Are You Spiritually Depressed?

Are you wondering why you should even bother trying to live the Christian life anymore, especially since you seem such a failure? Are you discouraged? Feeling down and out? Feeling worthless at times? Your prayers seem to die on our lips or bounce off the ceiling? YOU’RE NOT ALONE! Unfortunately spiritual depression is a reality that touches many lives including those of us in “the church.” We all go through those valleys of the shadow of death.

Prophet Elijah was spiritually depressed. Take my life, he cried out to God. His life had not turned out the way he planned. (You can read it in 1 Kings 19:4-21.) God asked Elijah, What are you doing there? God doesn’t want Elijah to be in that condition. Elijah was an imperfect person and God went to great lengths to bring him out of his spiritual depression and provided what he needed. He did not abandon Elijah nor will He abandon you. Like Elijah we must be ready to move on in our spiritual lives by obeying His soft voice. We can take courage, for there is hope for those who trust in him.

King David when he was spiritually depressed ended his psalm on a positive note “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD” (Ps. 27:13-14). David believed in God’s goodness, hoped in His mercy, and waited for His sufficient grace to go through this phase.

John Stott correctly observes, “The cure for spiritual depression is neither to look in at our grief, nor back to the past, nor round at our problems, but away and up to the living God. He is our help and our God, and if we trust in him now, we shall soon have cause to praise him again. “Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Ps. 42:11).

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16

God knows what we’ve been through. Even if you’ve gotten carried away, your sins have taken you far from God, remember God and He’ll remember you. God’s forgiveness and Christ’s cleansing power is there to renew us. God’s love for us goes far beyond our love for Him. Turn to Jesus, put your trust in Him and be renewed by His grace and love. Jesus never fails.

Pr. Mathews Abraham