Besides anxiety, depression is one of the struggles for which help is sought the most. We must ask people, “How does the Bible address depression, and what is the church’s role in helping those who struggle with both?” One interesting study found that non-Christians are twice as likely to seek counseling and professional help for struggles with mental health as Christians.[1]

Examples of Righteous Men And Depression

We read in the Old Testament that four righteous men have depression. Each one either curses his birth or asks God to take his life, to let him die.

In Numbers 11, Moses becomes as weary as he can be from carrying his burden alone. Day after day, he has to listen to the complaints of the Israelites. They often blame him for leading them out of bondage just so they can starve to death, die of thirst, etc., on their way to the Promised Land. Moses finally asks God to kill him, to put him out of his misery. Instead, God has him appoint seventy elders to ease his burden. This enables him to lead the Israelites as far as the Jordan River, and as he passes the torch to Joshua, Moses has the fortitude to remind them all to have strength and courage because God is with them.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah feels so alone as the only prophet Jezebel hasn’t put to death, and she seeks to kill him, too. In his loneliness and weariness, Elijah asks God to take his life. Instead, God has an angel minister to his needs because, when the physical needs haven’t been met, it wears on a person emotionally.[2] The Lord tells Elijah that He has seven-thousand righteous men reserved in Israel. No doubt that the host would be cheering Elijah on. God also has Elisha on standby to be Elijah’s protégé. Finally, once his earthly purpose is complete, Elijah is taken up in a chariot of fire and a whirlwind. What a reward for his endurance!

In Job 3, Job expresses his disdain for the day he was born. He has suffered so much loss. He speaks of his longing for death, but it never comes. Near the end of the book, God Himself reminds Job of His sovereignty as the creator of the universe. He knows how to make all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28). Job repents to the Lord for talking about something he didn’t understand. God blesses him with twice as much as he had before.

In Jeremiah 20, the prophet Jeremiah, like Job, curses the day he was born. His ministry of preaching repentance is unpopular. When he speaks God’s words, he finds himself beaten, in stocks, and regretting the day of his birth. Still, this is the same Jeremiah who, in Lamentations 3, dares to hope when he remembers the mercies of a faithful God are new every morning. Jeremiah goes on to complete his mission.

The Lord Is Actively Involved in Our Lives

Through ministering God’s grace, each Old Testament example we considered reminded us that God doesn’t want people to check out until they accomplish the plan and purpose for which they were created.  God is actively involved and at work in and through each Old Testament example we considered.

It somehow helps to know that even great men of the Bible experienced depression. The men we just considered knew what it was to carry a burden alone, deal with fear, suffer loss, and suffer for their obedience to God. Whether we are blessed with people to ease our burden, a host of godly people cheering us on, a reminder of God’s sovereignty, or the hope of tomorrow’s new mercies, we receive exactly what we need to endure when we trust Him. Only God can determine when we have accomplished His plan and purpose. When that time comes, He will call us home.

What happens when we’re not saved? We are dead in our trespasses and sins and walk around with a conscience seared with guilt. By our admission, we have a conscience seared with guilt. The fact that we can still feel shame means we have a heart tender enough for Him to mold because of God’s grace. We need to repent before the Lord with a sincere desire to change.

Peter urges pastors and those who give spiritual guidance in the Church to shepherd the Church (1 Pet. 5). Their counsel is crucial to fending off the ravenous lion among us who looks for sheep to devour. Our Great Shepherd charges the Church with extending grace to us, giving us godly counsel, ministering to our physical needs, and helping us find what we need to endure. The Church is there to lead us to the realization that we can wholeheartedly trust God to take this life, fashion it into a fine vessel, and give it a purpose to fulfill. The Church helps us endure until we’ve fulfilled that divine purpose, and God calls us home at last.


References

[1]https://www.liberty.edu/campusrec/student-activities/blog/mental-health-and-the-church/

[2]https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2018/11/12/ptsd-and-people-maintaining-an-accurate-anthropology/

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