Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Today I bring you a subject that has weighed heavily on my heart for some time now. You see, I have had the honor and privilege of leading adult bible study for people of our congregation. Through these discussions on leading bible study, I have noticed a particular discrepancy among those of us who gather together. There seems to be a disagreement on whether a believer who has the joy of the Lord should be depressed or not. There are some who say that if you have the joy of the Lord you shouldn't be able to be depressed. To those of you who read this that agree with that, I caution you from making such statements. I understand that it may be difficult to empathize with believers who may be battling depression, especially if you have not experienced depression or have been delivered from it and are currently in a season of joy. And if you are, praise God! However, to say believers should not have depression because we have the joy of the Lord is very discouraging to someone who is in the midst of a battle and may cause them to doubt their faith and standing in Christ.
This is not how it should be my brothers and sisters. We are to bear with one another, to encourage one another in the faith, and rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. There are so many examples of people battling depression in the Bible in fact I cannot think of a biblical hero who did not have a bout with depression. It just wasn't called that then. Yes, brothers and sisters, even our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ dealt with the heaviness of depression.
For it is written in Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT:
[14] So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. [15] This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. [16] So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.4.14-16.NLT
I do not know why it is that some of us have this battle. And I cannot give you a definitive reason on what causes it. I know from my own life, there are days where I am numb and empty, void of feeling and motivation. And I will sit and count my blessings and logically it makes no sense for where I am at for I am loved by the most High God. I am blessed beyond measure. All I can logically be is grateful to God and yet I am down cast. The last time I felt this way, I cried out to our Father in Heaven: “Lord, my God, I have you. I know that I am loved by you. I am richly blessed and my hope is in you. I know I am yours. I know I am saved. I know nothing can separate me from you so why? Why am I so downcast?” It was then the Holy Spirit led me to Psalms 42.
Psalms 42:1-11 NLT:
[1] As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. [2] I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? [3] Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” [4] My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! [5] Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and
[6] My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. [7] Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. [8] By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. [9] I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” [10] My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” [11] Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.42.1-11.NLT
My brothers and sisters, we live in a fallen world. We will be subjected to suffering and pain that is not fair and does not make sense. Just as Job was and just as Christ was. I know at times this doesn't make sense, but we as believers are to rejoice in our suffering, in the means that we suffer, for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So my dear ones in the faith, take heart and do not be discouraged. You are not lesser for your struggles or your weakness.
For it is written in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV:
[9] But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.12.9-10.NIV
Brothers and sisters, may you be encouraged. It is OK to not be OK and find our comfort in the Lord as it is written in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 NIV:
[3] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, [4] who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. [5] For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. [6] If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. [7] And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. https://bible.com/bible/111/2co.1.3-7.NIV
May those of you who are battling unseen battles know you can in fact be downcast while having your joy in the Lord.
Know you are well loved and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.
Blessings,
PDS