DEPRESSED?
HOW CAN I HANDLE DEPRESSION?
The Bible has many references of people who experienced depressive thoughts over sin. There are examples of feeling downhearted (Ps.147:3) or having a broken spirit (Proverbs 17:22, 18:14). Experiencing despair (Ps.42:11), being sad (Proverbs 15:13) and having grief (Ps.119:28) are also presented.
Sometimes depression can be confused with guilt over sin. When we sin, God wants us to see it for what it is and deal with it according to His teachings.
David reflects in Psalms 38, "...For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me."
Is the guilt you are feeling a good guilt, that God is getting your attention to admit your sin and deal with it? Guilt is that which is brought upon you by the work of the Holy Spirit when sin is involved. What do we do with sin, according to Scripture?
1. Confess-agree with God that you have sinned (I John 1:9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2. Repent -agree to turn away from that sin Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
3. Receive the forgiveness of God.
Ps.32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.
Terms like 'bad guilt, or false guilt'are sometimes used to characterize the oppressive feeling of guilt after we have done these steps in dealing with sin before God. Sometimes this terminology can be confused with regret or remorse over sin. Remorse can continue even after confession and repentance have been done. An example of this is if you have sinned in adultery. Let's say you have gone through steps of reconciliation with your spouse and have done all that is scripturally possible to deal with that sin. Even years later you may still remember what you had done and feel remorse. David in Psalm 38 may be an example of that kind of remorse or regret of what he did to sin against God. This is not neccessarily bad, since it reminds you of the consequences of sin.
What is sometimes referred to as the term "bad guilt" is when you continue to think of your sin in a unhealthy way. It consumes your thoughts and leads to a depression that doesn't go away.
The thought process that becomes involved in depression is "focusing on ourselves when our expectations are not met".
Perhaps you thought that if you repented of your sin you would then not have any bad feelings about it. You may have expected everyone else would accept you as someone who has changed his behavior. These expectations that are not met then obsess your thoughts. This obsessive thought process begins a downward spiral that affects your words and actions. Fantasizing about how we wish things would be rather than dealing with life is also a step in this withdrawal process. The use and abuse of drugs, alcohol, sex and a host of other things may be a form of escape in this process. We then may begin to compare ourselves with others, which can eventually lead to a complete feeling of hopelessness. It is in this hopeless state that we begin the thoughts of suicide.
As a Christian, we need to turn to the truth of God's Word. We need to actively pursue the examples that are given in Scripture in what to think of. God tells us in Philippians chapter 4:8,9 to "think on these things" and gives us a list to ponder on. Read Colosians chapter 3. The point to remember here is that you have a choice on what you allow yourself to dwell on. God warned Cain that sin was like an animal, waiting at the doorway, ready to pounce on him. It is on the very "threshold" of the mind that we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Co.10:5).
