Depressed

Is it a sin to be depressed? And who can say he/she has never been depressed? The more intelligent you are, the more susceptible you are to the temptation to be depressed. A vacuous frozen smile and endless laughter do not indicate happiness. Watching the TV comedies with their mechanical laughter dubbed in is a sure path to deep depression. Happiness is the result of wrestling with depression, soberly and seriously, and conquering the temptation. If it is a sin to be depressed, then Jesus cannot be an Example to us, for if ever there was anyone truly and deeply depressed, He was when He cried out on His cross, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" You cannot say that Jesus sinned; therefore, it is not a sin to be depressed. The sin lies in choosing to remain in depression. All through the Bible we read of God's faithful servants who suffered depression. There is David--read his psalms, they are full of depression, But with only one exception, he always chose to believe the Good News about what God said to him, and he overcame-by believing the Good News God had already said to him. But it was not a once-for-all victory for David. Read his psalms, one after another, David has these wonderful victories of faith, and then, kerplop, he's back in depression again, having to fight the battle of faith all over again (see 1 Tim 6:12). So, when the temptation comes to you again and again, and you wonder "Why??" remember David. Drink deeply of his psalms. And then there is Job-the book that draws aside the curtain behind which God reveals Himself as present with you, closest to you when you feel farthest away from Him. Do you have a battle? That's proof God loves you personally, He is training you, disciplining you, building within you a foundation for lasting happiness.

Have you been blessed?