DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
II Cor. 12:1-10
INTRO.- ILL.- A businessman on his deathbed called his friend and said, "Bill, I want you to promise me that when I die you will have my remains cremated."
Bill said, "And what do you want me to do with your ashes?" He replied, "Just put them in an envelope and mail them to the Internal Revenue Service and write on the envelope, ‘NOW YOU HAVE EVERYTHING.’" What a depressing thought!
ILL.- A teacher said to her students, "Boys and girls, there is a wonderful example in the life of the ant. Every day the ant goes to work and works all day. Every day the ant is busy. And in the end, what happens?"
Little Johnny said, "SOMEONE STEPS ON HIM."
Brothers and sisters, I think that many of us feel like we have been stepped on our entire lives by some people and certain circumstances. But we are not alone in our depression! The people of the Bible also experienced it.
ILL.- Moses was the depressed leader of the people of Israel. Every time he turned around, they griped about something. "We need water." "We are starving." "We want food, but we hate manna." If you were surrounded by a bunch of chronic complainers it would be hard not to be depressed.
ILL.- Job was depressed. He lost everything, then cursed the day he was born: "Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?…. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil." Job 3:11, 3:26
ILL.- David was depressed: "Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?…. I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears." Psalm 6:2-3, 6
ILL.- The apostle Paul was depressed. In II Corinthians 12 we are told that Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to perhaps keep him humble. BUT PAUL DIDN’T LIKE THAT THORN! No one likes thorns sticking in their side or in their spirit! Paul said it was a messenger of Satan, to torment him.
ILL.- Commentator Warren Weirsbe wrote, "We do not know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was. The word translated thorn means ‘a sharp stake used for torturing someone.’ It was a physical affliction of some kind that brought pain and distress to Paul. Some think that Paul had an eye affliction according to Gal. 6:11, but we cannot know for sure.
"We do know that God permitted Satan to afflict Paul, just as He permitted Satan to afflict Job. Satan cannot work against a believer without the permission of God."
ISN’T THAT A COMFORTING THOUGHT? Satan is harnessed and God will pull back on the reins whenever He sees Satan trying to get carried away.
Brothers and sisters, almost everyone deals with depression in some form or another. Depression, however, is not the end of the story. GOD’S PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN A DARK WORLD OF DEPRESSION! God does hear our cries and answer our prayers!
David said in Psalm 40:1-2 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire."
In regard to Job, it says in Job 42:12 "The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first." God blessed Job with prosperity and gave him twice as much as he had earlier in life. Job 42:10-17
And God comforted Paul and cared for him by saying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weaknesses." II Cor. 12:9
ILL.- Warren Weirsbe said, "God did not give Paul any explanations. Instead, He gave him a promise. WE DO NOT LIVE ON EXPLANATIONS; WE LIVE ON PROMISES!"
God’s promise to Paul was: MY GRACE IS SUFFICIENT. My grace is strengthening. God was going to bless Paul with whatever he needed to both endure and live the Christian life.
God’s promise was a sure thing for Paul and for us, as well. We must believe. We must trust. And we must ask.
Brothers and sisters, depression in any form is not dandy. But with God’s help, blessing and grace it can be handled and overcome.
PROP.- Let me share some practical things from God’s wisdom that can help you deal with your depression no matter how strong or simple it is.
I. STOP COMPLAINING
ILL.- A man said to a waitress, "Do you serve breakfast here?" Waitress: "Sure, what will it be?"
Man: "Let me have some watery scrambled eggs. Some burnt toast and some weak coffee."
Waitress: "Whatever you say, sir."
Man: "Now, are you doing anything while that order is being filled?"
Waitress: "Well, not much."
Man: "Then you could please sit here and nag me a while. I’m homesick."
I find it hard to believe that anyone could be homesick for nagging or complaining. But that’s what some people hear a lot at home. Probably more than we realize. And it’s everywhere: in the workplace, in the mall, at Wal-Mart, and sometimes in the church, sad to say.
Phi. 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing."
We are commanded by God to stop complaining about everything. Griping and complaining only makes things bitter, not better.
Even though most people think it is their God-given right to complain, Christian people should realize that griping and complaining is not pleasing to God. God was not impressed when the people of Israel complained.
I Cor. 10:1-5 "For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. NEVERTHELESS, GOD WAS NOT PLEASED WITH MOST OF THEM..."
I Cor. 10:10 "And do not grumble, as some of them did and were killed by the destroyed angel."
That doesn’t sound very good, and it wasn’t. God is not pleased when we gripe and complain. Especially, when we have it so good.
ILL.- And besides, someone said, "Whenever you are tempted to tell your troubles to other people, remember that half your listeners aren’t interested, and the rest are glad you’re finally getting what’s coming to you."
Instead of complaining about what we don’t have or what we don’t like in our lives, we should look at what we do have and thank God for it!
ILL.- For example, I bought my 1998 Ford Taurus in July of 1999. It had 28,000 miles on it and it now has over 99,000 miles on it. Oh my goodness! Heavens no! Horrible! How can this be?! Oh no, it’s done for. It’s almost over. Down the tube and through the tunnel of death.
It would be very easy for most people to reason or think and say to themselves, "My goodness, this car of mine is almost wore out and I have still years to pay on it. This is terrible. This is a terrible predicament. What am I going to do?"
On the other hand, some people would say to themselves, "This has been a really good car. I’ve had no trouble with it at all. It’s amazing. 99,000 miles is nothing! Wow! This is great. This car could easily go 200,000 miles or more! The Lord has surely blessed me."
SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE THINKING AND REASONING? And obviously, this is what we must do with everything in life. We must ship out the negative thinking and dwell on the good and the positive. Always focus on the positive. It will help to overcome depression in life.
II. STAY TUNED
ILL.- What’s your favorite channel on TV? Probably ESPN if you are a sports fan. Or perhaps the History channel if you like history. Or maybe CBS whenever the Survivor show comes on TV. Or it could be a movie channel like HBO or Lifetime, the channel for women. Whatever your favorite channel is, you should be tuned in to God and stay tuned to Him in life.
ILL.- After Mark Twain had made a tour through Europe where he was honored by great universities and kings, his daughter said, "Daddy, I guess pretty soon you will know everybody except God." OUCH!
Brothers and sisters, there are many educated people in the world. People who know lots of stuff about all kinds of stuff, but no one is truly educated until they come to know the living God through His Son Jesus Christ!
People have differing views about God. Some people actually claim to have no belief at all. They believe there is no God. Why do people think this way? Some people are just plain blind.
ILL.- A man complained to a friend one time that the world seemed "drained of all its sweetness." His friend replied, "I don’t know what you mean. Are there not roses and violets still on the earth? And does not the sun and the moon still reign in the heaven?"
The beauty of God’s creation is all around us. And it shouts out loudly and clearly, God is the creator of all this beauty.
Some people think of God as some sort of judge in the sky just waiting to send people to hell.
ILL.- I don’t like courtrooms. I don’t like judges, particularly Judge Judy types. They appear mean, unfriendly, strict, demanding, etc. I don’t think God is like that at all.
God is longsuffering. He suffers long with mankind. He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to be saved.
Still others think of God as some kind of wimp or pushover. They think of God as being so easy that He’ll let anything go. WRONG. God destroyed the world with a flood long ago to prove there is a point to his patience.
Others think of God as being a helpless old man in the sky. Many think of God as "the old man upstairs." He’s very old, so he is very weak, helpless, can’t take care of himself, much less anybody else. WRONG. Throughout history God has displayed that He is not weak. He has displayed His mighty power and will again.
Finally, there are those of us who believe that God is our loving, heavenly Father! "Our Father who is in heaven..."
Matthew 7:11 Jesus said, "If you, then, though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him."
Brothers and sisters, one thing that helps me very much when I get down is the fact that I know I have a Father who loves me unconditionally. He doesn’t condone my failures, but He also won’t condemn me because I am in Christ. I know that He knows all about me and loves me anyway. He knows everything I have to face in life and He understands. He sympathizes with me fully. He sympathizes with me when I am hurting, full of pain, and crying. He sympathizes with me when no one else does. I find comfort, release, and relief in His tenderness. In His tender arms of mercy.
Sound good? it’s true. He is every bit of what I have just described and more, much more.
He can do things for us that no one else can. He can help us in our down times, in our times of depression. BUT HOW DO WE CONNECT WITH HIM?
We connect with our Father through His son Christ.
John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Mark 16:16 "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved..."
Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
We connect with God through believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and surrendering to Him. Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God? Do you believe that He died on the cross to save you from your sins? Then surrender to Him. Believe. Obey. Be baptized into Him. Walk with Him. Read His Word. Allow His Spirit to work in you. And the more you do these things, the more your spirit will be lifted from the mire of depression.
III. SHAPE UP
I Tim. 4:8 "For physical training is of some value..."
ILL.- Doctor to patient: Sorry, but right now you’re not in good enough shape to get in shape.
ILL.- On Saturday, December 23, 1972, Richard Knecht of Prospect, Oregon, set out to shatter the existing world sit-up record. For the past six months a Marine Corps captain had held the record, with an amazing 17,007.
Knecht was determined to capture the title for his family team, which tours the nation demonstrating the utmost in physical fitness. He began the grueling attempt in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and 11 hours and 14 minutes later had shattered the record with 25,222 sit-ups.
How many years of training had gone into preparing for this Herculean feat? Not as many as you might think. When he set the record, Richard Knecht was 8 years old.
WHY THIS INFORMATION ABOUT EXERCISE? Because it works. You work the body and it will work for you.
ILL.- It is said that regular exercise toughens the mind as well as the body. After working out three times a week for six months, one group was found to be 20% fitter. Bonus: they also scored 70% better in a test of complex decision making.
Not only does exercise improve the body and mind, it also improves the spirit of a person. It can help to relieve some of the effects of depression.
ILL.- A young mother was feeling terribly low about life. She said, "I made an appointment to see a family doctor in our area, hoping he might be able to recommend some vitamins to help me feel better. Instead, he gave me a checklist to fill out. He evaluated my answers, then said the three magic words that brought both terror and hope into my life: ‘You’re clinically depressed.’"
She said, "The doctor handed me a prescription. He also gave me some advice: ‘Exercise for half an hour, three to five times a week. As much good as the medication will do, the exercise will do that much or more.’"
She said, "I thought Prozac and sweat made an odd combination. I know now that it’s not so strange after all. Long-term depression can occur as chemistry in the brain gets out of whack.
"Think of a swimming pool: With the right balance of chemicals, a pool stays clear and clean. But when the chemistry gets out of balance, the pool becomes cloudy and algae-filled, and it can take months to get things balanced and clear again. Both medication and exercise impact brain chemistry in a positive way. Medication can replenish seratonin, while exercise releases feel-good endorphins."
Brothers and sisters, exercise works! It helps the body, mind and spirit. So shape up!
IV. SEPARATE SELF
ILL.- A little boy was balancing himself on his head. An old lady came by. "Aren’t you too young to do that? You are only six," said the lady who knew him.
"It’s all right," replied the boy. "You see, I’m nine when I am upside-down."
Brothers and sisters, there will always be people who are going to tell you that you can’t do something or you won’t amount to a hill of beans or something along that line. THEY ARE NEGATIVE PEOPLE OUT TO SPREAD THE NEGATIVE NEWS!
There will always be some people who are quick to put you down or take you down with their negativism.
ILL.- It has been said that as much as 77% of everything we think is negative and counterproductive and works against us. People who grow up in an average household hear "No" or are told what they can’t do more than 148,000 times by the time they reach age 18. Result: Unintentional negative programming.
Proverbs 13:20 "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm."
ILL.- A bride of several months was sawing away at the end of a ham. "Why," asked a neighbor, "are you sawing off the end of that ham?"
"Because my mother always did it," the bride replied. A few days later, the neighbor met the bride’s mother. "Your daughter tells me you always saw off the end of a ham before you bake it, and I wonder why."
"Frankly," the mother replied, "I do it because my mother did it. Why not ask her?" The neighbor phoned the grandmother who lived in the same town. The grandmother let her in on her secret. "I never owned a baking pan large enough to hold a ham. Why do you ask?"
People do influence one another. Good, bad or otherwise, we do influence one another.
Proverbs 12:26 "A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray."
Proverbs 14:7 "Stay away from a foolish man, for you will not find knowledge on his lips."
I Cor. 15:33 "Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character." Bad company, bad associations corrupt us in many ways. And not just morally. The people we run with can either pick us up or put us down. Or drag us down!
Negative people are not good to be with. I realize that you can’t get away from all negative people, but if it’s a matter of choice, then choose to stay away from them. Separate yourself from those who can bring you down. Choose your chums carefully.
V. SOOTHE OTHERS
ILL.- A Milwaukee teacher took her first-grade class to a dairy where a guide showed the children through the entire plant, explaining the whole process. The tour over, the guide asked if anyone had any questions. One little girl raised her hand. "Did you notice," she asked, "that I’ve got on my new snowsuit?"
ILL.- Elizabeth Chevalier, author of the best-selling novel, Driven Woman, wrote in a letter to Macmillan, "Have you heard the one about the novelist who met an old friend? After they had talked for two hours, the novelist said, "Now we’ve talked about me long enough—let’s talk about you! What did you think of my last novel?"
Brothers and sisters, any time our focus is on ourselves we are the losers and so is everyone else around us. When Christ walked the earth His focus was on people.
Matthew 9:36 "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless..."
As followers of Christ, our focus should also be on others. We should be quick to see the hurt in people and move to help them if we can.
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep."
Proverbs 12:25 "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."
ILL.- Rock singer, Madonna, has had a revelation! Huh? Surely not! Yes, in a sense, she has. She recently said, "YOU MAY LOOK at my life and think I live a charmed existence. I am rich and famous. I have a talented and gorgeous husband and 2 beautiful children. I could go on and on. But you would not be looking at the whole picture if that was all you could see. I too have my moments of doubts and weakness. . . . My moments when I gossip and am envious."
The cure for such agony, according to Madonna, is kindness. "When you feel down or trapped in a certain situation, get outside of yourself and do something nice for someone," she writes. "Whether it is a kind word or a hug."
Brothers and sisters, I am glad that Madonna has come to some sense in her life. She is finding out something that we Christians already knew. GOD PUT US HERE TO BLESS OTHERS!
God put us here to help one another...to be kind and loving to one another. And when we bless others, we bless ourselves.
Prov. 11:25 "A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."
We need to be in the refreshing business! We should be a breath of fresh air to those around us. We should also be the medicine that soothes aching hearts.
CONCLUSION----------------------------------
ILL.- When Dr. Mark Guy Pearce of England was in this country he related an experience that presents a good lesson for the soul-winner. He said he was out fishing for trout; he had worked hard and caught none. His equipment was excellent but he was unable to catch any fish. Finally he came upon an old fisherman whose sack was full of trout. He asked him how he was so successful.
The old fisherman answered: "There are three rules to follow in trout fishing: first, keep yourself out of sight; second, keep yourself further out of sight; third, keep yourself still further out of sight."
The preacher walked away musing upon this thought: That is the best advice I have ever heard for becoming a successful fisher of men. I must keep myself out of sight and put Jesus Christ in full view.
And that’s the best advice I know on how to get rid of depression in my life. Get my mind off myself and get it on Christ and others. The more I learn to love Christ and love others, the less depressed I will be.
