Overcoming Depression Series

Overcoming Depression

Online Sermon:

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“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore, I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?” My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

While we don’t know the precise circumstances that led the psalmist to write these words, many of us can relate to the depths of despair he describes, where waves of helplessness seem to wash away every trace of joy. His anguish echoes our own struggles, especially when sorrow feels overwhelming, threatening to extinguish any sense of happiness or peace. In fact, one in five adults is currently experiencing mental illness, and by the age of 40, nearly half of Canadian adults will have faced such challenges. The multibillion-dollar industry of antidepressants like Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft speaks to the widespread nature of these struggles. While brain chemistry can certainly play a role, our mindset and self-talk also contribute significantly to feelings of depression. In times of adversity—whether perceived or real—we often adopt a negative view of our lives, seeing them as void of meaning or hope. The prophet Jeremiah captures this feeling when he recalls his afflictions with "bitterness and gall" (Lamentations 3:19), as does David, who laments, "My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes" (Psalm 38:10). Yet, as followers of Christ, should we allow ourselves to sink into such hopelessness when we serve a Savior who reigns sovereign over all things, both visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16)? In this sermon, we will explore the sources of depression and uncover biblical principles to break free from this stronghold, making every thought captive to Christ.

Depression in the Bible

You may feel like you're one of the few Christians who experiences depression, but many key figures in the Bible, including prophets, kings, and disciples, faced deep emotional and mental struggles. King David, in a time of despair, lamented, “I am bowed down and brought very low; all day long I go about mourning. I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart” (Psalm 38:6, 8). Job, after enduring severe suffering, questioned, “Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” (Job 3:11). Similarly, Jeremiah, after delivering God’s message of judgment to a largely rejecting audience, fell into depression, saying, “Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?” (Jeremiah 20:18). Moses, overwhelmed by leadership and the complaints of the Israelites, pleaded with God, “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me” (Numbers 11:14-15). Jonah, frustrated with God’s mercy toward Nineveh, expressed his depression with the words, “Now, Lord, take my life, for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3). Even the Apostle Paul, amid persecution and imprisonment, confessed, “We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). These examples show that even God’s faithful servants struggled with deep sorrow, yet they ultimately found hope in Him.

Patterns of Distorted Self-Talk

We are no more immune to depression than the great figures in the Bible. Living in a fallen world that is in bondage to decay (Romans 8:21), both the righteous and the unrighteous experience both good and bad circumstances (Matthew 5:45). When adversity strikes, Dr. Aaron Beck notes that we often engage in distorted, negative self-talk, drawing bleak conclusions about our present or future based on little evidence. For instance, despite God's sovereignty, Elijah feared that Jezebel would succeed in her threat to kill him (1 Kings 19:2). At other times, we fixate on isolated details, as Elijah did when he believed that being alone in his confrontation with the prophets of Baal meant he was the last of God's prophets (1 Kings 19:10). We also tend to interpret isolated incidents as evidence of a general pattern, such as those who grew up in abusive homes associating raised voices with impending physical abuse. Additionally, we may blow a wide range of evidence out of proportion or misinterpret external events as personal failures, like Jeremiah, who felt abandoned by God when Judah fell. One of the most damaging forms of self-talk is perfectionism, where we divide the world into "perfect" or "worthless," allowing our imperfections to fuel self-condemnation.