Preacher: Pastor Elie Hamuli
This week we dive into the topic “Walk by Faith and Overcome Depression.” The causes of depression differ from person to person. Depression spares no one; it may happen to anyone, often as a result of loss, threat, or being a slave to unmet personal expectations. Nowadays, social media adds to the weight of others’ expectations, contributing to depression. This raises a feeling of loneliness, leaving someone to their own thoughts and fostering bitterness towards themselves, others, and God. The truth is that God is aware of our situations and the battle in our minds. He understands and loves us even more amid our negative emotions.
God is still intentional about using us for mighty things, even in our depression. In James 5:17, Elijah, the God-fearing and powerful prophet, is said to share our nature: he experienced depression. However, he was powerfully used by God . By causing a drought, he challenged Baal, the god of rain, an idol of the Israelites (see 1 Kings 17:1). He did so despite everyone turning against him, aware of the presence of God with him. As in 1 Kings 17:1, “The Lord before whom I stand” is a posture we must adopt in the face of threatening situations.
The challenges that crush us, sometimes to the point of depression, may arise from bodly going to places God has sent us to. Do we blame God? Of course not! He does warn us that troubles await those who take a stance to follow Him. We ought not to question the leadership of God just because things do not work out like we want them to. Just as God’s people in the wilderness, the devil may cause us to doubt our deliverance in the foreign land of “depression”. Bombarding us with thoughts of condemnation, he keeps us in the cycle of guilt and hopelessness.
In the pilgrimage of sadness and low spirit, God still cares for us as He did for His servant Elijah the Tishbite (see 1 Kings: 7-11). Feeding him with food that strengthens and comforts, He will give you hope. Help will come! He will go as far as making you a blessing for the very people He sends to help you, just as Elijah brought provision and life to the widow and the son that gave him a roof. God does not want us alone to be blessed, but He rejoices in us being a blessing to others as well. He is a God of balance.
Prioritizing the well-being of others and the Will of God for His people over our present situation in prayer forfeits the cycle of sadness and the weight of impossibilities. This godly burden for others leads us out of our hopelessness if we are willing to follow God’s lead. In leaning on the Grace God has shown us, we can remind others of the power of the Cross which takes on the judgement we deserve. We see this illustrated in 1 Kings 18 wherein Elijah prayed, giving glory to God and the fire of God’s judgement fell on the bulls instead of the Israelites, Ahab, Jezebel and the followers of Baal who deserved it.
In conclusion, God knows exactly what you are going through. He knows the secret struggle, the depression, the worry. He even knows the things you do not talk about. Yet, He loves you and wants you to dwell in the fellowship of His love. A love capable of casting out all fears. When you know that you are not alone, the heaviness of the depression is lifted and hope returns.
