Spiritual Dimensions of Depression—Part I

Unable to speak for a few minutes, she sat quietly while the tears ran down her face and dripped on her blouse.

By Gary G. Jones, D. Min.
Pastor of Counseling Resources   She had been referred to me by her physician after he had prescribed an antidepressant. She struggled to maintain control and said she really didn’t know why she was depressed. She had been battling depression for several months. Her physician had been unable to determine any physiological cause for the depression and had recommended that she seek counseling.

Recognizing Depression-Related Spiritual Issues
During the course of our first visit I asked, “What is the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian?” She related that a Christian went to church and read the Bible. I replied, “Christians do those things, but what is the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian?”

After several minutes of listening to her descriptions of Christian activities, I drew two diagrams illustrating the idea that when Adam and Eve sinned they died spiritually. That spiritual death was transmitted to all of Adam’s descendents (I Cor. 15:22) and that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). We discussed what it means that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).

I explained that because Jesus Christ paid the penalty of our sins when He died on the cross, new spiritual life was available. The second diagram illustrated that when a person asks Christ into his or her life, the person is “born again” spiritually (John 3). When I asked her which diagram best illustrated her life, she pointed to the diagram of a person who was spiritually dead.

Although she had been a church member for years, she had never asked Christ to be the Lord of her life. She had never received the gift of salvation and experienced the spiritual regeneration that comes when Christ dwells in a person’s life. That morning in my office she prayed and asked Christ to come into her life.

The following week she called me on the phone and explained that she did not need any further counseling. The depression was gone. Due to the fact that we lived in a small community, I was able to follow her life for the next ten years. Depression was never a problem for her again. What she needed was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Sometimes depression has spiritual causes.

Doubting the Faithfulness of God
Another depression-related spiritual issue is doubting the faithfulness of God. Doubt is frequently at the root of depression for Christians. The author of Hebrews warned, “Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the living God.” (3:12) When we are confronted with problems it is easy for us to wonder whether or not God will help us.

For many of us the problems of the present become so prominent in our minds that we totally forget the blessings of the past. The Israelites had seen the work and blessings of God for forty years in the wilderness. God had repeatedly provided for and delivered them. Yet, when the trials came, they did not remember God’s faithfulness in the past. Sometimes it is helpful for a person to remember the times when God has been faithful to them personally, when God has provided, when God has protected, when God has delivered them from difficult circumstances. Focusing our thinking on the faithfulness of God in the past can relieve the doubt and discouragement of the present situation.

A second aspect of these kinds of struggles has to do with assuming a negative outcome to the situation. The problems we encounter break down into three categories:

1.  Things I can control
   2. Things I cannot control but can influence
   3. Things I cannot control or influence

Many people spend precious time and emotional energy worrying about things in category three. When they assume a negative outcome about those events, the end result can be depression.   The Heart of Many Problems: A Temporal Mindset

The last spiritual cause of depression I will present may be at the heart of all of the causes mentioned above – a temporal mindset. As Christians we live with a tension between the idea that Jesus came in order for us to have abundant life (John 10:10) and Jesus’ statement that, “in this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33).

There are legitimate pleasures to be enjoyed in this world – the love of family and friends, the beauty of God’s creation, the warmth of the sun on our skin. There are also very real problems that all people have to face. I am convinced that some Christians struggle with depression because they forget that this world is not the end, “for our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His Glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.” (Philippians 3:20-21) When we live, think and act as if this world is all there is, the result may be depression.

Taking the next step

There are no simple answers to complex questions. If you are struggling with depression perhaps it would be helpful to have someone to walk with you through the process of healing. There may be times when it is difficult to think clearly. During those times, you need someone to help you bear the load. You may need someone to help you make sense out of it or perhaps to just be with you. Seek godly counsel from your Season of Life pastor, a Christian friend, your LifeGroup leader, or a Christian counselor.

*To learn more about the LBC counseling process, or for a recommendation for a Christian counselor, please contact us at 483-6512.