DEPRESSION AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH 2

B Y  Z E N I T H A    V I C T O R I A    B A D A    W I T H    D A V I D   P A M   M C Q U E L

Kathryn Butler in Why Christian Love Matters in Depression wrote: The first day I ventured through the church doors, no one knew I fought the compulsion to throw myself off a bridge.

Last week we looked at one of the most dreaded words DEPRESSION, which sounds simple but it has growingly become one of life's must threatening epidemic among young people.

We say in definition that depression is feelings of severe despondency (low spirits from loss of hope or courage; dejection) its also a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. 

We also saw that sadly people fall victim to depression because they want to do things by their strength rather than by Gods ability. When there is no respect and reverence for God, so fear, worry, anxiety become the masters of the day, because there are no more directions from the Holy Spirit.

Today in this follow-up blog, I want to expand on it and look at the subject from a few different angles as well as share expert examples on this subject.

Kathryn went on to add, I had drifted about for months with a shroud draped over my mind. Joy had vanished, its remnants yellowed photographs that crumbled to dust when I reached for them. As a physician, I understood my anguish and could describe its chemical mechanisms with precision. I could define clinical depression, deconstruct it. Yet as I sat there that day with the Bible heavy on my lap, despair crowded out my will to live. Never before had living felt so much like dying.

Fellow churchgoers noticed I neither lifted my voice in song, nor bowed my head in prayer. Many rightly deduced that church was foreign to me. No one, however, could perceive the severity of my groaning, because like other mental illnesses, clinical depression is a hidden disability. It leeches all light from life, but does so without visible scars. It skulks behind everyday routines. We go to work and pick up our kids from school, but struggle to breathe. We force a smile, while our regard for life erodes away. As Charles Spurgeon described, The flesh can bear only a certain number of wounds and no more, but the soul can bleed in ten thousand ways, and die over and over again each hour.

Impact of depression on personal liberty and spiritual growth and increase of the Church.

Brandon W. Peach wrote in 5 Things Christians Should Know About Depression and Anxiety that Strong churches don't fix depression.

He went on to say Depression and anxiety tend to be some of those touchy subjects that are tough to tackle from a Christian perspective.

Its not complicated just because the illnesses themselves are so complex, manifesting themselves in myriad ways, but also because perspectives about mental disorders vary greatly throughout the Church.

This means that depression is a well know subject in church among Christians and has amazing impact over many. It is a tough game that the church cannot just fix it.

Depression takes your attention off Christ and his ability and makes you focus your energy not on your situation but on the seemingly hopelessness of the situation. And all her victim see is the worst. That brings the worst of mans feeling of self-worth.

No wonder young people tend to turn to drugs or suicide in other to escape the reality of the illness.

Impact of depression on spreading Gods kingdom
We must pass been selfish, self-centered and comparing ourselves about how we are not looking in as bad as others to understanding that helping depressed people is part of our main calling as Christians.

Jesus came to heal the sick and He healed them all. Then turned out later to become propagators of the gospel. Helping the oppressed find freedom is actually one of the major fronts of Christian witnessing.

When help people find healing, they stay in the church. We need to be candid and compassion with the suffering among us. We can just learn a great example from Jesus how countless depressed people came to him always for healing and freedom. And he healed them all.

Room for Christian compassion
Here are five errors Brendan wants us to understand if we must help the depressed who are part of our lives:
1. Depression isnt what the Church sometimes makes it out to be.
Its not a character defect, a spiritual disorder or an emotional dysfunction. And chief of all, its not a choice. Asking someone to try not being depressed is tantamount to asking someone who's been shot to try and stop bleeding.

2. Mental illness is not a sin.
Yes, sins in the past like physical abuse, substance abuse and neglect may contribute to depression, and these sins often continue as coping mechanisms to those suffering from mental illnesses. Yet this doesnt make the sufferer of depression and anxiety a sinner simply for experiencing the crushing effects of their condition.

3. The Bible doesnt provide easy answers.
The Word is full of wisdom and encouragement for those suffering from depression and anxiety disorders, but it doesnt come in one-verse doses. Be anxious for nothing and do not worry about your life can easily be taken out of context, which is problematic. First (and importantly), doing so fails to appropriately handle Scripture, carelessly misconstruing the larger intent of the passages.

4. Anxiety and depression dont look how we often think.
When Ive opened up to Christian friends about my own depression and anxiety disorders, theyre often surprised. You seem so happy all the time! Depressed people become really good at hiding their symptoms, even from doctors, because of the stigma attached to the illness. Churches often dont address mental illness, which gives the worship team guitarist or the elder even more incentive to keep it hidden away.

5. Strong churches dont fix depression.
Given all of the above, its easy to understand how the stigma related to depression, even in the Church, will prevent people from seeking Christian guidance and support. The most Christ-loving and helpful community might not have the appropriate framework for dealing with such clinical disorders, and many churches dont have licensed psychologists on the staff. Pastoral staff can be ill-equipped to deal with depression and err toward a spiritual solution rather than psychological or medical treatment.

All these tells us that the church must be better equipped with the relevant training, skills and compassion to help the depressed effectively.

Believers going through a lot in their private and public lives have to contribute towards their welfare by hanging unto the Word of God and His Spirit. And the church equally must stand up, armed with knowledge, experience and compassion help the weak and oppressed among us to fine relief, healing and deliverance. We have to be understand, caring and patient until family, friends and believers around us find their foot again.

Again as said last week, depression is a lie from the pit of hell that tampers with the authority that God has placed on humanity to stand up to the situations that come challenging, the devil himself and his lies, we have been empowered by God to overcome, only if we trust in God that He would never leave us nor forsake us and acknowledge that His love conquers all, it doesn't matter the length, height or breath of sin we've committed He is always patiently waiting for us to run back to His loving arms, We have every authority to overcome Depression, and we can because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.(Philippians 4:13).

Brandon concludes, Most churches probably have the very best intentions when dealing with issues of mental illness. Like the rest of society, however, the Church may misinterpret these clinical conditions and respond to them in ways that exacerbate themand as a result, demoralize those suffering. Christ, the Great Physician, came to heal the sick. As His body, its time the Church leads society in helping to do the same.”

to forget, we also have a role to play in this, we should be a listening ear, an encouragement and also a brothers keeper, checking up on our friends and praying with and for them is a little effort we can make to remind ourselves that

JESUS LOVES YOU.