Going Deep with God in Depression

our topic now is depression and we're blessed to have randy alcorn author of 45 books with us to talk about this important and significant theme here on theology refresh Randy would you define for us what is depression and connect your experience with depression for us I think depression is something that's elusive but we sort of know what it is it's it's a state of having this cloud over you this sense of being ill ADIZ kind of a loss of happiness a sense of where's the joy in my life you know my own experience with depression has not been extensive but I have had periods of time one time for months where every day I would get up I'd spend time with the Lord but I get up in the morning and I wasn't just tired I didn't just need a cup of coffee it's just that there was this dark cloud and the interesting thing was it was not at a time in my life where all kinds of things were going wrong there there been many other times in my life where there's been a lot of stress a lot of things going on where I felt a great peace and contentment with the Lord and then this was in a period of time where not much was happening that was creating pressure but for undefinable reasons I just didn't know why sometimes it's uh you know anxiety is like high stakes and low control depression is just this sense sometimes if I don't know why I can't just point my finger at the reasons yes when people talk about the causes of depression what is your experience make that conversation of of causes sound like are there any things we can point to in terms of causes or is it that elusive I think it is very elusive and it's different for different people I think sometimes when we talk about depression anxiety fear whatever it might be we kind of start saying well this is what it is but for some people it comes in a different shape and form certainly depression can be triggered by very negative events happening in your life your child is dying of leukemia your spouse has left you you've lost your job different circumstantial things in life other times as I said in my case you can't point to a particular reason one of the things that I've learned in my own depression periodically when it comes upon me is that God is there with me in the depression it used to be that I would think okay this is wrong I shouldn't feel this way I should have the joy of the Lord and indeed we should but at the same time what I do is try to get out of the depression what can I do to get out of this and I think what's been most helpful to me and in that period of four months oppression I came to the point where no matter what I did it wasn't going away so then finally I'm saying okay Lord walk with me and help me to learn from this so I looked at Romans eight and you've got if God be for us who can be against us and nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ were more than conquerors through him who loved us certainly God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God so in the middle of my depression I'm meditating on those things and I'm sensing the presence of God strangely sensing his presence in deeper ways sometimes and when everything was going just fine right so mysterious causes mysterious cures that even if we'd even use a word cure talk about what are some of the things that can be pursued even though there's not the the one-to-one effect I think certainly going to God's Word praying getting support from other people I was very honest with my wife some of my friends I blogged about it I went to Charles Spurgeon who experienced a lot of depression throughout his life he was plagued even many years later through that instance where was it six people that died in that Inn you know the crowd is somebody yelled fire falsely there wasn't a fire and that was when he was a very young pastor but that those memories would come back and haunt him at times and it was actually very reassuring to me to see Charles Spurgeon who I admire so much and you say well well and I don't think anybody would say well the reason that Spurgeon explains such depressions because he just wasn't christ-centered and he didn't know God's a word and he did in Cana but no no those the closeness to God that he experienced the joy and the happiness that he repeatedly talks about much of that comes out of his attempts to find that happiness and to find that joy in Christ and successfully so but in a life that involved a great deal of physical pain at his wife being an invalid and his own experience of depression I blogged about that and I got many people writing to me and saying this is so helpful that he'd be honest enough to talk about this so there were a number of things that help get me through that time but certainly being honest taking it to the Lord and saying God I'm not living simply to have you cure fix my problem any more than I would say make me no longer an insulin dependent diabetic which I am in habit if you must heal me of that heal me but I'm not going to wait till he heals same thing with depression don't wait till you're out of it to move on in life move on now in the presence of God there's a real sweetness to death so vocationally for a writer a pastor a layperson they're still tasks we must must engage in even as we feel this spiritual depression any counseled in relation to that yeah one of the things I would say is okay lord help me to get through this day with all the responsibilities I have all the people are supposed to meet with all the writing I'm supposed to do the meetings whatever it is but help me to sense your presence in the moment help me not simply to force myself to do this putting one foot in front of the other on my own strength but instead to relax and say God you help me you lead me you guide me I need to lean on you to get through this day so that at the end of the day I won't say okay I did it again I forced my way through the day but no God you were with me in this yes Rainie have a counsel for pastors other leaders as they minister to the to the depressed how should they go about ministering to others who are experiencing depression I think one thing is to to not begin by thinking okay something is automatically terribly wrong here let people say what they're feeling and express why they think they're feeling it certainly it's always a good response to say look to the Lord depend on him for strength but be careful not to lecture people who may already be going to the Lord and still experiencing depression I mean again think if you are meeting with Charles Spurgeon would you be saying of now Charles if you would just spend time in the word and if you just depend on God and if you would just do that then your depression would go away no understand that this person may be having time with God they may be pursuing all kinds of ways to get better but so far it hasn't and that's why they've come to you for help so be sensitive to them but of course don't hesitate to bring to them the importance of focusing on the Lord set your mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God Colossians 3 think from an eternal perspective and look at Romans 8:28 in terms of retro actively as we'll see it some day retrospect we'll we'll look back and we'll say now I see how God has caused all things were good for good that this is one of those things in your life and God will use this depression you've experienced for good so yes I will try to help you out of it but don't think your life and your walk with God will not begin until you are yes thank you would you pray for our listeners is because absolutely father thank you for your love and your grace thank you for every person who might be struggling with depression every pastor every lay leader missionary whoever it might be we pray father for the presence of your spirit in their lives and an empowerment a supernatural awakening in them a sense of your presence and pray for your blessing and help them to look forward to the new heavens and the new earth where everything will be right where you will wipe away the tears from every eye thank you for that promise and help us to hold to that blood-bought promise and and to realize today your presence with us and your encouragement we pray that you would lift depression but if you choose not to lift it that even in it we would be faithful and since your presence we ask this in Jesus name

Channel: Desiring God

Views: 84,984

Keywords: Theology Refresh, Randy Alcorn, David Mathis, Depression

Id: Xp0vrI5yFIw

Length: 9min 56sec (596 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 17 2014