Depression-How to overcome? What does Bible teach?

[Gilligan]

Please give your insites as to how to overcome depression from a scriptual standpoint.

 

[speakingthetruth777]

Please give your insites as to how to overcome depression from a scriptual standpoint.

"We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us."

I fought depression myself. I was close to ending my life, this was after i was saved. Thanks be to God for giving me the revelation that i can do all things through him. I dont have to worry, i dont have to fear.
Praise God


www.arkwebshost.com/biblestudies/joevberry3/

 

[Ann M]

I too fought depression and overcame it. My mantra was a simple sentence given to me by a counsellor - "Depression is a gift from God"
To me this was a wonderfully affirming statement because I knew that He was providing me with a chance to stop, look at what I have, where I am, and where I am going. How many people get the choice to evaluate their lives and choices?

For scripture references try

"This is the day that the Lord has made, Let us be glad and rejoice in it!"
Psalm 118:24

"If God be for us who can be against us" Romans 8.31

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4.13

I am also a fan of Dr Norman Vincent Peale, author of "The Power of Positive thinking. He has a website called dailyguideposts which great too.

 

[Ken]

Hi Gilligan, one of the most biblically oriented counselors I have ever read (I am just short of a Master's Degree in Counseling from a Christian Univ.) is Jay Adams. He has a short phamplet on Depression here: http://www.peacemakers.net/unity/adepressed.htm

In general, I would recommend him, as well as Dr. Larry Crabb.... just do google searches for both of these guys and you should come up with a wealth of material to help you....

blessings

PS, another highly respected theologian, Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones, has written an extensive book on this theme (depression), if you can get it for yourself, or maybe get your library to order it, it would also be a good resource, its called Spirtual Depression: Its Causes and Cures, at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0802813879/ref=pd_sim_books_2/102-6965673-0315348?v=glance&s=books

 

[s_gunter]

While I respect what has been written here, the last thing I want when I'm depressed is a reminder of what a loser I am and how someone had to go through the horror and pain of scourging and crucifixion to save my sorry self. In my experience, thoughts like these have only made it worse. However, during and after recovery, this information is very valuable so you don't slip back into that state. The reminder of, "You don't have it as bad as Yeshua and yet He overcame" is better for prevention, comfort, and encouragement than as a cure.

Just my two cents from someone who has been there, done that, and has the emotional/mental scars to prove it...

 

[aanjt]

Please give your insites as to how to overcome depression from a scriptual standpoint.

Depression is a medical condition that needs to be dealt with. The Holy Spirit gives various kinds of gifts. One is of healing. Where do we go for healing? Most of us go to a doctor. I believe that doctors (generally speaking) have the gift of healing, although through medication, which I believe God gave those people the knowledge to come up with medication to fight various illnesses. In scripture, also, it talks about if someone is ill to go and have hands laid upon them and annointed with oil. In the Episcopal Church, we call this Holy Unction (not to be confused with Extreme Unction which involves last rites).

If we have a broken leg, we normally would not sit around a pray that it will get better and that's it. Most of us would consult a doctor. To me, that is God's answer to having a broken bone healed, go to a doctor. So, from my standpoint, God gave doctors the gift of healing, and through healing there is medication, there is talking about what is going on, so IMO, I would say, go to a doctor and possibly to a therapist.

Yours in Christ,
Jen

 

[cry2Him]

put on this if you can Isaiah 61:3 .... the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

depression is caused by the spirit of heaviness. My mom went through this for years and Yahweh showed her this - that if she can just praise HIM - say praise you Jesus! (Yahshua) she would be freer from depression (the spirit of heaviness) and as she could continue in this the more free she became from depression. She is now completely free. Maybe a praise CD would help.

Job went through this in Job 9 - it is brought on by the enemy - he was later delivered from the enemy by YHWH.

i went through this for a time and found i could hardly praise HIM for the attack was so much finally, i cried out "Jesus save me". Later that evening, HE did. i have cried out to HIM many times at times when the enemies attack is too much for me. i find if i can just say "Jesus save me" or "Jesus help me" - he does - sometimes it is not immediate to me - but just wait on HIM - HE is able. Yahshua is awesome in HIS power and might. His very name means YHWH is salvation!!! Psalms is beneficial to read as well, David was really attacked at times by the enemy and sometimes i found myself praying the same things he did then for deliverance. i hope this helps - i know Yahshua (Jesus) can.

 

[theseed]

aanjt, for once we agree. The bible gives us many reasons to hope and have joy. Jesus never promised us we would be happy, nor do I think the OT does, but it does promise contentment (joy). In proverbs, it says that we would be wise to listen and give an hear, and this case, I think counselings can help you, counseling is a helping process, a facilitating process.

In addition to counseling, medication can treat the chemical side of depression, with both of these combined, one gets the most help.

 

[SavedByGrace3]

Sometimes depression is the natural response of your spirit/soul/body to the environment. Perhaps you are in a bad marriage, sad job, wrong social structure. Depression is the reaction of your soul to the situation. Sometimes the only way to get rid of it is to deal with the source. Fix your marriage, get new job, get new friends... whatever.

Find out what is bugging you and deal with it.

If all these things seem to be ok...then there may be another source for your depression. This other source may be brain chemistry. See a doctor and he can help you deal with that with a medical response.

Could be an attitude problem.
Could be that you are expecting too much from life, the people in your life, or even yourself. The end result of this is that you feel like you are being let down by people and that you are a failure. You may feel guilty.
Mellow out. Let them and yourself off the hook.

Could be that you have the notion that you are the center of everything that happens in your life. The dog barks at night just to keep you awake. You hear someone laughing across the room and you immediately think they are laughing at you. Understand that you are not the center of it all.

I find that some people are of the opinion that God is responsible for their problems. They blame Him, are angry at Him, and naturally are really burdened by this. Solution to this is to realize He did not do it. He saved you, provided healing for you, provided prosperity for you... and is not in the "tormenting you" business.

Yes there is a devil Louis.
The devil is a master of depression and other mental states. He can manipulate your mind and get you thinking anything he wants if you do not know how to resist him.

Find out who you are in Christ. Find out what God is like. Find out what belongs to you by virtue of the work of Jesus in redemption. Renew your mind with the word of God.

Dids

 

[merryheart]

Several excellent posts are here about healing and mending. I *do not* in any way minimize those, but absolutely agree and want to add something the Lord has been teaching me personally (hence the handle

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the
bones.

I have been asking Him daily to bring His joy into my heart. (it is working...)