Imperfect but Abiding

On Hiding Depression

Oooooh, dirty word: depression. 

Sometimes it sneaks up quietly in the dead of night to slowly overtake you; others, it hits you like a Peterbuilt. I’ve personally experienced both, and neither one is my idea of a good time. 

Somewhere along the line, many people get the idea that to be a Christian, they have to shove their negative feelings deep down inside and project constant happiness to those around them. They think it’s their job to show that because they’re Christians, nothing is ever wrong in their lives. 

I’m not entirely sure where this idea comes from, though. King David, a man described as “after His (God’s) own heart,” clearly felt pretty poorly on occasion. We see him admit these things himself in many Psalms. A few examples are listed below:

• Psalm 5: Asks God to consider his “groaning” (v 1, NASB)
• Psalm 13: Mentions having sorrow “all the day” (v. 2, NASB)
• Psalm 69: “I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched” (v. 3, NASB)
• Psalm 86: Calls himself “afflicted and needy” (v. 1, NASB)

Lying is called evil and an abomination in multiple places in the Bible, and I don’t remember seeing a note anywhere that said *except in cases of depression. This doesn’t mean we have to advertise our struggles to everybody we know, but if we know someone can be trusted, it’s important to be able to tell someone you’re struggling. Additionally, we can’t hide anything from God. He knows everything there is to know about us. 

As Christians, we aren’t supposed to focus on ourselves; we’re supposed to follow in Jesus’s example by serving others, but this doesn’t mean we aren’t supposed to feel our feelings. Yesterday, I mentioned that Christ truly knows our suffering, and that applies to this post, also. 

So what helps? What can we do to help others in the midst of depression? 

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Proverbs 16:24 (NASB)

Will kind words solve all problems? No, but I can’t think of a time when someone’s kind words made me feel worse. Though I may have a hard time recognizing the truth in them at the time, those kind words are things I can return to when I find myself struggling in the future. 

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love… Ephesians 4:2 (NASB)

Just have patience with us. We don’t mean to be this way, and I know it can be frustrating sometimes, but I promise the kindness and patience and just being there do not go unnoticed.