to submit yourself to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to show you the cause(s) of your depression. For the bible says that "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind,"

You don't know your own heart, only God does.

 

 

 

1. No recognition or acceptance

 

We saw that failure to obtain recognition or acceptance was a cause of depression. So you need to ask yourself, "Why am I depressed?"  Is it because your wife and children refuse to be grateful for all the sacrifices you make for them? Is it because you fail an exam? Is it because your interview for a job wasn't successful? Is it because your husband doesn't give you enough attention? What is it? Allow the Spirit to reach deep down into your heart and show you.

 

 

2. No clear or future goal

 

Is it because you don't know what to do with your life? Perhaps you managed to find something to do and worked hard to bring it to completion. But in the last while everything just crumbled down. Is it because you don't have the means and resources to achieve your goal? As you ask yourself these questions don't forget to always look at the events that lead to depression. It can also be that you may not be realistic with regard to the goal you want to achieve. Sometimes people want something but are not prepared to pay the price to get it. It doesn't always work that way. By digging deeper you might probably find that what you are after is not what you actually need. I know for example some people who want to be say, a teacher, not because they have what it takes, but because their dad was a teacher. But just because your dad was a teacher doesn't make you one!

 

 

3. Triggering to past events

 

You look at this when you are unable to find the cause of your depression in the first two. Look for a trigger when you are unable to explain logically, or understand, what's happening to you. You need to allow the Holy Spirit to help you with this. You need to allow your mind to go back to the events of your past. Try to find out if there are some similarities between what you are going through and what you went through in the past.

 

If you are dealing with a trigger, you will definitely find it there somewhere. You will find that what's happening to you now reminds you of something, or in many ways is similar in many circumstances, to what you went through in the past. As you discover this, you're on your way to freedom. For as the Lord says, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." You might immediately remember how you got out of that situation in your past victoriously, and that's it, you've got the revelation you need for your freedom.

 

 

B.   Scriptural alternatives

 

As said already, we need to look to the scriptures and the Holy Spirit in dealing with any life problem. Depression is no different! Let's look at some of the scriptural ways to deal with depression. We will be looking at some biblical examples that we have seen already and see what biblical principles the individuals concerned applied in order to overcome depression.

 

 

1. Incorrect reactions

 

We have already seen that reacting sinfully to situations can lead to depression. The first example used was Cain. You remember that he got upset because God rejected his offering? Now, as we saw, rejection itself was not the issue but rather his reaction. As he complained to God, He gave Him the solution. God said "...Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

 

God showed him that there was a way out of the situation. He showed him that the issue was sin that was lying at the door. He didn't have to choose the sinful option. There was a better option. What was it? It was the scriptural and Godly option! He said, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" So we can see that God even provided Cain with a solution to the rejection that seemed cause his depression. But he didn't listen, did he?

 

If your depression is caused by an incorrect reaction to a situation in your life, I believe that God is telling you the same thing. He wants you to choose the godly option. The bible says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

 

Allow the word of God to help you discern the thoughts and intents of your heart! In other words, the word will expose your true motives. And as I said if these are sinful and selfish, then you are going to have to repent and ask God to forgive you.

 

But you don't stop there, because the word of doesn't simply expose your sinful motives, it shows you what to do, for "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The word will instruct you with regard to the right to do.

 

 

Elijah

Now let's look at how God dealt with Elijah. Like Cain, Elijah too reacted wrongly to the situation. He reacted wrongly to the threat of Jezebel. I mean for someone who has challenged and defeated hundreds of prophets of Baal; to run for his life because of Jezebel seems a bit strange, but that was the reality. The other reason why he ran was because he didn't know all the facts. He thought that he had failed.

 

 

         2. Elijah and the Physical therapy

          

          

             a.      He Made Him sleep

So as a result of all this running and depression he became really exhausted. He prayed he might die. But instead of killing Him, God instead started the healing process. How? He made him sleep; Elijah really needed the rest. So if you are exhausted and worn out as a result of your depression, you need to take it easy and rest. We saw that tiredness and weariness was a symptom of depression, it is therefore important that you rest and that's just what God administered to Elijah.

 

 

• b. He Made Him eat

Sleep only solves part of the problem of weariness and tiredness. In addition sleep, remember that one of the symptoms of depression was lost of appetite. Now if you are exhausted and you cannot eat then you are in trouble because the energy reserves of your body are not being renewed nor restored. That's why God sent an angel to wake Elijah up and make him eat. He rested again and had a second meal. As a result, the Bible says that he was strengthened.

If you are depressed, you need the same treatment; you need some good and healthy food. You need your body to be strengthened. It is interesting to see that God is concerned with us having a healthy body. He wants our whole being; spirit, soul and body to prosper and to be healthy.

 

 

• c. He made Him exercise

We read, "and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God." We see that one of the reasons why God made him eat and sleep was build an energy reserve that would be use for the final step of the physical therapy: exercise.  He made Elijah exercise by walking for 40 days and forty nights.

 

Research has shown that exercise improves depression in many ways. Exercise is said to alter the levels of an important brain chemical called Serotonin. Serotonin contributes to a range of functions, including, sleep and waking cycles, sex drive, appetite and mood. So as you exercise you improve your mood and your sense of well-being and your sleeping pattern.

 

 Another group of chemicals that are thought to be released during exercise are called endorphins; they are the natural painkillers of our body and therefore provide relief from some aches and pains, which accompany depression.

Exercise also helps burn up some stress chemicals such as adrenaline, which promote a more relaxed state of mind. There are many other benefits. God knows all this that's why he made Elijah exercise. So you need some exercise!

 

 

 

 

3.  Ministering the Word

 

When Elijah got to mount Horeb, God continued the treatment. The first thing that he did was to speak to him. He started to minister the word to him.  We read, "And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"  Why did God speak to him? Because a depressed person needs somebody to talk to! They have a lot to talk about but usually they withdraw from people and isolate themselves. Do you know why? Because most people don't have the time and the patience to listen to them! People suffering depression have a lot to talk about and complain about.

 

 

 

• a. He listened to him

 

So God started by simply asking an open question. He did not condemn him. God wanted to listen. The very reason of His question was for Elijah to talk and for Him to listen.

 

God wanted to help Elijah. He wanted Elijah to share his concerns and difficulties with Him, He wanted Elijah to share his heart with Him. He was sympathising with Him. This is very important because a depressed person is already feeling guilty enough, so they don't need you to come and condemn them. If you do, they will withdraw from you.

 

 As I said a depressed person needs someone to talk to, but above all they need someone to listen to them. Obviously you cannot talk if there is none to listen to you. The benefit of this is that the person feels there is at least someone who cares.

 

Speaking in itself is liberating! I saw this for the first time with a friend who came to see me because he was troubled. I asked what was going on and he started to pour his heart out. After he finished talking I wanted to say something because I was really concerned for him. But surprisingly He stopped me and said, "that's all I needed, I just needed someone to talk to and not a counselling session." And to be honest he was fine he looked great and I listened to him.

 

God was a great listener for Elijah; He is also a great listener for you as well. If you feel nobody has time for you, don't worry; simply turn to your heavenly Father. He cares. Do as the scripture says, "...go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly...For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. He is there waiting for you. He won't rush to leave. He will give you all the time and attention that you need.

 

  

• b. He gave Him revelation

 

God says in Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." What sort of knowledge was he talking about? He was talking about revelation knowledge. If you are depressed you need to know the truth, the truth about yourself and the truth about the whole situation. That's what God did with Elijah. Let's look at the answer that Elijah gave God, "I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life."

This is Elijah's version about the whole situation!  But knowing the story, you know that there were a lot of facts that he ignored.

 

So God decided to give him some revelation, he wanted to share with Elijah His version of the whole situation. The first thing that God wanted to show Elijah was the wrong expectation that was in his heart. What was it? He needed God. He wanted God to speak to him about the whole situation. But the old template deceived him. What was the old template? It clearly expressed in the following verse,

 

"Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire;"

 

Elijah was used to the manifestations of God through the elements of nature such as wind, fire, water, earthquakes etc... But the Bible says that he was looking for God at the wrong place. God was in none of those things. So the Lord wanted to show him that, he needed to know the truth. He thought that he was alone yet God was with him all along.

 

The second thing that God revealed was that he was not the only person left. He said, "Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him." Elijah didn't know that, he thought that He had failed. Yet there was about seven thousand who were still faithful to God.

So as you can image Elijah was really relieved and encouraged by all these revelations.

 

This might be your case, you might be depressed simply because you have the wrong information about the situation you are in. You might be depressed because your expectations were not met. You might be depressed because you expected God to do things in a certain way and he didn't.

 

This reminds me of a friend of mine who got depressed and angry with God because according to him God promised that he would pass his exams. But he failed. When I asked him if he knew the timing of that prophecy, he was speechless. He was chocked because he didn't see it that way. What I said came to him came as a revelation and suddenly he realised how wrong he was. Sometimes that's what we need: the truth, the right information and knowledge.

 

If only Elijah had that knowledge, that revelation; if he knew that God was with him all along, he wouldn't have been depressed. You can also find some encouragement in the Lord if you allow Him to give you some revelations, some truth about what you are going through. As it is written that truth shall set you free!

 

The other thing that we learn here is the fact that you need to talk to someone, who not only will sympathise with you but someone who will also disagree with you. Sympathy alone won't help. As it is written, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." What you hear might be difficult to take but they are better than the kisses of an enemy!

 

 

 

• c. He gave him a new hope

 

15 And the LORD said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when you come, anoint Hazael [to be] king over Syria:
16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shall you anoint [to be] king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shall you anoint [to be] prophet in your place.
17 And it shall come to pass, [that] he that escapes the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and he that escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

 

We saw that the symptoms Elijah suffered included lose of all hope and wanting to die. So now God decided to give him a new hope. That's what he needed. He needed a new goal, and he needed a new direction. He needed something to live for!

 

As we saw earlier a depressed person often has no future goal. So to help them break free, give them a new goal, a new purpose. What was Elijah's all about? It was about helping and serving others. God gave him an anointing so that he may anoint some people mentioned in the above verses.

 

You too need a new goal and a new direction. Whatever that goal, it has to be about serving others. Do you know why? Because, "...whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." "...For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."  That's the key. Do you want God to bless you? Do you want others to care for you?  Well take your eyes off yourself and begin to serve others. As you do that they will serve you too. Why? Because you reap what you sow. So instead of complaining about nobody caring for you, start caring for somebody! 

 

 

 

4. The healing presence of the Lord

 

We have already spoken at length about this. God's presence brings freedom and healing. It is only He that can heal you completely. As we have just seen, it was in the presence of the Lord that Elijah was set free from his depression. So you need His presence, you need to hear His voice. If you are so depressed that you cannot get into His presence then, swallow your pride and get someone who will be prepared to stand with you! Get someone who knows how to minister the Spirit of God, someone who knows how to release the healing presence of the Lord, His anointing. This is so important because, "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

 

 

 

 

5. The Lord Jesus and Peter

 

 The Lord Jesus also helped Peter to break free from depression. Let's see how he did it! I don't have the time to go into details here but if you read the whole of chapter 21 in the gospel of John, you will see that most principles that were applied to Elijah were applied to Peter as well. However there are some principles to overcoming depression which are made more explicit in Jesus' dealing with Peter, so I am going to major on these.

 

The first thing that we see is forgiveness.  We read that, "...When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea." Why was he running? It wasn't only because he was naked, but he had denied Jesus three times. Yet before his denial he had vowed to be faithful until death. So he runs because, He was full of guilt and condemnation. He didn't believe that he could be forgiven but Jesus did it for Him. He forgave Him and so too He can forgive whatever your sin is. Don't run away just come to Him! He never condemns, and so He will never condemn you.

 

The second thing is that He gave him a new hope. As a sign that He has never been mad at Peter, He renewed the calling exactly as it was in the beginning. How? By performing the same miracle. He made them catch plenty of fish. It was a way of saying, " Peter I still see you as a  ‘Men catcher'." The other sign that He wasn't mad at Peter was that, "Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." The last time they were eating Peter vowed to be faithful until death. It was a way of saying, "Peter, despite what happened, I still trust you, and I trust you enough to sit at the same table with you again." He accepted Peter; He turned his failure around.

 

The Lord finished by showing Peter what mattered. It was love. Love for Him and love for others, in other words the two most important commandments. So He asked him three times if he loved Him and Peter answered yes. So "He said to him, "Follow

Me."

 

So, above all, what you need to break free from depression is love. As God's love takes hold of your life, you will be able to take your eyes off yourself and serve others.

It is only the love of God in your heart that will meet your need for acceptance and recognition.

 

If Jesus did it for Peter, He can and will do it for you. So why don't you run to Him now?