Depression: Looking up from the Stubborn Darkness

by Edward T. Welch

You should be concerned if you don’t see sin because one of the ways the Holy Spirit loves us is by revealing sin. Since sin is what really corrupts life and everything good, we are blessed when we can see it and turn from it. But this doesn’t automatically mean that sin is the cause of your depression. Second, keep Christ close on this part of the path. Keep Psalm 130 close. The heart of Scripture is that God has moved toward us and taken the initiative to forgive our sins. He

The curious path to true life is to grow in both the knowledge of God’s love and your own sin.

Depression unveils our hearts.

Throughout history, God has used hardships to reveal people’s hearts, and this unveiling has had a purpose. It is an essential part of the process of change. You have to see what is in your heart before you can set out to change it.

Personal growth and change are not always easy, but they are essential to true humanness. It is simply how we were built. They are the Creator’s intent.

is right and good. The Hebrew word shalom captures it: peace, wholeness, realignment rather than dislocation. Spiritual growth just feels right. In fact, it is a blessing that can make depression feel

less oppressive.

When we see something of our own hearts, we are in a position to grow and change. However hard it is to have our innermost being exposed, it is a necessary part of the path of blessing.

we can bring about significant physical changes in our brains simply by thinking differently.

Since Jesus came, suffering is redemptive. When we keep Jesus in view, the one who “learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8), we can begin to understand how James could encourage us to have joy in the desert trek.

trials, he writes, have a purpose. They test our faith. They reveal what we worship, what we trust, what we love. From James’s perspective, this is evidence of God’s fatherly care. It is essential to our spiritual welfare. It would be a tragedy to go through life with a nominal faith we think is genuine but isn’t. God’s love is behind the trials that reveal the true condition of our faith. His desire is that we become “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” In other words, when our faith is refined so that we learn to trust God in all things, we will be satisfied in him above all else. We won’t need the traditional accoutrements of life. Christ will be enough. For James, this growth process is so glorious that it can provoke us to joy.

Joy is not the opposite of depression. It is deeper than depression. Therefore, you can experience both. Depression is the relentless rain. Joy is the rock. Whether depression is present or not, you can stand on joy.

even if they don’t capture your present experience, let them be a vision for what lies ahead. This is what God wants to give you. Pray that this passage would more and more be your own. Pray that God would receive glory by giving you joy in the midst of your trials.

Your simple prayer can be, “Search me.” Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps. 139:23–24)

When depression is at its most severe, paranoia is one of its cardinal features. It is fear run amok. It can feel as if both you and your world are falling apart, and you are certain there is nothing you can do about it.

So listen carefully to your heart. Find your fears. They might be contributing to the feelings of depression, and there is much that can be done to alleviate them.

Now is the time to hear God’s words and believe him when he says that he will give you the grace when you need it.

Fear from trusting in things that don’t last. Perhaps the most common fear arises when the things we trust in become unsteady and begin to topple.

If your trust is invested in anything other than Jesus, fear will eventually reign. And when fear’s reign continues, it invites depression to rule with it.

O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (Ps. 59:9–10) My shield is God Most High. (Ps. 7:10) The Lord is my rock, my fortress . . . the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. (Ps. 18:2)

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:22–34)

He is the loving shepherd. He will not leave, and he will never sleep (Ps. 121:4).

“You trust me,” he says. “I will worry about tomorrow.” Then, in a beautiful and persuasive conclusion, he reminds us that he is a generous God who not only gives the kingdom to his children but is pleased to do so.

We want things and we aren’t sure God will give them to us, so we put our trust in other gods. This is THE problem of the human heart—misplaced trust. We value, love, and trust something in creation more than the Creator, and since there is nothing in creation that is intended to bear the weight of our trust, we are bound to live in fear. All other loves must be subordinate to your love for Christ. This may sound like God is demanding our love, and that is true to a point. But the reason we are to love him more than all others is that, among the many suitors for our affections, he alone is worthy of such love. How do you turn back to the One who truly loves you? It is called repentance. You acknowledge your wrong in pursuing false gods, and you set out to know the beauty of the true God who patiently pursues you.

Your goal is to get into a manna rhythm. Seek his grace today, be faithful to the tasks in front of you, and trust him for tomorrow. Then, when you look back and see that he was faithful, your faith will be “fed” for the next day.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” (Gen. 26:24) “Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6) “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” (Isa. 41:10)

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” (Isa. 49:14–16) “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. . . . he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans.” (John 14:16–18)

Instead, claim as your own some of the psalms that are journals of fear. For example, Psalm 46 talks about treacherous circumstances, but it still keeps circling around to the same refrain: “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Ps. 46:7, 11). Psalm 56 describes being slandered and attacked, but the psalmist calms his heart: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you” (Ps. 56:3). As you meditate on some of the psalms that speak about fear, you will find that you, too, will be able to make quicker transitions from fear to faith (see Ps. 57:4–5).

There are two basic steps in dealing with fears. First, confess them as unbelief. Isn’t it true that much of our fear is our hearts saying, “Lord, I don’t believe you,” or “Lord, my desires want something other than what you promised”? Second, examine Scripture and be confident in the love and faithfulness of Jesus. Ask someone who is confident in Jesus to give reasons for his or her confidence.