Fighting Against Depression

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that they were feeling “depression working its way back in.”  Another friend mentioned the excessive number of gray days we’ve had with so little sunshine.  While some milder forms of depression are a natural part of this life, others may be a troubling source of emotional pain.  The good news is that God offers helpful counsel in the Bible, and a little help from nature, too.

Going Bananas

Lately I’ve been going bananas…literally. The melatonin in them has helped my general mood considerably.  Besides, who can’t be cheered up from eating what one friend calls “monkey pickles”?  Hey, to jazz it up a little try eating them monkey-fashion…upside down.  No, no, not you being upside down, dum-dum…the banana!  Peel it from the bottom and use the stem as a fancy little handle.  It’s guaranteed fun and mental health on a stick!  To double your fun, try peeling them with your feet.  Trust me, it can start some interesting conversations.

Serious Sorrow

“My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.”  (Psalm 119:28)

Being a naturally lighthearted person, I used to poke fun at people who felt depressed.  Sad to say, I would get a kick out of  saying, “Put a rubber band around your head and snap out of it.”  But then I suffered my first serious bout with depression.  It wrapped itself around me like a blanket, effectively suffocating my soul.  During that dark time I remembered some teaching from the Bible that slowly began to help me.

Beginning the Fight

There is an interesting verse about the Hebrew king, David, who suffered the loss of a son.  After his son died the Bible records, “Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, anointed himself with oils and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.”  (2Samuel 12:20)

There is a lot in that verse and the verses following.  David accepted some things, chose faith and hope in some important ways, and he chose to be a servant and comforter to his wife.  I believe all these things contributed to his return from depression.  But he began that whole process by cleaning himself up physically, changing his clothes, going into God’s house and worshiping.

Change Your Clothes

In the church over the past 30 years, there was a season where strong emphasis was placed on singing and worship.  Unfortunately this seems to have somewhat degenerated into petty squabbles over musical style.  This misses the point and diverts us from powerful truth about what true worship is and does.

First and foremost, worship helps us personally experience God in our life and live in the sense of His presence.  We used to sing a song with a really cheesy tune based on Isaiah 61:2-3 where Jesus came “(2) to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, (3)  and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (heaviness).”

We sang, “Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…” Change your clothes.  Clothe yourself in the presence of God.  How?  Begin by praising and worshiping the Lord.  Praise releases God’s presence and power in your life.  Worship opens and frees the aching heart to a loving and healing God.  It’s not a magic wand or a silver bullet, but it is a great first step to finding God’s strength and help in putting off depression.

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