Too many people these days are affected by depression in some way or another. Either you suffer from it, have suffered from it, or know someone who suffers/has suffered from it. It's a problem that is getting worse and worse.
Depression is not a small thing. It is big. And to compare your depression to other people's problems is not helpful, good, or holy. Let's pretend for a moment that depression was small, though. Christ doesn't want to only save the "big" problems. He wants to heal all of us. Imagine if a doctor only would heal the "big" stuff. He wouldn't be a very good doctor. Well, Christ is the Good Doctor. And He wants to heal you of your big stuff and your small stuff.
But, depression is big. People literally die from it. It should be treated like something that is deadly and serious. When people are diagnosed with cancer, they always want to fight for their lives. Depression is like cancer. In order to overcome it, you have to fight for your life. It's that serious.
Don't be fooled by the Bible verses that talk about worry. Worry and depression are different things. People who suffer from depression do tend to worry more, but that is a result of depression. Christ would not be so heartless to just say, "Your depression is no excuse." No, that's not like Christ at all. Instead, He'd say, "Let me heal your depression, my beloved."
As a Youth Minister, I often hear the question, "If God is good, why would He allow us to suffer?" How could He allow depression to even exist? After all, people don't choose depression.
I don't know how people can survive without struggling with depression, if I'm honest. In my own life, I have witnessed things that have to cause some sort of reaction in me. These are things that haven't necessarily happened directly to me, but that I have witnessed just by turning on the news. Things like the Oklahoma City Bombing, the OJ Simpson Trial, the Columbine Shootings, 9/11, the Aurora Theatre Shooting, the Sandy Hook Shootings, the Jessica Ridgeway kidnapping and murder. I have grown so accustomed to these things that one of the first things that I do in the mornings when I wake up is to get on my phone, turn on my news app, and check to make sure that no disasters happened while I was asleep. This is a horrible way to live. And unfortunately, it is not uncommon.
With all of these types of things in our lives in such real and graphic ways, it's no wonder that anybody out there isn't depressed. I mean, when I watch these things on the news, they make it so personal, and they give such detailed accounts for the events that took place that it seems as if the people who are involved are people who I know. It seems like I experienced a personal loss. It seems as if it's happening to me.
And then when something does happen to me, no matter how big or small that thing is, it gets more and more difficult to overcome.
So, is there no hope? Are we all just doomed to be depressed? Are we all going to watch as more and more people (younger and younger ones at that), commit suicide? Just give up?
Of course, the answer is no. We can't let that happen. We won't let that happen. There's too much good to live for.
But it's not going to be easy. And we can't just ignore the things that bring us down. We can't pretend like loved ones haven't died, or like tragedy hasn't ever happened. We can't pretend to not be lonely. We can't pretend to not be hurt. Pretending will only make it worse.
Depression was not created by God. This is not how He created us. He created us to be happy. To be truly happy is to be with Him in Heaven. And the only way that we can get to Heaven is through Christ. Keep reminding yourself of that when you want to give up. No, that won't "fix" it necessarily, but hopefully it will give you the motivation to keep trying, especially when motivation is so difficult to come by.
Always remember that you are worth fighting for. And to overcome the battle that is depression, you are going to have to fight for yourself. Nobody else can fight that fight for you. Your friends and family can encourage you, support you, guide you and love you through it, but if you aren't willing to fight, they can't do anything to help you.
So go. Go someplace private and say these words out loud, "I am worth fighting for. I am worth fighting for. I am worth fighting for. And if that means that I have to fight for myself, than so be it, because I am worth fighting for!" And then get help. Don't just get help from a friend or a parent, but from a trained professional who can give you proven steps to recovery. Let your friends and family know what it is that you need, and solicit their help, too.
It will take time, and it might get frustrating and feel like a losing battle at times. But even if you lose battles, you can still win the war.
If you see a therapist, doctor, psychiatrist, etc., who doesn't encourage you to pray (especially when they know that you are faithful), than find someone new and find them fast. Prayer is essential. How many people has Christ healed? Too many to count. He did some amazing healings in Scripture, but those aren't all that He's done. He continues to this day to heal.
Pray for those who suffer, too. Remember, like I said before, that the person who truly must fight to overcome their depression is the one who suffers from it. If you're watching a loved one refuse to fight, don't give up on them. Keep fighting in your own ways, and pray that they join you. Just love them. Listen to them. Pay attention to them. And don't give up on them. If you give up on them, what's stopping them from giving up on them? You may be the only one they've got.
It's not easy. And it's not small. Fight. Fight. Fight. Believe in Jesus. And get help from those whom He has blessed with the ability to help you.
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