Depression (1)

	Do you ever feel "down and out" or depressed?  If so, then you are normal.  In fact, Dr. Gary Collins suggests in his book "Christian Counseling" that everyone experiences some degree of depression during his or her lifetime.
	Still, depression is one of the greatest problems experienced in our society today.  An article in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" refers to depression as a "disease" which has afflicted more humans than any other illness.
	According to Dr. Collins, depression can result in unhappiness and inefficiency.  It can produce masked reactions intended to hide the real problem.  These reactions can include aggression as well as impulsive behavior such as gambling, drinking and violence.  Depression may lead to withdrawal or, even worse, suicide.
	Once we are aware of the link between depression and these results, just a casual look at the society around us is enough to convince us of the effect that depression is having on us.
	How can we tell, though, the difference between what we all experience and the depression which poses a threat?  The problem is generally related to the frequency or intensity of the depression.  We all become depressed, but not frequently and for long periods.  Many people are simply able to deal with depression and associated problems and then to go on with their lives.  By the way, those who have constantly been faced with unreasonable situations with no chance for success have difficulty dealing with depression.  This is also true of  those who have been sheltered from problems and thus have not developed through experience methods to overcome them.
	Mood swings and even depression are normal.  We have highs.  And we have lows.  Frequently they are associated.  We are excited about an upcoming holiday or vacation.  We should be aware that this high will most likely be followed by an equivalent low.  This is normal.  The danger comes when the highs are too high or the lows too low, when the cycle occurs too frequently, or when we get stuck on either end.
	Lets assume for the rest of our discussion that we are not talking about the kind of depression we all experience.  What we want to examine is the depression which poses a threat to an individual as well as to those around him.
	Depression leaves certain signs.  Among those listed by Dr. Collins are: sadness, apathy, inertia, loss of energy, fatigue, fear, negative self-concept, loss of interest in usual activities, difficulties in concentration, and loss of appetite.
	The cause of depression may in some cases be physical or genetic.  It may result from causes ranging from lack of sleep and improper diet to drugs, low blood sugar and other chemical problems, and brain tumors.  Depression may also run in families.  The key here, though, is the word "may."  Families may be prone to depression, but depression does not appear to be something which is inherited such as hair color.  We do not have to depressed just because our parents were.
	One more thing to remember is that physical problems should be left to trained physicians.  Too often, well-meaning friends or relatives cause harm by trying to diagnose a situation when they lack both the training and experience.
   	Another source of depression is what Dr. Collins calls "background causes."  This refers to children who have been separated from their parents and raised in institutions, children who have been rejected by their parents, and children who have been reared in status-seeking families which set unrealistic standards which are impossible to meet.
	Depression can also be the result of learned helplessness.  This occurs when we feel we are surrounded by situations over which we have no control.
	Negative thinking can also lead to depression.  Sometimes we have a negative view of life.  It seems to be full of nothing but obstacles.  We may have a negative view of ourselves.  We are inadequate or unworthy.  Or we have a negative view of the future.  There is no hope.
	As with most of these causes, it is difficult to separate the cause from the effect.  Does negative thinking lead to depression, or does depression lead to negative thinking?  Actually, one probably leads to the other, resulting in a downward spiral.
	Depression can stem from the stresses of life, including loss of job, health, freedom, possessions or a loved one.
	Anger can result in depression, expecially when the person turns it in on himself.
	And guilt can also lead to depression, which leads to more guilt, which leads to more depression...and so the cycle goes.
	Now we have a simplified view of the problem.  But what are we going to do about it?  More importantly, what can we learn from the Bible which can help us?  

	Although the Bible does not make direct reference to depression, it is evident that it is a problem experienced by biblical characters.  David is obviously experiencing depression when He writes some of the Psalms.
	"I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold;" David laments in Psalm 69:2-4, "I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me. 
	"I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. 
	"Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies, what I did not steal, I then have to restore." 
	"O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before Thee," we read in Psalm 88:1-5. 
	"Let my prayer come before Thee; incline Thine ear to my cry! 
	"For my soul has had enough troubles, and my life has drawn near to Sheol. 
	"I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength, 
	"Forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom Thou dost remember no more, and they are cut off from Thy hand." 
	"Hear my prayer, O Lord! And let my cry for help come to Thee," we find in Psalm 102:1-11. 
	"Do not hide Thy face from me in the day of my distress; incline Thine ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly. 
	"For my days have been consumed in smoke, and my bones have been scorched like a hearth. 
	"My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away, indeed, I forget to eat my bread. 
	"Because of the loudness of my groaning my bones cling to my flesh. 
	"I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places. 
	"I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. 
	"My enemies have reproached me all day long; those who deride me have used my {name} as a curse. 
	"For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping, because of Thine indignation and Thy wrath; For Thou hast lifted me up and cast me away. 

	"My days are like a lengthened shadow; and I wither away like grass." 
	Even Jesus seems to be depressed in the garden the night before His great ordeal.
	"Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray,'" we read in Matthew 26:36-41.
	"And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 
	"Then He said to them, 'My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.' 
	"And He went a little beyond {them,} and fell on His face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' 
	"And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, 'So, you {men} could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.'"
	Notice that, as in all things, Jesus has the answer for us in dealing with depression.  He entrusts everything to God and submits everything to His will.  David appears to have learned this lesson in handling his depression.
	"But as for me," we note in Psalm 69:13-18, "my prayer is to Thee, O Lord, at an acceptable time; O God, in the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, answer me with Thy saving truth. 
	"Deliver me from the mire, and do not let me sink; may I be delivered from my foes, and from the deep waters. 
	"May the flood of water not overflow me, and may the deep not swallow me up, and may the pit not shut its mouth on me. 
	"Answer me, O Lord, for Thy lovingkindness is good; according to the greatness of Thy compassion, turn to me, and do not hide Thy face from Thy servant, for I am in distress; answer me quickly. 
	"Oh draw near to my soul {and} redeem it; Ransom me because of my enemies!" 
	"But Thou, O Lord, dost abide forever; and Thy name to all generations, we find in Psalm 102:12-13. 
	"Thou wilt arise {and} have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come. 
	Two of the apostles help us see the right and wrong ways to deal with depression.	
	"And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, 'Before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times.'  And he went out and wept bitterly," we are told in Matthew 26:75 after Peter denies Jesus. 
	But Peter obviously refuses to dwell on this mistake and quickly focuses his attention once more upon the Lord.
	"Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge;" this same apostle joins John in declaring to the Jewish council in Acts 4:19-20, "for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard."
	"We must obey God rather than men," Peter and the other apostles proudly inform the Jewish council in Acts 5:29-31. 
	"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 
	"He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." 
	On the other hand we have Judas and his solution to a depressing situation.
	"Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders," Matthew 27:3-5 records, "saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' But they said, 'What is that to us? See {to that} yourself!' 
	"And he threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself."
	Just what practical advice, though, does the Bible provide to help us deal with depression?  Lord willing, we will consider this question next time.  But for right now we need to understand one thing.  No matter what our problem, God has the answer.  The world burdens us with concerns, doubts and depression.  God wants to help.  He wants us to listen to and obey the truth so we can be set free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."