Post by George on May 21, 2006 22:34:19 GMT -5
Continuing on, let us look at the Biblical aspects of depression. One of the most important verses concerning this is found in the Old Testament.
(Jer 15:16) Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Here we see proof that the Word of God is the joy and rejoicing of our hearts. Joy and rejoicing; the exact opposite of depression. It follows directly and proportionately that if we are lacking joy and rejoicing in our hearts there is a corresponding amount of sadness and depression because we have left room for it to creep in. This is not saying that we will not experience sadness and things of that nature in our lives. However it is what we do with that situation that makes the difference in joy and rejoicing and depression.
(Gal 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(Gal 5:23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(Gal 5:24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Take a look at the first three sections of the Fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace…. Sadness, loneliness, anger, depression and such like are not in this list. Why do you suppose that is? They are not part of what the Lord wants for us. They are purely machinations of self. Lusts of the flesh if you will. If you go back to Galatians 5:19 you will not specifically see sadness, loneliness and depression listed in the lusts of the flesh but they are covered by the use of the words, “and such like” meaning things that are not in line with God’s will for us.
The word “sadness” is only used once in the King James Version of the Bible. (Ecc 7:3) Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sadness: From H7489; badness (as marring), physically or morally: - X be so bad, badness, (X be so) evil, naughtiness, sadness, sorrow, wickedness.
Please note that the Hebrew word that is translated in the English Bible as sadness is lumped together with naughtiness, sorrow, evil and wickedness. Those are not my words; they are the words of the writers of the original manuscripts of the Bible.
Notice it says that by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made BETTER. It does not say that the sadness will continue and drag us down into depression. We are to learn from the sadness that we may experience and use it as a tool to grow.
Use the life of the Apostle Paul as example. Look at his own description of the trials and travails that he suffered.
(2Co 11:23) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
(2Co 11:24) Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
(2Co 11:25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
(2Co 11:26) In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
(2Co 11:27) In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Was he depressed? Although there are some that say he was there is no evidence of it in the Bible anywhere. Look at the reality of the situation. Here was a man that suffered incredible hardship at the hands of others and yet he was full of hope constantly. The hope of the Glory of God. This can be evidenced in the following passages:
(Act 16:22) And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
(Act 16:23) And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
(Act 16:24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
(Act 16:25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Here were two men that suffered extreme hardship because of their Faith. Look at the reality of the situation. The Bible says it in the least amount of words possible. They were beaten with probably the same kind of instrument that Christ was beaten with. This instrument of torture not only cut the flesh off of the recipient’s backs in shreds, it quite often exposed the spinal columns of the victims. In history when it speaks of Paul as being bandy-legged it is thought this infirmity was the direct result of the many scourgings he had received. They were thrust into the inner prison. This means the dungeon folks. They were naked, beaten, thrown into the dungeon and put into stocks and what was the result? Did they get depressed and feel sad and sorry for themselves? No! Absolutely not! Look at what the Bible says: At midnight they prayed and SANG PRAISES UNTO GOD!
These two men had every “right” to feel sorry for themselves yet they choose to praise the hope and glory of God. Further evidence that depression is not a chemical thing but a conscious choice made by our own minds.
(Jam 1:2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
(Jam 1:3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
(Jam 1:4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
(Jam 1:5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(Jam 1:6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
These verses need little explanation. It is very clear that we are to count it as joy when we are faced with the various aspects of life. . The word “divers” here refers to the various kinds of trials, which they might experience - sickness, poverty, bereavement, persecution, etc. They were to count it a matter of joy that their faith was subjected to anything that tried it. It is well for us to have the reality of our faith tested; in whatever way it may be done. It does not say to fall into sadness, depression, anxiety, panic, feeling sorry for ourselves, etc.
(Rom 14:17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
(Rom 15:13) Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
(Rom 16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
(2Co 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
(Phi 4:7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
(Col 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
These are but a few, a very few of the verses that point out that if we don’t have love, joy and peace in our hearts we are not within God’s will for us and therefore in sin. When we are not living the way the Lord wants us to, in peace, at rest and content with our surroundings and ourselves we are living in sin. It has been shown above and repeated in the Bible over and over again that God’s will for us is to be happy. Happiness is a choice. We can choose to be mired down in all the garbage or we can choose to be happy.
(Psa 40:1) <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.> I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
(Psa 40:2) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
(Psa 40:3) And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Even in the days of David he wrote about the Lord pulling him up out of the deep, dark, scary hell-hole and the mire and garbage of life and establishing his goings and putting a new song in his mouth: Even praise unto our God!
(Jer 15:16) Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
Here we see proof that the Word of God is the joy and rejoicing of our hearts. Joy and rejoicing; the exact opposite of depression. It follows directly and proportionately that if we are lacking joy and rejoicing in our hearts there is a corresponding amount of sadness and depression because we have left room for it to creep in. This is not saying that we will not experience sadness and things of that nature in our lives. However it is what we do with that situation that makes the difference in joy and rejoicing and depression.
(Gal 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
(Gal 5:23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(Gal 5:24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Take a look at the first three sections of the Fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace…. Sadness, loneliness, anger, depression and such like are not in this list. Why do you suppose that is? They are not part of what the Lord wants for us. They are purely machinations of self. Lusts of the flesh if you will. If you go back to Galatians 5:19 you will not specifically see sadness, loneliness and depression listed in the lusts of the flesh but they are covered by the use of the words, “and such like” meaning things that are not in line with God’s will for us.
The word “sadness” is only used once in the King James Version of the Bible. (Ecc 7:3) Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
Sadness: From H7489; badness (as marring), physically or morally: - X be so bad, badness, (X be so) evil, naughtiness, sadness, sorrow, wickedness.
Please note that the Hebrew word that is translated in the English Bible as sadness is lumped together with naughtiness, sorrow, evil and wickedness. Those are not my words; they are the words of the writers of the original manuscripts of the Bible.
Notice it says that by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made BETTER. It does not say that the sadness will continue and drag us down into depression. We are to learn from the sadness that we may experience and use it as a tool to grow.
Use the life of the Apostle Paul as example. Look at his own description of the trials and travails that he suffered.
(2Co 11:23) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
(2Co 11:24) Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
(2Co 11:25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
(2Co 11:26) In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
(2Co 11:27) In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Was he depressed? Although there are some that say he was there is no evidence of it in the Bible anywhere. Look at the reality of the situation. Here was a man that suffered incredible hardship at the hands of others and yet he was full of hope constantly. The hope of the Glory of God. This can be evidenced in the following passages:
(Act 16:22) And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
(Act 16:23) And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
(Act 16:24) Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
(Act 16:25) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Here were two men that suffered extreme hardship because of their Faith. Look at the reality of the situation. The Bible says it in the least amount of words possible. They were beaten with probably the same kind of instrument that Christ was beaten with. This instrument of torture not only cut the flesh off of the recipient’s backs in shreds, it quite often exposed the spinal columns of the victims. In history when it speaks of Paul as being bandy-legged it is thought this infirmity was the direct result of the many scourgings he had received. They were thrust into the inner prison. This means the dungeon folks. They were naked, beaten, thrown into the dungeon and put into stocks and what was the result? Did they get depressed and feel sad and sorry for themselves? No! Absolutely not! Look at what the Bible says: At midnight they prayed and SANG PRAISES UNTO GOD!
These two men had every “right” to feel sorry for themselves yet they choose to praise the hope and glory of God. Further evidence that depression is not a chemical thing but a conscious choice made by our own minds.
(Jam 1:2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
(Jam 1:3) Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
(Jam 1:4) But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
(Jam 1:5) If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
(Jam 1:6) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
These verses need little explanation. It is very clear that we are to count it as joy when we are faced with the various aspects of life. . The word “divers” here refers to the various kinds of trials, which they might experience - sickness, poverty, bereavement, persecution, etc. They were to count it a matter of joy that their faith was subjected to anything that tried it. It is well for us to have the reality of our faith tested; in whatever way it may be done. It does not say to fall into sadness, depression, anxiety, panic, feeling sorry for ourselves, etc.
(Rom 14:17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
(Rom 15:13) Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
(Rom 16:20) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
(2Co 13:11) Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
(Phi 4:7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
(Col 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
These are but a few, a very few of the verses that point out that if we don’t have love, joy and peace in our hearts we are not within God’s will for us and therefore in sin. When we are not living the way the Lord wants us to, in peace, at rest and content with our surroundings and ourselves we are living in sin. It has been shown above and repeated in the Bible over and over again that God’s will for us is to be happy. Happiness is a choice. We can choose to be mired down in all the garbage or we can choose to be happy.
(Psa 40:1) <To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.> I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
(Psa 40:2) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
(Psa 40:3) And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Even in the days of David he wrote about the Lord pulling him up out of the deep, dark, scary hell-hole and the mire and garbage of life and establishing his goings and putting a new song in his mouth: Even praise unto our God!