Finding Faith in the Valley of Depression

We've seen that

 

Hebrews 11:1

… faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

 

Trouble is that many of us find it hard to maintain a good level of faith, especially when we face difficult circumstances around us. Now we know that faith is dependent on the object of our faith, which is God Himself, not on circumstances, not on results and not on our desires.

 

But we live in the real world, with pain, heartache, disappointments, frustrations and sin, right? And the truth is, if you get enough of these smashing into your life for long enough, it will get you down and depressed.

 

IS IT WRONG TO BE DEPRESSED?

 

I have heard Christians claim that we are saved, therefore we should never be depressed. That's nice in theory, but these Christians are either living in a holy bubble or lying to themselves. We all face pressures, we all face things that can and will make us depressed from time to time, and some of us struggle deeply with depression.

 

Behind this “happy clappy” façade the Bible actually identifies with and speaks quite a bit about depression. Look at this Psalm...

 

Psalms 130:1-5

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!

O Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

 

The picture here is of a drowning person who cannot touch the bottom and cannot swim to safety. They're weary, tired, discouraged and desperate… maybe that described you right now. It continues…

 

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness,

that you may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

 

If it was wrong to be depressed, then half the heroes of the Bible are wrong, and some of the greatest and most creative people in history are wrong!

 

I would rather you admit to being down and depressed than paint on a happy face and play pretend every time you come to church. Let's get real, folks, and if you are struggling with life, for whatever reason, face the fact and be honest with God, with each other and most of all with yourself.

 

Fake it til you make it FAITH isn’t real faith at all!

 

FINDING FAITH IN THE VALLEY OF DEPRESSION

 

Depression kills off your faith. It is impossible to be full of faith when you are constantly down and depressed. It's hard to be faith filled in the valley of depression. If you are there now, don't beat yourself up because the Bible says, if you are struggling with depression, you are in good company!

 

At times, everybody feels sad, down, and blue. Solomon wrote of “a time to weep” and “a time to mourn” (Eccl. 3:4).

 

Clinical depression, however, is a deeper level of emotional turmoil and affects many people in many ways. According to research, nearly one person in five will experience significant and persistent levels of depression, and even more than that will be medicated for it. Significant and persistent depression causes people to miss more work than diabetes and heart disease, and it is a major risk factor in heart attacks, strokes, mental health issues and suicide.

 

It is not weird or unusual to suffer clinical depression, and many godly people battle it all their life. It affects the sufferer, it also affects those around them, especially those closest to them. Depression saps the faith out of the person and those around the person.

 

It is a long, dark, dangerous valley, the valley of depression, but yea though we walk through it, we can do so without fear for the Good Shepherd is with us. Keep walking, don't stop, don't rest up there and above all, don't camp there. The Bible often says “It came to pass”, not it came to stay, so keep passing through!

 

CAUSES OF DEPRESSION

 

Depression can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, fear, loneliness, guilt, anger and loss of hope. If you are depressed, you're in good company…

 

King David often wrote of his Depression, Job experienced financial, personal, health and relationship losses which caused his depression. Elijah had a great victory in Mount Carmel then plunged into depression and many other Bible heroes have walked this lonely path.

 

Although environmental issues such as work, stress, family, and other relationships can add to depression, many times a number of medical factors are involved, including thyroid abnormalities, female hormone fluctuations, and diabetes. Depression can also be a side effect of medication or drugs like cocaine or alcohol.

 

HOPE DEFERRED… a frequent cause of depression, is worth highlighting, because it definitely affects me and I know many of you are facing this right now.

 

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

 

This is a general observation on life: a legitimate longing that is delayed indefinitely grows wearisome. People naturally tire of persistently unmet expectations, either in your work, your church or someone you love. If something you are hoping for is being deferred, watch carefully for the symptoms of depression, because as you wait it is easy to slide into it.

 

SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION

 

Psalm 102 provides a virtual checklist of symptoms that King David experienced during a particularly stressful period in his life. “Let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble” (102:1, 2).

 

He wrote of feeling stricken physically and described losing meaning and purpose in his life: “My days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned like a hearth. My heart is stricken and withered like grass” (102:3, 4).

 

He lost his appetite: “I forget to eat my bread” (102:4).

 

He felt isolated and rejected: “I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert” (102:6). He couldn’t sleep: “I lie awake” (102:7). He had frequent crying spells: “I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping” (102:9).

 

Serious depression can present itself in a number of ways. You are wise to not cover it up, to not fake happiness, and you are also wise to share your feelings with someone. Suicide has risen nearly 60% in recent years in Australia for men over 55 because they bottle it up and fake success and happiness while inside they are falling apart.

 

RESPONDING TO DEPRESSION

 

Elijah demonstrated both healthy and unhealthy responses to depression (1 Kings 19). After the great victory on Mount Carmel, his life was threatened and he became afraid. He focused on the situation instead of on God. During a sequence of events, he sank deeper and deeper into a depressed state. His fear became so intense that he eventually ran away, isolated himself, and prayed that he would die (1 Kings 19:4). His faith drained away.

 

A summary of his behaviour can be described as the HALT syndrome- a very vulnerable place for a person to be. At his most depressed state he was:

 

H ungry-He stopped eating. He was off his food.

 

A ngry-He was mad at God for not caring about him. So many Christians are mad at God. Now God is big enough to take it, and caring enough to understand your feelings, but He doesn't want you to stay there! Remember, if you have prayed for something and not got what you wanted, chances are God never promised you that in the first place… so don't get mad at God for not performing for you, when He never told you that in the first place!

 

L onely-He left his servant and traveled alone. People who get depressed withdraw from others, even those who love them. If you find yourself withdrawing, if you are feeling depressed and lonely, you need to reach out to someone who cares. This church is full of people who care, that's what church is all about, and what it should be. Share, don't isolate!

 

T ired-He collapsed into sleep. If you are abnormally tired and exhausted, the risk of depression is high.

 

Any time a person experiences an intense combination of these characteristics, he or she is becoming vulnerable to developing some form of depression.

 

Again, you're not bad or evil for experiencing such feelings, you're just depressed.  However, you need to recognise that if those feelings are starting to control you, you must cry out to God and look to Him in faith. You may not feel like you have much faith, but as we have seen even a mustard seed, the smallest seed known to Biblical writers, in an amazing and omnipotent God can change your life forever!

 

RECOVERING HOPE

 

If you are going through the valley of depression, God cares, and so do I. Our faith may struggle here, but all is not lost, and faith is not dead!

 

Whatever you face, however painful or depressing, however down you feel, it is time to take your eyes off what is happening around you and look up to the Lord of Hosts, the One who loves you and gave His life for you. If this is you, now is the time to recover hope and restore faith!

 

God acted to deal with Elijah’s symptoms directly. In 1 Kings 19:5-18, God provided food, rest and companionship to bring Elijah out of his depression. He restored his faith! It took time, it took effort and it took patience, and it will with you also, but it's ok, just keep going and never give up!

 

STEPS TO RESTORING FAITH  IN THE VALLEY OF DEPRESSION

 

It's ok to feel down, it's ok to struggle with depression. Like Jonah, sometimes I get down and I just want to run away. These feelings are normal, and they are ok for a time. What's not ok is to stay there, wallowing in the pain. What's especially not ok is contemplating taking your own life.  Look at Elijah…

 

1 Kings 19:4

And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

 

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and it destroys you and those around you. It is never God’s will for you, I promise you that.

 

So if you find yourself down, depressed, feeling hopeless or overwhelmed by life, here's some steps to overcoming depression and regaining your faith in the valley of depression. Bear in mind, I'm not a doctor so if their advice is to take medication, you need to comply at least for a time. But there are other things you can do…

 

1.     CRY OUT TO GOD

 

You can fake happiness and play happy families or happy life with others, but you can't fool God, so why try?  He created you, He loves you and He knows you better than you know yourself.

 

Psalms 61:1-2

Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer;

from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is faint.

Lead me to the rock

that is higher than I,

 

Cry out to God. Get mad at Him if you want to, but please just be honest. He is big enough, He can take it. When your world falls apart, rather than faking faith why don't you cry  out to the Lord in honesty and let Him restore genuine faith in your life! Faking faith is a bandaid on a haemorrhage.

 

 

2.     TREAT YOURSELF WELL

 

If you are struggling right now with depression, don't beat up in yourself. Whatever the cause, be it physical pain, relationship pain, financial stress, sin, guilt or just exhaustion, you have to nurture your physical needs just as God met the physical needs of Elijah when he was struggling with depression.

 

So, eat the right food, not junk! Drink something healthy, not alcohol, which is a depressant after all. Don't numb the pain with drugs. Get some sleep, lots of it, and start doing things you like. Go to the movies and watch a comedy, go to the beach, hang out with people you love, do things you enjoy, with people you enjoy.

 

Take a holiday, even a few days away somewhere out of the ordinary. You could even spend a few days at home relaxing. If depression is due to stress and overwork, like my life tends to be, time out is essential.

 

1 Kings 19:8

And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

 

 

3.     SHARE THE LOAD

 

No man is an island. When you get depressed, not only do you tend to isolate yourself from God, and from faith, you also isolate yourself from others. Depressed people don't feel like going out, you don't feel like talking and you don't feel like going to church. But...

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

 

If you are down and struggling with your faith, share it with someone. Come forward and have our team pray with you, because sharing the load not only minimises the burden, but also increases our faith, by joining the shields of faith together.

 

Don't struggle on alone. This Church is about loving and supporting each other, and this church is big on loving and supporting you, whatever it is you face. Isolate yourself at your own peril! Try going it alone and the devil will pick you off at will!

 

4.     FILL YOUR MIND WITH WORTHWHILE THINGS

 

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

 

When you get depressed, everything looks bleak and dark. You start interpreting things people say and do in the worst possible light, you start seeing every situation you face as a hopeless cause.

 

But the Bible teaches us to fill our minds with true, honourable, just, pure lovely, commendable, godly things.

 

So, turn the TV off and open the Word of God. If you are doing your Bible reading plan, let God minister to oyou through His living and active Word. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt depressed, even over this last week, and God has spoken to me from my daily Bible reading.

 

Listen to Christian music, listen to Godly podcasts, stick encouraging verses all over your fridge. Come to church, listen to the sermons, download them and listen to the again.

 

Do whatever it takes to put good, wholesome, God centred things into your mind. In depression and in faith, the battlefield is the mind, so tip the balance of the battle in your favour and  FILL it with good things!

 

5.     HAVE A GRATITUDE ATTITUDE

 

 

A sure fire way to turn depression around and start to see faith grow up in your life is having an attitude of gratitude. If you're depressed at all you will not find this easy, and definitely won't feel like it.

 

But if you make the choice to be grateful, then you will experience peace if you persist in it.

 

 Philippians 4:6-7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Fiona and house

 

6.     TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE

 

2 Corinthians 10:5

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

 

Even if you are trying to fill your mind with good things, still stray thoughts will come in. You try to speak words of faith, but something happens and suddenly you are filled with fear or dread. Those stray thoughts can destroy your faith, and plunge you back into the depths of despair.

 

So take the initiative and take them captive. When a thought infiltrates your mind, stop everything, recognise it for what it is (a faith destroying flaming dart from the evil one), and say out loud, “In the name of Jesus I refuse to entertain that thought and I take it captive and neutralise it's poison.”

 

These thoughts are going to be thrown at you, so get ready to intercept them. This is like the iron dome defence system like what the Israeli Air Force has to knock out incoming missiles.

 

7.     WAIT PATIENTLY

 

This is hard, but if you are down or depressed it usually takes some time to come out of the valley. 

 

Psalms 25:21

May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

for I wait for you.

 

Psalms 27:14

Wait for the Lord;

be strong, and let your heart take courage;

wait for the Lord!

 

Psalms 37:7

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

 

 

God does not spring into action on our timetable. In fact, He waits until the very best moment to intervene and rescue us.

 

Why? Waiting is the Lord’s training ground for building strong faith. As we wait, we learn to trust Him. So even when you are down and depressed, wait patiently for the Lord, and this will serve to build your faith and even lift you out of your depression.

 

Note that waiting patiently is not constantly whining about how long the Lord is taking. If you truly have faith and trust Him, you know you can also trust Him for His perfect timing.

 

8.     KEEP ON GOING

 

The final step in rediscovering your faith in the valley of depression is to keep going. As you walk this lonely, bleak, colourless valley, keep walking, don't stop and don't just camp there!

 

1 Corinthians 15:58

 

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 

In the Message:

With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

 

THERE IS HOPE

 

If you are walking through the valley of depression right now, I promise you there is hope.

 

Yes, times are tough, yes the future may look hopeless, yes, your faith may be small right now, but remember faith is not dependent on what you can muster, it's not dependent on what the results are, our faith depends only on the object of our faith, which is God Himself, Creator of the universe, Lord of all, Lover of your soul!