What Difference Does God Make When I Feel Depressed?

Teen Our Daily Bread

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES GOD MAKE WHEN I F EEL DEPRESSED?

INTRODUCTION H

ave you ever felt like giving up?

Maybe you go through times when you just keep spiralling downwards with no way out. Maybe you felt really low for a long time after you lost someone close. Maybe you feel like depression is always hovering over you, ready to bring you down again . . .

These Bible readings are here to tell you the difference God makes when we feel the dark times closing in. We were never meant to carry our problems or depression on our own. Jesus walks with each one of us, every day, ready to give us the strength we need for absolutely everything. Even in the hardest times, we can focus firstly on Him and find just what we need to keep going.

Come and check it out for yourself . . .

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FOCUS ARTICLE

LETTER TO A DEPRESSED CHRISTIAN D

ear Depressed Christian,

I know about the scars on your skin. I know you spend your sleepless nights crying. I know about the days that pass meaninglessly by as everything important you’re supposed to do stays undone.

I know you think nobody loves you, that you can’t do anything right, that you’re the laziest, most self-centred, useless, cowardly speck of dust God has ever created.

I also know that you’re only alive because you’re still figuring out if you’ll go to heaven if you commit suicide now, and that you feel ashamed for being afraid to die.

You feel overwhelmed.

Just like Moses. The people of Israel started crying out to God about only having manna (bread) to eat when they’d had fish, cucumbers and leeks back in Egypt. God was angry with them and Moses felt weighed down with having to care for all these ungrateful people. In Numbers 11:15 he told God, “Please go ahead and kill me.”

You feel alone.

Just like Jesus. His friends ran away and left Him alone. The crowds screamed ‘Crucify!’ And in Matthew 27:46, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

You feel like it’s all your fault—or at least that’s what some people tell you.

Just like Job. He lost everything he had. His children died and he became really sick. He didn’t do anything wrong, yet his friends said to him in Job 4:7, “Who, being innocent, has ever perished?”

People tell you, “Everything is going to be okay,” but you can’t believe them. You’re in a dark cave with no torchlight and everywhere you walk is the wrong direction, because you have no idea where you are going. It’s hard to believe, but Psalm 40:1-2 says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock.”

People tell you, “You can do it,” but you can’t believe them. You’re lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and you have no energy or willpower to do anything. And everything you do will be wrong anyway. It’s hard to believe, but Psalm 37:24 says, “Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”

People tell you, “God loves you,” but you can’t believe them. You’re in agony, alone and tired in a crowded room full of people with high expectations of you and hidden agendas, saying things they don’t mean. It’s hard to believe, but God promises in Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Our Comforter is not silent. Through the Bible He speaks to you and me.

It takes a mountain of effort to do anything. It’s going to be like this for a while.

But don’t stop trying. Slowly, one thing at a time, start doing things like going for a walk, eating meals and praying. Make it a routine. Then read the Bible, meet up with someone or go out for a bit.

Learn to find beauty in small things. Eating something warm. Hugging a soft toy. Reading a Psalm. It’s not easy because your world is coloured grey, but it helps you to keep going. Thank God for something every day. It will bring relief to turn your eyes to Him. Even if it feels like you are just going through the motions, keep at it; meaning is something you find by living.

Think of the people you can tell about your depression.

The people you just thought of are people who love you. You are loved. Tell them what you’re going through. They may not understand but you’ll feel better. Tell them what you think might make you happy, something funny you noticed, or comment on their new hairstyle. Ask them to pray for you.

Include God in that list.

Because God really loves you, above and beyond what any human is capable of.

Romans 8:38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

1 Kings 19:1-12 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”

1

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.

3

All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

7 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.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.

And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

10

11

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

DEPRESSION “I have had enough, Lord,” he said (1 KINGS 19:4).

D

epression. We’re all affected by it at some point, either because we’re going through it or someone close to us is.

Some common signs and symptoms of depression include hopelessness, a loss of interest in life, struggling to engage with things and feeling worthless and helpless. Given these symptoms, it seems fair to say that a few Bible characters went through times of depression too.

Elijah is one of the people who fits this description. He won a big victory over the false priests of the fake god Baal. But then Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him (1 KINGS 19:2-3) like she had killed many of God’s people (18:4). Elijah’s hope was shattered. He wanted to die! “I have had enough, L ord,” he said (19:4).

God helped Elijah deal with his time of depression in several ways. God didn’t tell him off for his feelings but sent an angel to give him food, drink and rest (VV.5-6).

Then, God showed Himself and reminded Elijah that He was still at work with His people—God was still in control. Next, He restarted Elijah’s mission by giving him new orders (V.11). Finally, God reminded Elijah that he wasn’t alone (V.12).

In our times of depression, let us remember that God loves us and wants to give fresh energy to our relationship with Him! MW

Thinking it over . . .

How much does depression affect your life? Who can you share your struggles with in your church and youth group?

GOD HAS SAID, “NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU; NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU.” HEBREWS 13:5

Psalm 84 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling-place, Lord Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. 3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

1

5

Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob.

9 Look on our shield, O God; look with favour on your anointed one.

8

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favour and honour; no good thing does he withhold from those whose way of life is blameless.

10

12 Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.

SUNSHINE For the Lord God is a sun and shield (PSALM 84:11).

Y

ou might be surprised by how many of us suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) without realising it. SAD is also known as Winter Depression. It means that the weather affects how people feel in themselves. I guess most of us prefer sunny days to cold, grey ones.

But many people find gloomy days drag them down so much, it’s like they are suffering with depression.

When I was a teenager (and before I became a Christian) I really struggled with SAD. Each morning I would check what the weather was like. If it was bright, I felt happy; if it was gloomy, so was I. One night I realised I needed Jesus. Kneeling by my bed, I asked for His forgiveness of my sin and invited Him into my life.

The next morning I forgot to check the weather! It simply didn’t matter anymore.

The “sun of righteousness” had risen in my life (MALACHI 4:2). I didn’t need the actual sun to make me happy, now I had God’s Son to comfort and guide me. Since then I’ve had to go through some really dark times, but Jesus has always been my “sun and shield” (PSALM 84:11).

I still prefer sunny days, but I’m no longer a ‘sun-seeker’. Instead, I look for and follow God’s Son who shines brightest in my life—whatever the weather.

JY

Thinking it over . . .

What makes you happy? When do you feel your best? Does Jesus change how you feel about yourself, even on bad days?

WAKE UP, SLEEPER, RISE FROM THE DEAD, AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU. EPHESIANS 5:13-14

Psalm 37:23-40 The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24 though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

23

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. 26 They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be a blessing.

25

27

Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land for ever.

For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.

28

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. 29 The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it for ever.

30

The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just. 31 The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

The wicked lie in wait for the righteous, intent on putting them to death; but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

32 33

34

Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found.

Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. 38 But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked.

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39

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40

The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

GET UP AND START OVER Though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand (PSALM 37:24).

A

re you feeling down today? Are you fed up because of something that happened yesterday? Did you have a fight or do something stupid?

There is something worse than making mistakes—it’s not moving on from them.

Many people mess things up and fall down, without being able to pick themselves up. But that’s not the case with Christians. Though we sometimes do things wrong and get knocked down, we have Someone to lift us up and put us back on our feet— every time.

John wrote, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 JOHN 1:8). But here’s the good news: “I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have [a representative before] the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (2:1).

Tell God where you’ve gone wrong. Don’t stress over it, but confess it. Before Jesus died for us, He knew that we would continue to struggle with sin, so He made sure His sacrifice would be “once for all” (HEBREWS 7:27).

Make a fresh start each day by taking time to tell God where you’ve messed up, to admit your mistakes and to ask Him for His strength to do what He wants you to do.

As you rely on His love and forgiveness, you will soon know what victory really is!

MDH

IF ANYBODY DOES SIN, WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE WITH THE FATHER—JESUS CHRIST, THE RIGHTEOUS ONE. 1 JOHN 2:1

John 14:5-21 5

Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’

6

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’

8

Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’

9 Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

‘If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.

The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.’

15

FINDING LIFE Because I live, you also will live (JOHN14:19)

T

he words of Ravi’s dad cut deep: “You’re a complete failure. You’re an embarrassment to the family.” Compared to his talented brothers and sisters, Ravi was seen as a waste of space. He did well in sports, but he still felt like a loser. He wondered, What is going to happen to me? Do I even matter? Can I end my life some way, painlessly? These thoughts ran round his mind for years, but he kept it to himself.

So Ravi struggled alone. Then while he was recovering in the hospital after a failed suicide attempt, a visitor brought him a Bible opened to John 14. His mum read these words, spoken by Jesus, to Ravi: “Because I live, you also will live” (V.19). This may be my only hope, he thought, A new way of life. So he prayed, “Jesus, if You are the one who gives life as it is meant to be, I want it.”

Life can be hard and sometimes seem hopeless. But like Ravi, we can find hope in Jesus who is “the way and the truth and the life” (V.6). God is ready to give us a full life in Him. PFC

To pray about . . .

Dear Father, I know that I need Your forgiveness. Thank You, Jesus, for dying for me and giving me a new life with You. Change my life so that I can please You.

I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN ME WILL LIVE, EVEN THOUGH THEY DIE. JOHN 11:25

FOCUS ARTICLE

IS IT EVER OK TO NOT BE OK?

A

teenager wanted to learn judo even though he’d lost his left arm in a car crash. He started lessons, but after many months, his teacher had only taught him one move. His teacher then signed him up for a competition. He entered the competition and, amazingly, won all his matches, using just one move to pin his opponents to the floor.

Afterwards, the teenager asked his teacher: “How did I win the tournament with only one move?”

“You won for two reasons,” the judo teacher answered. “Firstly, you’ve mastered one of the most difficult throws in judo. And secondly, the only known defence for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.” In judo, the guy’s weakness—his missing left arm—had become his greatest strength.

All of us have weaknesses, like depression or emotional lows, whether just now and then (like when we’re lonely or bored) or all the time. Choosing to admit this is another thing entirely. But what God wants us to realise is that our weaknesses are chances to experience His power and strength. Rather than hide our low times, we should give them to Him in honesty, admitting that we’re not OK. He wants to help us and provide for us. But first, we need to be able to accept that we have problems that we can’t handle on our own.

Admitting we need help

In the Bible, Paul said: “If I must boast, I will boast in the things which show my weakness” (2 CORINTHIANS 11:30). Does Paul mean he wanted everyone to see how useless and helpless he was? Did he want to draw attention to his issues?

Actually Paul’s goal was to draw attention to how great God is. By being able to admit his struggles, Paul could show others how the power and love of God was the core to his life. Paul wanted people to know that they didn’t have to just cope on their own when things were bad or they felt helpless. By showing his reliance on God (and also, then, showing his own weaknesses), Paul showed that there is strength available for weak people. Paul was saying that it is OK to not be OK, because God is the only one who can truly provide all we need. Trying to cope on our own will only end in pain and more helplessness.

But admitting battles with depression, stress or other mental battles kind of gets in the way of the confident, happy image we’re ‘meant’ to have. We don’t want our friends to look down on us or gossip about us. So when we face these weaknesses,

we often react in one of two ways: negatively (“This is just impossible”) or positively (“It’s up to me to fix it”). Surprisingly, neither is right. You see, either way, we are focusing on ourselves.

The difference for Paul was that he used his weaknesses and difficulties to focus on God. Admitting weakness is about giving control of our lives over to God. He knows what is best for each one of us, and He knows what He wants to achieve through the weaknesses we all struggle with.

God’s power

So what difference does relying on God’s strength make in our lives? He promises to use His power to help us . . .

Become more like Him: Only God can make us more like Himself, which is exactly what He promises for those who trust Jesus (ROMANS 8:18-30; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-50; 2 CORINTHIANS 3:7-18). As we spend time with God, and read the Bible, He will change us to be more like Jesus through His Holy Spirit. We cannot ever be fully ‘perfect’ in this life; but we can take on more of His ways and love.

This may not get rid of our issues, but it will allow us to show people that we’re not afraid or limited by them. We are defined by one thing: Jesus. He will help us become the people He always meant us to be. In this way when others see us, they won’t see just ‘us’, complete with good bits and bad bits. They will see something of who God is. The confidence we have in His love, despite any problems we have, will hopefully make them want to know Him too.

Keep trusting Jesus, even in the bad times: Sometimes everything seems to be against us. We feel like just giving up. There will be times when we’re not sure we can continue trusting Jesus. Maybe we’ll feel tired because the change to become more like Him is so slow that we’re not even sure it’s happening. Or we might feel lost in a dark spiral of depression. It’s in these times we need to stick really close to God and focus firstly on Him. He is able to comfort us. He promises to keep us going, look after us and to bring us safely into heaven after we die (JOHN 14:1-3; PHILIPPIANS 1:6). We need to try and make the choice to share our cares with the God who loves us (1 PETER 5:7).

It’s OK not to be OK!

It’s OK to not be OK, because it is during our weak, dark times that we see God’s strength more clearly. We call out to Him for help—and find He always gives it!

As Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong” (2 CORINTHIANS 12:10). When we stop trying to hide our battles with depression and stress, we can rely on God and experience what He wants to do with our lives. It’ll be far better than anything we can do—He has no weaknesses! Life may still be tough, but we’ll have a confidence based on God—knowing that He calls us His own children and will never leave us.

If you are struggling with depression tell a Christian friend or your youth leader so they can pray with you and encourage you. It might be helpful to meet regularly with someone, especially during the dark days. This safe space can allow you to share your struggles without feeling awkward. It’s important not to battle this stuff on your own. When we honestly bring our issues to God, we start to discover the freedom and strength that comes from knowing His “grace is [enough]” (12:9).

Adapted from Is it ever OK to not be OK? Read the full booklet online at ourdailybread.org/lookingdeeper

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