(Fighting Depression)
Many people suffer from depression. Why? Perhaps its finances, worry, fear of failure. At times we get excited when things are going well, but when the excitement is over, we hit bottom again. What we previously looked forward to has come and gone. What do we do now? To quote an old saying, “This is where the rubber meets the road." This is the real world. We have to pay for what we charged, clean up the messes we’ve made and look ahead to the unknown years stretching out before us.
It may be, now that the dust has settled, you don’t like what you see. There probably isn’t a ‘quick fix’ for all of your problems, but there is one thing that can be changed right now. You can “turn your mourning into dancing; your sorrow into joy.” (Psa. 30:11) Joy is something we can experience at all times.
Let us define the term ‘joy’. The Holman Bible Dictionary describes joy as, “The happy state that results from knowing and serving God.” The words, joy, joyous, and joyful are found over 200 times in the Bible. Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit and causes the believer to rejoice, even in times of trouble.
Self-seeking pleasure does not bring joy. Remember the story of the rich, young ruler who came to Jesus and asked what he could do to inherit eternal life? (Luke 18:18-23) Jesus told him to sell everything he had and follow him. In verse 23, we find his response, “When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth." He already had riches, but he wasn’t happy. Yet, he could not give up what he had. What he lacked was internal joy, the kind Neh. 8:10 tell us about, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Laughter does not always bring joy. I once had a friend who was one of the funniest people I ever met. She had a way of telling stories that soon sent her listeners into peals of laughter. One never knew how much she grieved inside or how she hated herself. She told such funny stories about herself and ended by saying, “I could just kill myself." One day she did what she jokingly said many times; she killed herself. Over the years, many well-known comedians that caused millions to laugh were themselves, the saddest people on earth. Many were alcoholics, and several died of drug overdoses. “Laughter can conceal a heavy heart; when the laughter ends, the grief remains.” (Prov. 14:13) TLB
Why is it that some people can experience joy in the midst of trials? I am reminded of a funeral I attended for a woman in her forties. As I spoke to her elderly mother, she asked if I would sit by her a minute. She told me she had five children and all were dead, as well as her husband. She was now alone, but wanted me to know that God sustained her. She did not understand why all her family had gone on before her, but she knew ‘the good Lord had his reasons’. The joy of the Lord was her strength.
A song I have loved for many years comes from The Sound of Music and is entitled, “My Favorite Things”. It begins with thinking of such things as, ‘raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens’. It ends with, ‘When I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad’. It works! It worked for Paul and Silas when they were in prison and in chains. The Bible tells us they were praying and singing hymns to God (Acts 16:25). They were thinking on their favorite subject which was God and they were worshipping him. They were a witness of an inner joy and peace that eventually led their jailer and his family to the Lord.
We can experience joy and peace in our life, even though we may be going through some difficult times. Notice, I said, ‘going through’. We read in Psalms, “Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who want above all else to follow your steps. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping Zion
If there is sin in a believer's life, it will rob that person of joy. It’s not the devil who robs us; it’s not another person who robs us; we do this to ourselves, either because of sin or, because we do not walk closely with God.
The joy that comes from our relationship with Christ gives us peace, contentment, good health and the right relationship with others. Prov. 17:22 shows us a wonderful truth, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
A good portion of my earlier years was spent living in a worldly manner. I fought severe depression, poor health and rocky relationships. My life was in turmoil and the trials kept dragging me down lower and lower. I once heard Oral Roberts say that at one point in his life, he was so low, if he died they would have to jack him up to bury him. That’s about where I was when I asked Christ into my life. He filled me with a joy that was deep and lasting. I have since experienced far greater trauma than before I was saved, but the joy of the Lord has never left me. What did leave were depression, poor health and bad relationships.
Even though the Word of God says, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt. 5:45), some may still wonder why they have troubles. This, I believe, is the answer God gave to me.
*I saw a mining prospector and he had been given a large grubstake. With invisible hands, he held a pan with a screen in the bottom, and would dip it deep down into a river of rushing water. When the pan was lifted up from the river bed, it was full of gravel and abrasive stones. Over and over again, it was dipped into the water and then shaken. The rocks and gravel ground and rubbed harshly against one another. After several times of dipping, all the debris and impurities were washed away. Then and only then, at the bottom of the basket, lay a shiny piece of pure gold. A treasure was found!
The Lord showed me that He was the Prospector and the invisible hands were his hands. The water was the river of our lives. God places us in the pan and dips us into the river where the debris and impurities of life continually cause abrasiveness. God’s grubstake was Jesus, His Son. That grubstake paid the price ahead of time, so God could pan for gold - the gold being these, the believers, He will take to Heaven! *
Confirming what the Lord showed me, I found in Job 23:10, “But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” In James 1:2-3, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
When you’re feeling sad, simply remember your favorite things and then you won’t feel so bad. If you think on the Lord, he will refresh you in the Spirit. Please pray this prayer, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” (Ps. 51:12) If you believe it, He will do it!
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