Season of Depression
I had written in my prayer journal about the next topic to discuss in this blog. I got my answer. Now I’m actually sitting down to type it out…
Dear Heavenly Father,
Please guide me on what to say. The glory goes to You.
In Jesus name,
Amen
Purpose. We all need a purpose. If the purpose involves ourselves, we will fall short. Every. Time.
The reason we will fall short if we have an inward purpose is because naturally, we are sin-filled human beings. It is depressing to look to ourselves because we lack so much. Without God, we lack the fruit of the Spirit. We are nothing without Him—God.
I am not ignorant to the fact that if you are suffering from OCD, you are likely also suffering from anxiety and depression. I know this because I know this firsthand. I’ve experienced it.
I would say that anxiety is probably the worst feeling when it comes to how you feel in the moment. It seems to attack your body and keeps your mind reeling. There’s no relaxation with anxiety. It is truly torture.
Then there is depression. Depression is a bit different. In an odd way, there seems to be more relaxing; nonetheless, depression is debilitating. It makes it difficult to do anything. It reminds me of an old commercial: “depression hurts.” It hurts in a different way.
If you find yourself in a season of depression, I want to give you some encouragement: you are not alone. In fact, did you know that one of the greatest preachers that ever lived, Charles H. Spurgeon suffered from depression? If you are interested, I encourage you to read this article: Did You Know That Charles Spurgeon Struggled with Depression?
In the article, it states, “…Spurgeon came to the conclusion that those who never have to push through the waves of difficulty never grow in strength and maturity like those who do.” We can count it an honor to suffer…like gold in the furnace; we are being refined. That gives us hope in the flames.
If a strong Christian man such as Charles Spurgeon could suffer from such a terrible thing such as depression, we shouldn’t be surprised that we also might be susceptible to this heart-wrenching sorrow of the heart.
I want you to think about this quote: “The opposite of depression is not happiness it’s purpose.” ~ Cathy Heller
To be honest, I really don’t know who Cathy Heller is or if she is a Christian or not. I only know that her quote makes a lot of sense in a Christian context. Purpose. Those of us who experience depression on occasion need purpose. No inward purpose to fulfill our needs will ever get us out of the pit we are in. However, if we look outward (and most importantly, upward), we might just find what we are looking for.
I do not think we could sympathize as easily with others if we did not go what through what we go through. I look back on my life and the hard outlook I had towards others. Now, my heart has softened with a deep compassion towards others. It is in these times where we are hurting that I think we begin to see people how Jesus sees people.
Notice this quote by Spurgeon:
What if great things are ahead for you and me? Not just anything—ministry wise. What if God is preparing us now for something we do not yet see… What if He is allowing us to be refined because He knows we need it?
I think the hardest part is that others may not understand what you are going through. They may not be able to relate, but we have to endure and rely on God all the more.
These are some hard concepts to digest, but maybe with time, we’ll begin to see God’s plan unfolding. Press into Him all the more (I’m preaching to myself). Look around you—focus on who you can minister to in this tough season of refining and testing. God is preparing you to do great things for Him.
