What makes me vulnerable to depression? - Depression - TouchPoints

Psalm 31:9-11Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. I am dying from grief; my years are shortened by sadness. Sin has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within. I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors—even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way.

Hebrews 10:25Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

Loneliness often leads to depression, and depression often leads to self-isolation, creating a vicious cycle. Without the encouraging presence of friends, family, and fellow believers, we are vulnerable to Satan’s attacks and the dark emotions that follow from them.

1 Kings 17:12She [the widow of Zarephath] said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”

Psalm 42:9“O God my rock,” I cry, “why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?”

Jeremiah 15:10, 15Then I [Jeremiah] said, “What sorrow is mine, my mother. Oh, that I had died at birth! I am hated everywhere I go.” . . . Then I said, “Lord, you know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors! Please give me time; don’t let me die young. It’s for your sake that I am suffering.”

Lamentations 3:19-20The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.

James 2:15-16Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

Lacking basic needs such as food, shelter, and safety can contribute to depression. The widow at Zarephath was deeply depressed. With only enough food for one last meal, she saw no hope for her and her son’s survival. David wrestled with depression as he ran for his life from Saul’s army, hiding in caves for shelter (1 Samuel 24:4). Jeremiah warned God’s people faithfully, yet they ignored him. The kingdom of Judah was conquered, and most of God’s people (including Jeremiah) went into exile—a national period of homelessness. Each of these Bible heroes fought feelings of hopelessness and helplessness that fueled their depression.

1 Kings 19:3-4Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

Depression can strike even after our major victories. Elijah had just defeated 450 prophets of Baal and had seen God work several mighty miracles, yet he was afraid and depressed. All his efforts had only led to more intense persecution from Queen Jezebel. Between Elijah’s exhaustion and his emotions falling after the high of victory, he was susceptible to depression.

Psalm 42:1-5Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?

Depression often comes from looking back at what we have lost. Whether through the loss of loved ones, social position, wealth, health, or independence, depression is common when we experience loss.

Romans 7:15-24I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. . . . I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Depression can occur when we realize how wide the gap is between the ideal we strive for and the reality we see within and around us. This can create a devastating experience of frustration and worthlessness.

Matthew 26:36-39Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me.”

Jesus may not have had clinical depression, but he faced heavy sorrow and suffering. The Father asked something incredibly difficult of him, and Jesus fully experienced the darkness of betrayal, abandonment, and excruciating pain. In a similar way, we can be susceptible to depression even when we are honoring God. In fact, following God faithfully may prompt attacks of depression from Satan—because Satan is afraid of what God is doing through us.

1 Samuel 16:14The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.

Ephesians 6:11Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.

Saul ignored God’s guidance again and again, refusing to repent. When we reject God’s guidance to the point where he can no longer get our attention, then he may step back from us for a while, and depression can easily move into the vacant room in our hearts. The further we move from God, the more defenseless we become, and the easier it is for Satan to lead us to a place of despair.

Psalm 22:1-5, 11My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. . . . Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me.

Luke 18:6-8Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Romans 12:12Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Sometimes we call out to God, but he still feels distant and our situation doesn’t seem to change. This does not mean your heavenly Father has abandoned you or that you have committed some unpardonable sin. Even faithful heroes of the faith faced such times of trial. When David faced this kind of situation, he was raw and honest in his prayers to God, acknowledging his feelings of depression and abandonment—yet he didn’t stop praying. Jesus also encouraged us to be persistent in prayer, which he modeled for us during his own darkest hour (Matthew 26:36-46).

Job 1:18-19“Your sons and daughters were feasting in their oldest brother’s home. Suddenly, a powerful wind swept in from the wilderness and hit the house on all sides. The house collapsed, and all your children are dead. I am the only one who escaped to tell you.”

Job 3:1-2At last Job spoke, and he cursed the day of his birth. He said: “Let the day of my birth be erased, and the night I was conceived.”

Job 30:16“And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days.”

A broken heart is susceptible to depression.

Psalm 22:1-4My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

Psalm 143:4I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear.

Proverbs 13:12Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

John 5:6-8When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Ingratitude and hopelessness lead to depression. Without gratitude, our hope is stifled; without hope, depression is uncontested. The sick man at the pool of Bethesda was so busy complaining about the lack of help he had experienced that he missed the help—Jesus—standing right in front of him. In contrast, when David faced depression and hopelessness, he taught himself to be thankful and hopeful by reminding himself how God had rescued him and God’s people in the past.

Ecclesiastes 4:8This is the case of a man who is all alone, without a child or a brother, yet who works hard to gain as much wealth as he can. But then he asks himself, “Who am I working for? Why am I giving up so much pleasure now?” It is all so meaningless and depressing.

Luke 12:20-21“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.”

If we spend our lives pursuing meaningless things, we may become depressed when we recognize that what we are doing has little lasting value or significance.

Jeremiah 20:14, 18I curse the day I was born! May no one celebrate the day of my birth. . . . Why was I ever born? My entire life has been filled with trouble, sorrow, and shame.

Depression likes to keep company with trouble, sorrow, and shame. In fact, there are many complex pieces of our past and present circumstances that can lead to depression: family history, abuse, conflict, death, genetics, trauma, illness, and more.