Spiritual Dimensions of Depression—Part II

In Genesis 1:7 we read, “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”

By Gary G. Jones, D. Min.
Pastor of Counseling Resources

Many terms are used in the Bible to describe various aspects of people: body, soul, flesh, spirit, mind, heart, etc. The terms body, mind and spirit encompass the whole spectrum of being human. Yet, somewhere in the history of our scientific development, human beings were divided into segments. Physicians seem to focus primarily on the physical nature of a person. Psychologists focus on the mind, will and emotions. Theologians grapple with the spiritual nature of man. Kool-Aid provides a helpful analogy: it consists of water, sugar and flavoring. However, once it is mixed together, it becomes one substance. While it is true that we have a body, mind and spirit, they form a unit. Considering the whole person is especially important when discussing the issue of depression.

The Struggle with Faith and Depression
For people who take their faith seriously, depression can be particularly distressing. To even admit that they are depressed can be the equivalent of admitting spiritual defeat. After all, they think, didn’t Jesus say that He came to give us an abundant life? (John 10:10) Doesn’t the Bible say that the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…” ? (Galatians 5:22) So they reason, “If I feel depressed there must be something wrong with my spiritual life. Perhaps I am not saved? Maybe I have never been filled with the Spirit? I must not be praying enough or I would have, ‘the peace of God that passes understanding.’” (Philippians 4:7)

My Own Journey Through Depression
My heart goes out to these people. I have been there. In addition to the despair of my own depression, I struggled with intense anger. I seemed to be able to control the anger in public, but my family paid a high emotional price for my rage. I was in graduate school when the symptoms first began to appear. I went to one of my professors that taught counseling classes and tearfully related my story to him. He calmly looked at me and said, “Well, let’s see, you’re working a full-time job, a part-time job, going to school full time and trying to raise a family. I think these things will take care of themselves when you get out of school.” I know one thing – he did not have the gift of prophecy! Not only did things not get better when I got out of school, the situation got dramatically worse. The depression was like a fog that enveloped my mind. I could not think clearly. The anger increased to the place that my family was in danger of physical assault. I began to experience fatigue to the point that I would have to return home and go to bed after I had been at the office for an hour. During all of this time—a period of several years—I felt like a hypocrite and a spiritual failure.

Attending to Physical Symptoms
I began to develop some physical symptoms (shaking, dizziness, sweating) about the time my father learned that he was diabetic. I wondered if I, too, might be diabetic. A trip to the doctor quickly revealed that I was hypoglycemic. My blood sugar levels dropped to the point that I was close to passing out. The doctor placed me on a diet that helped me control my blood sugar level and the symptoms disappeared. The depression lifted. The anger faded away. My family forgave me. Most importantly, I began to understand that my physical well-being affects my perception of my spiritual well-being. If something is out of balance in our body, it affects our mind and our emotions. Our mind and our emotions affect the way we think and feel about spiritual issues in our lives. Reading my Bible more would not have changed my blood sugar levels. Praying more would not have helped me feel better. The problem was not spiritual. I was not out of fellowship with God. Sin was not at the root of the problem.

Finding Effective Treatment
Effective treatment of depression addresses the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Some of you who are reading these words right now have battled depression for a long time. You may feel like you are a spiritual failure. You may believe that you have failed yourself, your family, your church and your Savior. Before you simply resign yourself to living with those feelings of defeat, may I encourage you to see your physician? Ask him/her to help you evaluate the whole physical arena: nutrition, exercise, hormones and overall health.

If the results of the physical examination are normal, then it might be helpful to contact your pastor or a Christian counselor to explore any relational, mental, or spiritual causes of depression. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that the people who improve the most rapidly are taking antidepressant medication coupled with competent mental health therapy.

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