Depressed Christians?

A lot of people won't like this but it is a fact... Sometimes even Christians get depressed. The cause might be a chemical imbalance, or it could be because of unchecked and un-confessed  sin in their life. Sometimes it is an attack from Satan, or maybe it is simply the stress of life... but the fact is that depression can happen to all of us. When depression comes prayer is in order... But it is also true that in some cases medications might also be needed. A loved one of mine was severely depressed and when a doctor was consulted he quickly diagnosed that the root of the problem was that due to a lengthy illness, the serotonin level in her body was completely out of balance. A little medication and a change diet made a drastic change in less than two weeks. But we need to recognize that  depression is a serious problem, especially for those diagnosed with clinical depression. However, we can always count on the Holy Spirit to gently lead us through the dark days and nights of depression if we let Him.

One of my favorite Old Testament passages is 1 Kings 19 where we find the great prophet Elijah laying under a broom tree asking to die. I love that God included things like this in the Bible. He could have left this part of the story out, but God wants us to see that he knows and understands our weaknesses. He does not kick us to the curb because we are having a rough time. In verse 7 of that chapter, we read, "The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”  

If you are missing the point, let me help you out. Godly Elijah, who had just won an incredible victory for the Lord, was hit so hard by the threats made by Jezebel that fear overtook him and he became so depressed that he wanted to die. God did not scold him or beat him when he was down. Instead, God sent His angel to gently remind Elijah to eat the food He provided. He was letting him know, "I am still with you, and together we are going to get through this." 

If you are one who battles depression, please know that God does not lose faith in you... Nor does he want you to lose faith in Him. With God, you will come through this!

It is my prayer today that God will encourage the depressed ones today and draw them deeper into His  Word, where they can find food for the journey.