What Exactly Is Depression:
There is a healthy depression but according to Wikipedia Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, tendencies, feelings, and sense of well-being.[1] A depressed mood is a normal temporary reaction to life events such as loss of a loved one. It is also a symptom of some physical diseases and a side effect of some drugs and medical treatments. Depressed mood is also a symptom of some mood disorders such as major depressive disorder or dysthymia.[2]Depression can be a powerfully negative thing in a person’s life. Depression can be debilitating, it can be caused by a medical condition . It can and has even resulted in death, I do not mean to minimize depression in any way with this post.
In fact I am hesitant to even use the word depression for what I am trying to get at with this post. This post is exclusively intendind for Christians. For those in whom Jesus Christ lives, there is something like a mild form of healthy depression that can be experienced.
A Healthy Depression
Depression or the feeling of chronic sadness or loss of hope is not necessarily always a bad thing. There are at least two causes for what I call Healthy Depression.
There is a time in a Christian’s life as he/she walks with the Lord that we are forced to chose which way we will go.
“But A NATURAL MAN/ WOMAN does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But HE/SHE WHO IS SPIRITUAL appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.”
1 Corinthians 2:14-15 NASB
Christians constantly must chose whether or not we will follow Jesus Christ in many ways. Sometimes following him is a very difficult and painful thing (think of the rich young ruler who was told to sell all he had, then walked away sad).
Depending on our age or our understanding of Jesus we may chose poorly. We may side with our natural man/woman rather than our spiritual man/ woman. For some it can take years for God to gain ground in us enough to follow Jesus fully.
Our insight and understanding of the magnitude of Jesus Christ, who he is, who he has made us to be and what is coming has a lot to do with how devoted, how fixated, and how completely we are inclined to follow Jesus.
But when Jesus is alive in us and when we side with our natural fallen, sinful, distracted state. That choice can result in feelings similar to depression.
When we side with our natural self we live below the life of Jesus Christ. His life which is freely available to us, which knocks on the door of our heart.
When we do this we can grieve the Spirit of God within us and we then can feel that grief. We actually can feel HIS grief or sorrow.
It is this godly sorrow which turns us around to Jesus Christ. I am not talking about guilt. Guilt is ungodly and destructive.
When I’ve grieved the spirit or seen others do so there is a strong desire to make it right. To do what it takes to stop, turn around and please him. There is a restorative aspect that is undeniable, not so with guilt.
This depressed state as we neglect the Lord within is not something we should medicate. Instead it is something we desperately need to understand better. Failing to live by Jesus Christ can depress us, it can affect our emotions, it can make us, as we face our fallen state, sad.
Dying Daily Hurts
This feeling of depression is also not always associated with poor choices and sin. It can also be a reaction to the dying daily state of the Christian. Our lives are hidden in God in Jesus Christ, our natural man with his plans, and fleshly ambitions needs to go unsatisfied.
“He must increase and I must decrease” sometimes hurts. “Less of me” can result in feelings of loss.
I had many ambitions, dreams and hopes that I’ve had to let go of. I can’t tell you how much that hurt and sometimes still hurts, it has felt like a great loss which is difficult to describe.
This feeling of loss is what I call a healthy depression, it has a purpose. It is not a feeling of sorrow over abandonment or aloneness. Perhaps depression is even too strong of a word here but I think it may fit. Its a godly sorrow with a purpose and an affect. Another way of saying this its a reaction of our natural man to dying or not getting his way.
Sometimes I think we are too quick to assume feelings of sadness are unhealthy depression that need to be medicated with medicine, or food, or addictions. Or trying harder in our religious duties. When all we really need is a greater understanding of the work of Jesus Christ on our natural man in order that we might follow him more completely.
Two Reasons For Healthy Depression
Sometimes we are not medically depressed we are just feeling the same grief of the Holy Spirit who lives within us.
Allow yourself to be convicted and turn around and follow him again.
Other times our natural man is simply reacting to his loss of control and/or loss of getting his way, yielding to Jesus Christ.
I could find examples of both of these in scripture but I think you get my point.
In either case knowing the Lord more fully is the answer to this.
Allow yourself to feel this healthy “depression”, let it shape and guide you, to go FULLY with the Lord. Regardless of how much it hurts, he is worth it. He HIMSELF is our consolation, a prize far better than any prize that we could dream of.
