Christians Get Depressed Too

by David P. Murray

For melancholy, I have by long experience found it to have so great and common a hand in the fears and troubles of mind that I meet not with one of many, that live in great troubles and fears for any long time together, but melancholy is the main seat of them: though they feel nothing in their body but all in their mind. I would have such persons make use of some able godly physician, and he will help them to discern how much of their trouble comes from melancholy. Where this is the cause, usually the party is fearful of almost everything; a word or a sudden thought will disquiet them. Sometimes they are sad, and scarce know why: all comforts

are of no continuance with them; but as soon as you have done comforting them, and they be never so well satisfied, yet the trouble returns in a few days or hours, as soon as the dark and troubled spirits return to their former force....

Avoid your musings, and exercise not your thoughts now too deeply, nor too much. Long meditation is a duty to some, but not to you, no more than it is a man’s duty to go to church that hath his leg broken, or his foot out of joint: he must rest and ease it till it be set again, and strengthened. You may live in the faith and fear of God, without setting yourself to deep, disturbing thoughts.

When you pray, tell God exactly how you feel. Be totally honest. Ask God to help you with your doubts and fears and to restore to you the joy of salvation. Thank Him for loving you and being with you even though you do not feel His love or presence. Praying for others who suffer can also help to turn your thoughts away from yourself for a time.

Remember God loves you as you are, not as you would like to be.

You will need wisdom to recognize when the help you are providing is not enough and the depressed person needs

expert

support from medical services. The benefits of such supportive friendship c...

But the church can also help by making clear that Christians do not have to be problem free and by demonstrating that when people do experience problems, they will not be ignored or avoided.

Also, the preacher should present a balanced view of the Christian life, as represented in the Psalms, over a third of which deal with fear, anxiety, and despair. This is part and parcel of normal Christian experience in an abnormal world. We

However, without minimizing the wickedness of the human heart and without denying our inability to do anything pleasing to God apart from faith in Christ, we should feel free to encourage depressed people to have a more realistic view of themselves by highlighting their God-given gifts, their contributions to the lives of others, their usefulness in society, and, if they are

In the meantime let us take our depressed Christian brethren continually before the throne of grace and plead, “Lord, he whom Thou lovest is sick.”