Overcoming Depression

By Pastor Don Nicely

Nobody is immune from depression. Everyone is prone to suffer from the blue moods from time to time. But I believe that depression is not inevitable. I believe it can be avoided and we can overcome its affects. Although it is a very real and difficult problem- God’s word can give us the necessary answers to overcome it. In this teaching we’ll look at scripture anecdotes to defeating depression and removing its power from our life.

What is depression?
Depression is defined as a state of being depressed. It is a feeling of having our spirits pressed down low. It’s a condition of having a heaviness of heart and feeling dejection in your spirit. Often people in depression have a desperate and hopeless outlook on life. Depression is considered the most wide spread mental and emotional problem affecting mankind. It is said that more people at any one time are suffering from depression than any other single disease.

What causes depression?
There are many factors that can contribute to suffering from depression. The most common of these is stress. Life can be filled with setbacks, disappointments, delays and pressing difficulties that can fill us to the brim with stress. We must learn to deal with our problems properly or else they weaken us, and wear us out, which will in turn create a growing presence of depression or discouragement. We may even feel like we have no control over the events of our lives which can result in depression.

If we face what seems like impossible circumstances we may assume that any course of action we take will be useless in these times and we are also prone to sink into wells of depression.

Friend don’t let the power of negative thinking get rooted in your thought life. Almost all depression can be traced back to some form of negative thinking. These thinking patterns can have great influence on our emotions, attitudes and even our will. If you’re a depressed person you will usually see the dark side of life. You may even have a pessimistic outlook about life. Everyday you live it may seem like an endless succession of obstacles to overcome, problems to take in, burdens to bear, and failures to get up from one more time.

You may have even convinced yourself that life is hopeless for you as your self-esteem plummets into the pit of despair and you will probably be tormented with images of uselessness in your mind.

Please friend if this sounds like you break the bad habit of negative thinking today. I personally believe that it is possible to be delivered from all the negative thinking patterns that we face, for I am living proof that it can be done. I myself suffered from a terrible self image of myself until God set me free after I became a Christian.

Other causes of depression can be letting your health go to pot and become run own by lack of proper nutrition and lack of sleep. If you neglect your body to the point where it will suffer from depression- it is your body’s way of telling you to do something.

At other times we may have sin in our life and try to ignore it which in turn will result in depression. You can’t conceal sin and get away with it. It will eventually take its toll on your life. A spirit of heaviness and condemnation are often the result of attempting to conceal sin.

These people have a tendency to murmur and complain, and because of that they are prone to depression and self-pity attitudes.

Then again maybe your life is filled with endless deadlines and responsibilities. Usually when experience times when we fall short in life or don’t quite measure up to the expectations of others we can experience bouts with depression. In Numbers chapters 13 & 14 Israel was faced with the challenge of taking on the giants of the Promised Land. They chose to sink into discouragement and doubt which soon led them into depression- when they realized that they couldn’t receive the promise of the Canaan Land.

What are some of the signs of depression?
Many symptoms can manifest themselves into a variety of ways. Some are sadness, fear, apathy, pessimisms, fatigue, weariness, loss of appetite, lost of energy, lack of enthusiasm. You may suffer from an inability to make decisions. Self-criticism, hopelessness, uninterested in healthy sex, loss of interests in work, having a difficulty concentrating, insomnia, and so on. As you can quickly see the symptoms that lead up to depression can be quite harmful. Though we may not be directly responsible for the circumstances that contributed to the depression we may be suffering from we are responsible to handle the problem in God’s mode of doing things. The first step to removing depression from your life is to get your focus off your life and begin to focus on the person of Christ. You must understand that God cares for you and you must allow him to help you root out the problems or situations that are causing your depression.

Seven steps to removing depression from your life

Take action now!…You must challenge it as soon as it comes upon you. Don’t give it time to spread like a cancer through your entire being. If you brood or nurse the problems you will sink into the pit of depression. That’s why David said to “hope in God.”
Psalms 43:5 (NKJV)⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God.
Learn to discipline your thought life… Don’t allow your mind to become the devil’s playground, but take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and make it obey Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV)⁵casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
Fix your hope in God…When you get your attention off your problems and upon the power of God, you will gain confidence, courage, and supernatural strength.
Psalms 31:24 (NKJV)²⁴Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. All you who hope in the Lord.
Find promises in God’s word to stand upon…When you realize the scripture has said that “ALL THINGS” are working together for our own good. It’s easy to accept them as they come good or bad. Understand that the scriptures contain all the answers to life’s problems.
Learn to rejoice in the Lord…
The Christians way to escape depression is to follow Paul’s command in Philippians 4:4.
Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
When we know that the Lord is bigger than our problems we can lift our hearts in praise and enter into his presence.
Search for hidden sins…If depression persists search your heart for hidden sin. Sometimes ill will toward someone or bitterness hidden deep down can be just a few of the hidden sins of the heart deep down can be just a few of the hidden sins of the heart causing depression. Confess them quickly and get deliverance now.
1 John 1:9 (NKJV)⁹If we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Watch your health…Try not to neglect or abuse the temple of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God…