Characters In The Bible and Depression

 

This is the second in a series of blog posts about the mental health of God and other characters. The first post was about Who Watches Over God's Mental Health?, now I will turn to looking at depression more specifically. 

Many of us have experienced or are experiencing depression right now. The heaviness and tiredness that comes when every little action has to be done while moving through tar or molasses or honey. For some this means they can literally not get out of bed, for others they can get up and do enough so it appears that they are fine but in reality they are experiencing a world that has turned gray and where day to day activities are as challenging as grabbing someone off the street and asking them to walk the Camino de Santiago. Yes most people can walk, but walking 500 miles with no prep or support is a bit too much. (Well unless you are the 10th Doctor ...)

Depression is an experience that can be very hard to communicate to other people. This means finding others who also understand can be a big help when someone is suffering. There is power in knowing others understand and that no matter how it might feel no one is as alone as depression tells them that they are. 

Realizing that characters from the bible also have struggled with depression can be helpful. Part of the challenge is rarely is the word depression actually. But then in truth until very recently, and all too often even today, we tend not to use the word depression either. We tend to either use words with more negative connotations or we end up speaking around it as if we were in a Monty Python Skit and we all are simply "pining for the fjords" not struggling with serious mental health challenges.

Though the Bible doesn’t use the word “depression” except in a few translations and verses, it’s often referenced by other similar words, such as “downcast,” “brokenhearted,” “troubled,” “miserable,” “despairing,” and “mourning,” among others. Throughout the Word, there are a number of stories about godly, influential men and women of faith, who struggled and battled through dark times of hopelessness and depression.

King David: 

“My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear.” Ps. 38:4

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Ps. 42:11

Elijah:

“I have had enough Lord, he said. Take my life, I am not better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4

Jonah: 

“Now O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:3

And even after God reached out to Jonah again with great compassion, he responded, “…I am angry enough to die.” Jonah 4:9

Job: 

“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?” Job 3:11

“I have no peace, no quietness, I have no rest, but only turmoil.” Job 3:26

“I loathe my very life, therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.” Job 10:1

“Terrors overwhelm me…my life ebbs away, days of suffering grip me. Night pierces my bones, my gnawing pains never rest.” Job 30:15-17

Jeremiah: 

“Cursed be the day I was born…why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?” Jeremiah 20:14, Jeremiah 20:18

The below quote gets as to why acknowledging that several characters in the bible likely had depression is important and how it can be helpful for those who are struggling today:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Ps. 34:18 He was there in the good days and in the dark days too. He didn’t condemn them for their questions and pain. He didn’t tell them to just tough it out. He reached down to their deepest pit of suffering, and lifted them out. He cared. He showed compassion. ... The greatest truth is this, we have a Savior who understands our pain, who knows about every weakness and hurt, and reaches out with compassion and hope.