Rev. George Ellis
Pastor’s Corner
Today I want to talk about depression. It is one of the most critical emotional problems of our day. It is crippling and debilitating. It is a place where nobody wants to go or be. It can take the very life out of an individual and lead to some dark places.
It is here where I want to visit this morning and hopefully bring somebody to a place of recovery.
Of all troubles that we have in life, this is at the very top of the list. Depression can occur when we have been in a negative situation for a prolonged period of time and it seems that there is no end to the situation. It can occur when tragedy strikes and turn our lives upside down.
But there are a number of reasons and causes that can drive people to depression. The symptoms of depression vary from person to person. People who are depressed often withdraw themselves. They don’t really enjoy life. They are restless and irritable; do not want to get out of bed. They feel tired all the time and they can’t sleep. They also complain about aches and pains.
And there is no wonder!
Medical research shows that people who are prone to depression have more heart attacks and a higher rate of cancer and arthritis than the population as a whole. The inner tension interferes with the natural function of the body.
Bad news — this pandemic, unemployment, the rioting in some cities, divorce and separation, broken relationships, spiritual guilt and more recently the diagnosis of our president of the United States with COVID-19 has caused an alarm such as we have never seen.
I must say here that I believe that depression is one of the worst of afflictions. I am also convinced that it is more of a spiritual problem than a psychological problem.
Shock therapy and medication don’t always get the job done. I believe that when people get right with God, then they will be on the road of coming out of depression. And the first step in getting right with God is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. The forgiveness of sin past and present removes guilt that can contribute to depression. And then, if we are a Christian believer and we are plagued by guilt of sins we have confessed, then we need to accept by faith what the bible says about confession and forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
Once we have acknowledged our sins to God, then we need to accept his complete forgiveness.
My community friends, some people are depressed about the way they look or because they are chronically ill. Failing to practice what the scripture says about all of life’s circumstances they fall victim to the spirit of complaining (1 Thess. 5:18). But when we complain we are actually rebelling against God (Rom. 9:20).
And let me say here that we all need to take a page from the psalmist. In a difficult time in his life he said, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? HOPE IN GOD (Ps. 43:5)” … he was hoping in God and not HIMSELF! That is what we need to do!
My friends, I will admit that there are days when we all get the blues. Everything seems to be going wrong. To make matters worse, there seems to be no deliverance in sight. But we must remember that we’re in the hands of God. And it is His right to do with us as he pleases.
So, we should rejoice because we know that God will always do that which is right (Gen. 18:25).
Community, another major thing that can contribute to depression is the sorrow of losing a loved one. Because they are experiencing the heartbreak of separation, they are engulfed with sorrow and they began to grieve. But friends, grieving in and of itself is therapeutic; when we grieve we give our bodies an emotional release that we desperately need. Don’t let anyone tell you that crying is a sign of weakness; but rather, it’s a sign of being human!
And then remember, if the loved one was a Christian believer, they are in the presence of the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
Community friends, we cannot allow ourselves to become victims of depression. If we or anybody we know is a victim of depression, we need to always remember the three D’s:
1. “DON’T BE ALONE!” People who are depressed do not need to be alone or in isolation; in fact, the last place they need to be is by themselves. When people are by themselves all kinds of crazy thoughts run through their mind. Their mind becomes the devil’s playground. Depressed people need to be around family, friends and loved ones.
2. “DON’T STOP GOING TO CHURCH.” Whatever you do, do not stop going to the house of God. Depressed people need to hear the singing of the choir that can lift their spirits, the preached word that can encourage them to rise up, and the fellowship of the saints that can strengthen them.
3. “DON’T STOP READING YOUR BIBLE. My Christian friends, when we pray, we talk to God; But when we read God’s word, He talks to us! His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light for our pathway (Ps. 119:105).” And then community, we must learn how to encourage ourselves. That is what David did (1 Sam. 30:6b). And then pray about everything and God will give us His peace (Phi. 4:6,7).
Do these and we can have “victory over depression.”
The Rev. George Ellis is the pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.