Overcoming Depression and Discouragement

Psalm 143: 7-8:

Answer me speedily, O Lord; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.

Talk to God! We always have someone who can sympathize with us! We can, and must, talk with God. We should seek God out before we seek any other relief, even before going to our brethren with our burdens. But we should also do that: we should not isolate ourselves when we stumble, for example, though we are often prone to want to do just that. We should go to God, even if it is stumbling is what causes us to feel like we have disconnected from God, because that is what is going on, and the first thing we MUST do is get back on track, and God is our best friend and helper.

Prayer is probably the very fist thing we should do more of when we are depressed or discouraged. Also, if we are feeling lonely, we should pray to God, so that we remember we are not alone, God is always with us, even in, especially in, severe trials. We must never forget this.

Proverbs 12:25:

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad.

We worry over many things, most we need not be concerned with at all, and maybe that is part of the problem: Coveting. We want what we do not have. The perfect marriage, the perfect friends, the perfect job etc. Perhaps we see others happiness in having what we think we are those things. Or maybe we do not think we deserve those things and that’s why we have been denied them? Look inside deeply and ask yourself, is this secretly coveting the reason behind our sadness?

Maybe you have lost loved ones, a job, friends, or have spiritual reasons you cannot fathom. Depression and discouragement are not something we should be trying to assign faults for, it is something we should be praying about! Perhaps we have a health or dietary root cause? Again, Prayer is the place to start. Seeking answers in Gods word is next. God knows our problems, and He sent The Word to us so we could read the examples set forth by those who obeyed, and the dire consequences of those who refused.

Dexter Faulkner wrote:

Solitude is necessary to meditate. But when a person desires company or someone to share his feelings with and finds no one, that person becomes lonely.

Too many painful feelings of loneliness arise from undisciplined thinking. For one reason or another, a person might start believing he is socially deficient.

"Nobody would like me if they found out what I' m really like," he thinks.

Over-concern about appearance or social position feeds on itself. As humans, we simply don't have the ability to always be right, always say the right things, or have the perfect facial features or figure.

If we're not careful, through vanity we can lose sight of the gifts God has given us and focus on things we don't have. The first sign of this appears when we start reflecting too much on the past.

Comfort in Suffering

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Delivered from Suffering

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. (2 Corinthians: 1:3-11)

If we are depressed, try reaching out by sharing Gods words of comfort to others. Getting our minds off ourselves is critical. The get mentality leads to despair and depression, it is by giving to others, in the form of prayers, comforting letters, talking to them, or other things that we might be able to do for them that quite possibly will cause us to feel great joy, once we have endured our trial and accomplished serving others. It need not be anything fancy or complicated or expensive, just simple gestures can go a long way to brightening another’s day.

Loneliness is different than being alone, though some people experience both of those a lot.

Is there any cure?

Well, yes, there are steps you take to better cope with loneliness, as well as being alone.

Often self-induced

Loneliness is an emotional, mental state. Being lonely is far different from being alone.

As Henry David Thoreau once wrote:

"I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. A man thinking or working is always alone, let him be where he will ."

Solitude is at times constructive.

Jesus sometimes would be alone intentionally as well. Notice the following account:

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. (Matthew 14:23)

Speaking of Jesus, notice something the Apostle Paul wrote about Him:

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 6 So we may boldly say:

"The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear. (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Jesus will always be with us, and we should not fear loneliness. Furthermore, notice something else the Apostle Paul wrote:

3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:3-6)

Jesus will not give up on you if you do not give up on Him. Notice also that Paul was also stating he had fellowship in the gospel with those he was writing--you do not always need to be with others to have fellowship. But that also does not mean you should never have direct contact either.

The origin of negative thoughts

To conquer depressing and discouraging thoughts, we must first recognize the cause of such thoughts. We need to realize that negative thoughts ultimately originate with Satan. Satan can capitalize on the difficult circumstances that happen in our lives. You or a family member may be sick. You may be experiencing intense pressure on the job or may even be out of a job. Or you may be wrestling with another severe trial in your life.

The devil can use these trials and negative episodes to generate feelings of dejection. Satan, the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2), can also broadcast negative feelings and moods into our minds even when there is no circumstance or apparent reason for us to be "low." These thoughts can enter our minds quite subtly.

James 4:7:

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

God is the one who will help us control our thoughts (II Cor. 10:4-5). We must trust God to help us in times of discouragement. This involves drawing on the power of God's Holy Spirit — the mind, attitude and nature of God Himself. We must walk with God.

Here is a way to quickly deal with the negative thoughts and attitudes:

6 But He gives more grace. Therefore, He says:

"God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble."

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:6-9)

Yes, consciously pray to be closer to God and resist Satan's negative attitudes.

Don't think you do not need God's help--we all do!

God is love (1 John 4:8) and loves you. God will help you. And even if you stumble, He will forgive if you confess your sins--so do not give up!

The Apostle Peter wrote:

9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:9)

Your brethren around the world are also struggling with problems, and many are like what you have suffered. Resist Satan's negative and selfish ways. ... some in God's Church have a special responsibility because of their opportunity to take the lead in initiating fellowship. I hope that all of you will take that responsibility to heart.

But those of you who are lonely and in need of more contact with others have your responsibility, too.

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly" (Prov. 18:24).

All too often the lonely and isolated pull back from effective contact with others. They draw into a shell of self-pity and make it very hard for others to reach them. By not showing themselves friendly they fail to encourage or develop friendships that may otherwise be available to them.

let's all realize that fellowship is a mutual two-way responsibility.

Philadelphia means brotherly love. We have had brotherly love in our Church, and we need to continue to practice it although this age and its trials tend to wear us down and make us turn inward.

Let's live the meaning of Philadelphia by practicing brotherly love and true Christian fellowship, seizing every opportunity to keep it alive in God's Church today.

Let's face it: We usually get depressed because we are far from God. It is easy for negative moods to overtake us when God is not the center of our lives. Satan can easily take advantage of these moods and influence us to sink into even deeper despair.

The solution, of course, is to continually walk with God, particularly at times when we feel a mood of depression or discouragement coming on. The nearer we are to God, the more we develop the sound mind of God (2 Timothy 1:7).

• Pray every day. Prayer is crucial. Without it our attitudes are easily battered by the world around us. We can overcome the world and its moods, however (John 16:33), by using the stabilizing, strengthening tool of prayer every day.

During periods of depression there is a tendency to feel cut off from God or completely alone. But we can, and ought to, seek God's help anytime (I Thessalonians 5:17).

The more effectively we can develop the habit of responding immediately to the influence of God's Spirit, the more quickly our minds will take on God's thoughts, replacing thoughts of discouragement and despair.

• Study the Bible daily. The Bible contains many encouraging and inspiring passages. The Bible shows us the greatness of God and the vastness of the master plan He has lovingly designed for the whole universe.

• Live the give way. Depression many times begins when we start to focus on ourselves.

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