Something You Can Do When You’re Depressed

We regularly receive prayer requests via our website and email. We have a team of intercessors who are glad to assist Beth and me with requests that come in. Prayer requests are only distributed to our trusted prayer team members and each person's name is kept confidential. Everyone who sends in a prayer request always gets a personal response and, from time to time, I am led by the Spirit to respond at length. This article reflects one such time. Without revealing this person's name and every detail of the prayer request, I wanted to print my response because I feel it will benefit others.

 

The person who made the prayer request was wondering about some things that most Christians do at some point along their journey of following Jesus. Specifically, this person has endured several long bouts of depression and wonders how to make God stop allowing this kind of deep pain.

 

What follows is my edited response:

 

While you have endured many hardships, I'd like to give you some perspective. If we look at what the Christians of Haiti have endured recently, we should be quick to realize that we really have it very good here in America. I'm not minimizing what you have and are going through. I too was lamenting that God had forgotten me until the day of the earthquake in Haiti. It quickly changed the way I think about my trials.

I would like to challenge you to change the way you're thinking about God.

 

He is not out to get you. He's not trying to see how miserable He can make you. In fact, the inerrant Bible says quite the opposite:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Yes, you have been called according to His purpose. He loves you and wants to work all of your hardships out for good. You have been pressing in to God and I've seen the changes in you. My friends have seen the changes in me over time. I've seen the changes in my friends over time.

My point is that it takes time for God to work things out for good and sometimes we have to take a step back and make ourselves see the positive and good things God has done for us. You have been depressed. I have been in the past as well. Depression causes a constant stream of negative thinking that will lie to us. Sometimes we just need to change our (as Joyce Meyer says) stinkin' thinkin'.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

When I was depressed – and let me assure you I am very personally and painfully aware of exactly what depression is and does – and I was engaged in stinkin' thinkin', the Lord clearly reminded me of the following Scripture:

A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)

After seeing this Scripture in the midst of my depression, I began to sow encouragement to other people. I didn't have money but I didn't need any for this. I simply made a prayer list of everyone I knew who was depressed and I began to sow prayers of emotional healing for them. When the opportunity presented itself, I made myself encourage them in other ways as well. Notice I said 'made myself'. I had to make myself because I didn't always 'feel' like encouraging people. I fought the negative emotions by faith.

 

Because God says that we reap what we sow, I sowed encouragement and, over time, God saw to it that I received encouragement.

 

The great thing about God is that we always reap way more than we sow. For example, every year when I plant my corn, I'm always amazed that one little seed of corn produces hundreds if not thousands of seeds from that one little one that I planted! I've had a garden at various times all of my life and every year I'm still amazed. So, I encourage you to regularly sow encouragement in others (like I'm doing right now) and God will see to it that you are encouraged from the inside out.

 

Don't wait on your feelings to turn positive before you do this. I believe it's the sowing of encouragement while you're feeling down that will get God's attention.

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 (NIV)

If the only thing you have to give is prayer for the encouragement of others, then give it. Perhaps you're able to make a phone call, send a card, or just pray. It only takes a small amount of seed to reap a tremendous harvest!