Let's Talk About Depression

"14 I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. 15 If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” Moses in Numbers 11:14-15

Did you realize that even some of the people who wrote the Bible struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts? I knew it, but it just wasn't on my radar really. I mean, all you have to do is read some of David's Psalms to hear his anguish at times.

I want to share with you several really great points from my Pastor's message on Sunday. I love the fact that he teaches on real life issues and how to handle them.

First of all, it's not a sin to struggle with depression. Let me just get that out there first. Second of all, it's not sin to take medicine for it. Third, discouragement looks a little like depression, so let's see the difference.

Discouragement is when you are unhappy about events in your life but you still enjoy other activities. Maybe you really dislike your job, so that brings you down daily to go to work, but you still enjoy your family at home.

Depression is when you've lost interest in everything. It's the inability to enjoy life, not really sadness. Depression makes you feel hopeless.

I would like to give you some hope today! Is that ok?

Josh said "Depression is complex, so solutions are different for each person, and it's not just a one step thing."

Here are his 5 ways to defeat the mind monster of depression:

1. STOP trying to face it by yourself. James 5:16 tells us, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."
2. Get rid of STINKIN THINKIN. You can't experience positive emotions with a negative thought life.
3. Fill your heart with God's promises. God ALWAYS keeps His promises.
4. Talk to yourself.

Depression has power over you as long as you are silent about it. You might seem like the friendliest most bubbliest person on the earth, but deep inside you are miserable and no one knows. Stop that. You need to tell someone how you feel and let them walk with you.

Your thought life matters. What you think, especially about yourself, is a big deal. If you are constantly comparing yourself to others, or putting yourself down, that's only adding to how bad you feel.

God has so many promises and proclamations He wants you to know about. Some of the ones that will help you are the ones about how He feels about you, and who you are in Christ.

Lastly, when you find those promises, read them out loud over yourself. Open your mouth and tell yourself what God says about you. Something happens when you hear the truth. Jesus said the truth would set you free!

I highly recommend you talk with someone if you are dealing with depression. It's real and it hurts people every day. I also suggest that you find a Celebrate Recovery meeting in your area for extra help. It's free to attend, they even usually have free child care if you need it. Celebrate Recovery is not just for people who struggle with addictions, it's for ANY hurt, habit, or hang up...and I think you can agree, depression falls into that for sure. Go and let them walk with you.

I pray that whoever needs to read this today does. I hope God guides the right people to this and that someone gets help from it. God wants you to live an abundant life, not one chained down by depression.

God bless you today and always!