One thing that makes me depressed is that I sometimes get depressed for no reason. It’s a beautiful day, with no real problems to speak of. All is going well. But I feel down—crying down. It’s as though a black cloud is hanging over me that I just can’t shake.
Amid this, I take comfort in knowing it’s biblical. If you read the Psalms, you’ll see that David—even though he was a king with a large bank account and loyal subjects—still became deeply depressed. So did Elijah, Jeremiah, and the apostle Paul. At one point, Paul despaired of life itself:
“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”
—2 Corinthians 1:8
One thing that depresses many people is the drudgery of daily living. It’s the same routine every day. Let me tell you mine.
“Look to the cross and thank God that He is the Lover of your soul. Thank Him that your eternity is secure, that heaven awaits you, and that His faithful hand guides your every step.”
I wake up and lie there for a moment while I recover. Then I get up and take a shower. I open the bedroom door, and every morning, my dog is waiting at the top of the stairs. I go downstairs and turn on the kitchen light. Then I turn on the other lights in the house. I raise the living room blind, open the back door, and check the weather. It’s pretty much the same every day. Then I look at our chickens. I go back inside and make breakfast. It’s the same breakfast every day. Day after day.
For many, that kind of sameness can feel like a depressing drudge.
Now, let me show you how a change in attitude can change everything.
I wake up in the morning and thank God that I woke up. I have time to lie in bed and recover. Then I have a wonderful hot shower, which I love.
I open my bedroom door, and there’s my faithful dog waiting to greet me. She loves me, and I seriously thank God every day for her loving faithfulness.
I go downstairs and turn on the kitchen light. Electricity is amazing! Then I turn on the other lights with my voice. That always makes me smile. A friend set it up for me. When I simply say, “Turn on living room,” seven sets of lights come on at once.
Then I open the back door and see another beautiful California day. I have eyesight! My eyes work. I think of how many blind people would love to see what I get to see every day.
And now I have another day to serve the Lord. What an incredible honor!
Then I look at the chickens and think how blessed Sue and I are to have these birds that faithfully give us eggs every day—eggs we can eat and share with friends. Those eggs are gifts from heaven.
I recently received a text from a friend who told me he had congestive heart failure as well as coronary artery disease. He said he would be in the hospital for three days.
Then listen to what he said in that same text:
“Pray I make the most of the opportunity.”
The next day, I received a video of him sharing the biblical gospel with nurses while he was being wheeled in on a gurney.
That’s the key to fighting depression.
It’s not the depression that’s the big issue—it’s how we deal with it.
Do we really believe that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose? If so, then even our bouts of depression are somehow being used for our good. And for that, we can give God heartfelt thanks.
Remember, too, that if you’re a Christian, you’re a soldier of Christ. You’re in the middle of a very real battle—not against flesh and blood, but against a fallen world and spiritual forces of darkness.
Soldiers have plenty to be depressed about. They’re away from loved ones, and their lives can be taken in an instant. One explosion could cost them their hands or legs. They have every reason to be discouraged.
But they’re still soldiers.
They don’t stop fighting because they feel depressed.
And that’s a lesson for you and me.
We must never give up, lose heart, or surrender to the temptation to pity ourselves.
Look to the cross and thank God that He is the Lover of your soul. Thank Him that your eternity is secure, that heaven awaits you, and that His faithful hand guides your every step.
