FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS, volume 6, number 28, July 10, 2008

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I will again praise Him for the help of His presence, Psalm 42:5.

Depression: Its General Cause

Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century Baptist preacher, was born into relative poverty in London in 1834. He lived his early years with his grandfather, a preacher. Spurgeon’s grandfather realized very early young Charles’ precociousness. He was reading Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress by the age of five and Puritan theologians such as John Owen and John Flavel by the age of ten. He did not receive a formal education. He basically was self-taught. Converted at the age of sixteen, Spurgeon began preaching at seventeen and had preached 1000 sermons by the time he was twenty. He was called to be pastor of the Park Street Baptist Church in London and though the sanctuary sat 1200 people only 80 were attending when he arrived. Word traveled quickly that young Spurgeon was a remarkable preacher, that the Holy Spirit was on him in a powerful way. Within a month the church was filled. By his early twenties so many people wanted to hear him preach that the Metropolitan Tabernacle was built, seating 5000 people, the largest church in the world at the time. While the Tabernacle was under construction, the church rented the Surrey Gardens Music Hall for their services, and over 10,000 would gather to hear young Spurgeon preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. On October 19, 1856 as Spurgeon stood to preach to the capacity crowd at Surrey Gardens, someone yelled "Fire!" and panic overtook the congregation. In the rush to exit the building those in the balcony pressed on the guard rail which gave way, and several people were hurled to the floor below, killing seven and injuring twenty-eight. The tender-hearted Spurgeon never fully recovered from the tragedy. He battled depression the rest of his life.

You probably have struggled with depression at some juncture in your life. At the very least you have family members or friends who have fought it. What is depression and how biblically are we to overcome it? I suggest that depression can be described as a feeling of hopelessness. Someone may say to a depressed person, "Why don’t you read the Scriptures. Why not try a little exercise? Let’s go out to dinner and talk," and the response usually is, "That won’t work. I have tried everything." Depression also is felt by a sense of aloneness. One says, "No one understands my situation, not even God. And depression can be described as a sense of despair. Not only does one say that nothing will work, that no one understands, but he also says, "Nothing will improve. I am stuck with these problems for the rest of my life."

No doubt there are degrees of depression, ranging from mild and occasional to chronic, occurring at certain times of the year, perhaps on the anniversary of the death of a loved one. It can be more severe, even debilitating, making it difficult for people to get out of bed, to do the ordinary chores of the day. Sometimes depression can lead to suicidal tendencies. It may surprise you to know that at least three biblical characters wanted out of their problems through early death. Elijah, after the remarkable victory at Mt. Carmel against the prophets of Baal, when told that wicked Queen Jezebel was going to have him killed, fled in fear, crying out to God, "Lord, it is enough. Now let me die." Job, after suffering the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health cries out to his friends, "That the Lord would crush me, that He would remove His hand from my life so that I may be cut off." And Jonah, the consummate racial bigot who hated the Ninevites, after Yahweh brought awakening instead of judgment upon them said, "Death is better than life to me." Have you felt hopelessness, aloneness, despair? Have you wished for a quick exit from this world?

What causes depression? No doubt one’s temperament impacts it. Introverts, creative or artistic people seem to battle it more than extroverts or task oriented people. One’s health also effects depression. Spurgeon suffered with gout, a form of arthritis due to the build up of uric acid, and I am told the pain in unbearable. This came on Spurgeon numerous times throughout his life, bringing back his old nemesis. A lack of sleep, illness, and recovery from surgery or having a baby can bring on depression. The big question today is chemical imbalance. Does it cause depression or does depression cause chemical imbalance? The verdict is still out on this one. I will have more to say about chemical imbalance and anti-depressant medication in future devotionals. Irresponsibility can bring on depression. A man who neglects his family, who works too much and realizes one day that his wife does not love him, that his children do not respect him, will probably be depressed. And sin can lead to depression. Not dealing biblically with the guilt and shame of disobedience to God can lead to a sense of hopelessness, aloneness, and despair.

To summarize, depression comes from not handling biblically the events of life. It can come from the agony of triumph. Elijah wanted to die after his remarkable success at Mt. Carmel. The problem with success is that people expect more and more of it from you. You get on the treadmill of productivity. Your company expects more sales next year. The further up you go in your profession and the more success you have, the more you fear losing it. You begin to wonder if life is really worth all this pressure. Then there is the agony of suffering. Chronic illness, living with a mentally unstable spouse who constantly berates and debases you, experiencing the pain of losing a spouse to whom you were married for fifty years, can bring on depression. And then there is the agony of unfulfilled expectations. Jonah was angry because his expectation of Ninevah’s judgment went unfulfilled. A high school student, set on attending Harvard, but who is rejected and must settle for UConn may suffer depression. A father who dreams of his daughter’s career in theatre is crushed when she loses interest or cannot make the grade. A man who has visions of being at a certain level of income and position in the corporate world by the age of forty but realizes at thirty-eight that he is not going to make it, may suffer depression from unfulfilled expectations.

How are we to overcome depression? I will have lots more to say on this in the future, but briefly- here’s what not to do. You cannot be passive in overcoming it. You cannot allow it to rush over you like a wave. You must be active. You must take the matter into your hands. You must talk to yourself like the Psalmist. You must remind yourself what is true about God and about yourself in relation to Him. You must say, "Soul, why are you depressed? Why are you downcast? Get hold of yourself. Trust in God. Trust in the glory of your union with Jesus Christ." You will need consistently to talk to yourself but this is God’s way of dealing with depression. Don’t be passive. Instead be active.

FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS is a weekly devotional by Reverend Al Baker, pastor of Christ Community Presbyterian Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

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