Depression and Faith

Is sadness, Depression, or any other mental condition a sign of weakness? Is being sad or anxious an indication of a lack of faith?

The world today is not as God intended it to be. How do we know this? Because the Bible tells us. It speaks of a time when God would “Permit the nations to go their own way” when people would become “Alienated from God.” As a result of that alienation from God, the world would come to experience “Critical times, hard to deal with.” The Bible describes a time when “Because of the increasing in lawlessness, the love of the greater number will cool off.” It tells us that people would become “Lovers of themselves” and that most would have “No natural affection.” The Bible also warns that humans would be “Ruining the earth.”

With all these things happening today, just as God said they would, is it any surprise that some people become concerned, anxious or depressed? The Bible foretold a period when many humans would be “Sighing and groaning over all the detestable things done on the earth.”

At times, faithful servants of God have become sad, frustrated and depressed. Asaph wrote a Psalm complaining about wicked people prospering. David poured out his feelings to God and felt alone and overwhelmed at times, yet he still wrote, with confidence, that “A heart broken and crushed oh God, you will not despise.” The prophet Elijah and the faithful man Job both cried out to God to let them die but God comforted them and gave them strength and hope. Most significantly, even God's own son - Jesus Christ at times needed help and comfort from God. When Jesus saw the effect that his friend Lazarus' death had on Mary and Martha, he “Gave way to tears.” Now Jesus was the Messiah, the future King of God's Kingdom. He was perfect and sinless. He had supreme courage and faith, so much that he endured an agonising death for others. Yet, he wept. What does that tell us? That it is natural and acceptable to cry and to feel pain.

The Bible commands God's people to “Comfort the depressed ones” and to “Speak consolingly to those who are weak in spirit.” In fact, the Bible calls God “The God of all comfort.” God is so concerned about the overwhelming sadness of people that he poetically describes how he would “Gather your tears in a bottle.”

So it does not show a lack of faith to be sad or depressed. It does not show a spirit of cowardness or weakness to be anxious or concerned. Quite the opposite, it demonstrates that we are rightly and justifiably disturbed by the terrible world conditions that we see. It shows that we long for God's solution to evil and sadness. And God does promise a solution. Jesus assures us, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (or justice) for they will be filled” and that “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

Millions of sincere people today who are saddened and hurt by this selfish world and the pain and lonliness it brings, pray regularly “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” Do they really know what they are asking for? Notice where God's will is to be done - “On earth as it is in Heaven.” What will God's kingdom do for our world and for those who suffer from overwhelming sadness, mental illness and depression? Let Jesus' own words answer;

“God will wipe away every tear from there eyes, and death will be no more, neither will pain, nor mourning nor outcry.”

It is okay to be sad, to be depressed. But it will not last forever. God will wipe those feelings from your mind and heart, soon.