How Faith and Christianity help Depression
by Christine Howell
Depression can be a feeling of hopelessness that ranges from a minor inconvenience in the Christian life to life-threatening. Throughout the ages even mature Christian leaders have lived with and wrestled with the pain of depression.
Jesus is uniquely able to help us with depression. The gift of the in-dwelling Holy Spirit provides strength and healing to a degree not available to those who are not His. Even so, belonging to Jesus’ doesn’t mean we will automatically be free from the clutches of depression, much to the surprise of many who call on His name with the expectation of smooth sailing ahead.
How can faith in Christ help us in overcoming depression? There are several ways.The cause of depression can be due to a sinful lifestyle or other disobedience to the will of God. Jesus has an easy solution to this one. Submit and obey. When we line up with the understood will of God and do what He says, this depression will lift.
When depression is caused by stressful life situations such as marital strife, financial ruin or the loss of a job, Jesus is available. He will help us to understand that the eternal transcends the temporal and that problems, as difficult as they may be, are not a sign that he’s abandoned us. In the midst of severe stress He offers a spiritual peace that is deeper than the peace the “good times” offer.
Some depression results from the lack of accepting the circumstances we find ourselves in. The key to finding help is in developing the willingness to say yes to Him when the time comes for us to share in His sufferings or tolerate life’s unpleasantness.
Another form of depression originates with a physical problem. Some Christians believe that medical intervention in depression is wrong and that it illustrates a lack of faith or trust that God can and will heal. Other Christians believe that medicine is a gift from the Father and should be enjoyed to the fullest. If the problem is a physical one which can be diagnosed by testing then medication might very well be the solution. If you are suffering with depression make sure you go to a physician and have a good physical to rule out any physical cause before you beat yourself up with not having enough faith.
Jesus Christ helps us cope with depression. He is qualified to identify the origin and perfect treatment in every case. Just as Jesus physically healed people in a variety of ways that are uniquely personal and unwaveringly accurate, so He treats depression in His people today.
Christine Howell is a writer who regularly writes about Online Degrees and college related topics for Online College Guru, an online college directory and comparison web site.
hatchcreek.com Bible blog 
Hi!This is awesome blog.But I do not believes that Christian lived with depression.
Thanks for reading.
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Thank you for posting this! Do you read Kay Arthur’s books? She is an AMAZING woman of the Word and your entries remind me of her writing style! 🙂
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Hi Judy, Thanks for the compliment! Actually, I haven’t read any of Kay Arthur’s books. 🙂
Blessings
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I will get back to you later when I have more time. (3-29-10)
Thank you,
Jim Pankey
jimpankey@chartermi.net
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Stress or Anxiety AND DEPRESSION can often feel like a thick fog has surrounded
your mind. Nothing really seems enjoyable as you are
always looking out at the world through this haze of
anxious thoughts and feelings. This fog steals the joy
out of life and can make you feel removed
or cut off from the world.
When someone is very caught up in anxious thoughts
they are top heavy so to speak. The constant mental
activity they are engaged in has caused an imbalance
where all of their focus is on their mental anxieties.
A powerful way to move out of this anxious
mental fog is to switch your focus from your head
to your heart.
By simply making a deliberate shift of attention to your heart
you will find the anxious thoughts dissipate more easily
and the mental fog starts to gradually clear.
What makes your heart happy?
What makes you feel good?
What good things do you currently have in your life?
By getting control of what makes your heart happy and taking
attention away from your general mind, you are on your way to
calming your forth coming panic or anxiety attack.
By setting a specific time frame you establish
boundaries of control. You turn it into a game where
you call fear’s bluff. If it were a poker game,
you are asking anxiety to show its hand!
Tell the panic that it has 20 seconds to initiate the
full panic attack. 20 seconds and no more. After the
20 seconds are complete it must stop making empty threats.
You are allowing 20 seconds for it to fully manifest
but not a second more.
Whatever the bodily sensation is that you fear, it must
happen within that 20 second time frame.
-If you heart is going to explode then
it has 20 seconds to do so.
-If you are going to lose control, then your mind
has 20 seconds to do so.
-If you are going to faint – 20 seconds!
But absolutely no more time than that.
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