Don’t Give Up. Amidst the great discouragement we often experience, there are Biblical ways to overcome our depression. In this blog post I want to share with you some faithful habits you can adapt in your life to help you on your journey. Life can be quite difficult, yet these resources are available and can guide you to victory.
In the midst of what’s going on, keep going. As you walk with God be keen to also trust Him. Remember that God knows what He is about and He is about to do something amazing in you. Keep Going. When you decide that you’ll keep going no matter what, then you will keep going no matter what.
You have what it takes to endure your depression. There is no amount of difficulty that is too much for you to handle – as long as you walk with God. Walk with God. When you team with Him all things become possible and overcoming your depression is one of these things.
As you go, and as you row, and as you cut through the waves of life be adamant to continue. Your healing is available to you. Reach out and touch your Healer. As the lady with the issue of blood reached out and touched Jesus, the Bible says that she was healed. You too can touch the Lord with your depression and be healed.
What is Depression?
Even though the term depression is not mentioned in the Bible, the concept of depression resonates throughout it.
Depression is a common mental disorder that involves a depressed mood or loss of interest in activities for long periods of time. Many Biblical characters experienced this reality. Job was so depressed that He despised of even life. David said, “My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear” Ps. 38:4 (NIV). We could speak of many others, but one thing we should note is that they all resorted to trusting God by faith.
Depression is an everyday reality. According to the World Health Organization an estimated 3.8% of the world population experiences it. Because of this, we must learn Godly sustainable ways of overcoming this plague.
The Bible is filled with the power of God that can sustain us in our weakness. Let’s look at 5 Biblical Ways to Overcome our Depression that I am sure will aid you on your quest for wholesomeness.
1. Walk by faith and not by sight
For We Walk By Faith And Not By Sight – 2 Corinthians 5:7
As you travel through your brokenness it is imperative to walk by faith while trusting God. When I say walk by faith I mean not only believing what God says, but making it your philosophy of life. Perspective is everything. When you learn to look through eyes of faith it will make your journey less painful. Walking by faith will mean that you follow the word of God in every situation regardless of what you think and how you feel.
Faithful eyes will see from a place of understanding, knowing that even though God allows us to be broken, He holds our healing in the palm of His hands. David knew that even though he faced the reality of depression God was there with him always. In Psalm 18:6 he said – ‘In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple’. David knew that as he cried out to God, God was faithful to answer him.
2 . Praying and praising through your depression
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16
When we speak about Biblical ways to overcome our depression praying and praising are most important. If there is ever a time of need it is in our depression. As a result this is the most important time for us to dwell in constant prayer. We should not only pray, but we must also praise through these difficult moments. In fact, true prayer will echo the highest praise.
There is something about praising and praying that will lift our spirits to a higher atmosphere of worship. When we are depressed we become so bewildered that we often begin to dry up. When we practice the habit of prayer in this time, we fill ourselves with the fuel to go on.
The Bible speaks very highly about prayer. It says that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. This means that there is power in the prayer of the righteous person that will produce wonderful results. As you believe God and continue to pray through your depression, God will strengthen and keep you. Furthermore, He will also heal you as you pray.
See Also – 10 Bible Verses On Joy
These Bible verses will remind you of the joy you have in Jesus Christ– as you travel through your brokenness.
3 . The habit of seeking help
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2
You can develop the habit of seeking help. As you travel through your depression you are no doubt in need of help. The truth is that the reason why you are depressed is because you need help. Because of this you must do whatever it takes to seek assistance from the resources around you. God has precisely positioned the agents of help around us to aid us in our depression. The scripture in Galatians 6:2 encourages us to carry each other’s burdens.
The good news is that help is always available to us. Sometimes the help we need is just an encouraging word from another person. The help we seek may also be in a book, or a church service. We should trust that as we walk with God He will provide the necessary resources to help us.
4 . Living in the Word of God
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12
There is nothing more powerful than the Word of God. The scripture says that every word of God is pure, and that He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. As we seek help there is no better place to look than in this Word. The Word will not only strengthen us with Gospel but it will also empower us with truth. The truth is that God is always with you in your depression, and that as you trust Him, He will heal you.
The Psalm says : He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions – Psalm 107:20. David tells of the power of the Word of God. Specifically, as we cry out to God for help, He will send His word to heal us.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. – Hosea 4:6
As we consider the biblical ways to overcome our depression, we must continuously improve ourselves. It is often a lack of knowledge that leads us into our depression from the first place. Many times we lack understanding of what is going on and that is why it keeps going on. When we educate ourselves on the situation, and seek to understand it through eyes of faith, then we will be properly empowered for victory.
We must enlighten ourselves on what God requires of us in our situation. When we do things God’s way then we are sure to heal.
5. Positive Expectation
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! – Psalm 27:13-14
We can develop the habit of expecting positive things for our lives. As we do this we will experience God’s best. In our depression this might seem farthest from reality. Yet the truth is that Gold is made in scorching fire and life is formed in the dark . As we experience our brokenness let us remember that there can be beauty from our ashes as we believe. God will sustain us as we continue to trust Him and He will make beauty from our brokenness.
I was speaking to my brother Pastor Jermaine James a little while ago and we were speaking about a podcast we are working on called the Healing Time Podcast. This podcast is done to help broken people. As we spoke Jermaine mentioned that this podcast is so wonderful that it can make all the struggles we have faced make sense.
When I say beauty from our ashes this is what I mean – when we reach a point where all of our struggles make sense. The is trading ashes for beauty. Expect that one day you will be much more valuable because of all the depression and the brokenness you have experienced. It is true that broken roads often lead to beautiful destinations.
Additional Content – 10 Bible Verses To Help You Overcome Your Depression
1. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”Philippians 4:13
2. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
3. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
4. “The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18
5. “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
Related Bible Verses – 16 Bible Verses About our identity in Christ
6. “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”– Lamentations 3:22-23
7. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – Lamentations 3:22-23
8. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
– Psalm 46:1-2
9. Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand – Isaiah 41:10.
10…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.– Psalm 46:1-2
Conclusion
There are biblical ways to overcome our depression. As we travel through our broken places let’s remember that God is with us always. God had promised that He will sustain us and strengthen us with His right hand. Our job is to trust Him and to rely on His faithfulness.
Be encouraged. As you travel through your brokenness remember that Christ wants to heal you. Be blessed!
