Depression is not only a universal problem but also a very sensitive
issue among God's people. This state of hopelessness has caused me great
concern, for as a pastor's wife, I am regularly exposed to various types
of people, the problems they are facing, and the solutions that are frequently
chosen. More often than not, there is a corrupt pattern of response to
both minor and major issues, even among believers. In fact, many Christian
women resort to anti-depressants to alleviate the pressure of the overwhelming
circumstances they are met with and it is not wise! While God sees all
the steps they are taking, they fail to recognize that they are bound
with the cords of their own sin…
Proverbs 5:21-22
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth
all his goings. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and
he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.
Ladies, the more we sin, the stronger the cords become. Over time, these
ropes of habit are wound tightly around us until one day we discover that
we have not the strength to free ourselves from the pattern of our sinful
actions. Panic takes hold of our hearts and minds and we fall prey to
being led astray by the devil toward false solutions to our captivity.
However, God is the only One who can set the captive free; Satan can only
provide counterfeit answers to our problems, the most popular one being
that of taking an anti-depressant. Many of these medications are attractive
to a distressed individual because they offer an uncomplicated and undemanding
fix, minus hard work or the experience of failure. Pill swallowing Christians
have forsaken waiting upon the Lord to renew their strength and traded
their deficiency of faith in for false happiness. By rejecting God's remedies,
the path of self-destruction is chosen instead…
Proverbs 1:30-33
They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. [31] Therefore
shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their
own devices. [32] For the turning away of the simple shall slay them,
and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. [33] But whoso hearkeneth
unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
You may think my approach to depression to be void of compassion but if
you bear with me and hear me out, I believe the Word of God will shed
light on this topic for you as it has for me. Danger awaits us when we
do not conduct our lives in the fear of the Lord! If we would glorify
God, we must know His will. By standing on the scriptures, I can confidently
say that it is not the Lord's will for any of us to take anti-depressants.
Believers are to be controlled by the Spirit of God…
Ephes. 5:17-18
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is. [18] And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit;
Wine is put in scripture for all kinds of necessaries for survival. Many
women resort to and indulge in being medicated to cope with life on a
daily basis; it is considered necessary for their very existence. Ladies,
God would not have His people under the influence (drunk) or overpowered
by any substance! In fact, the definition of drunk is "stupefied by the
action of spirit on the brain". By utilizing anti-depressants as an essential
means for endurance in any matter, this substance is in direct opposition
to the work of the Holy Spirit of God within you! Your chemical wine is
deadening you to God's voice…
Psalm 81:11-13
But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of
me. [12] So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked
in their own counsels. [13] Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and
Israel had walked in my ways!
I'll be honest with you; many of the women that I have come in contact
with that are either taking anti-depressants or have taken them in the
past tend to have a stupefied spirit to them. By no means am I being rude
when I say that, I simply mean that there seems to be a barrier to their
ability to grasp a full understanding of who God is. There is a hollow
look and a disconnected manner to medicated individuals. They carry themselves
as if they feel nothing - no conviction, no anger and no joy, just an
overall numbness to their person. Oh, they are still holden with the cords
of their sin; they just don't feel the pinch anymore! The problem has
not really been solved; the surplus of their "wine" only desensitizes
them. Even the transmission of spiritual pressure has been interrupted
and the influence of God is no longer felt. You cannot select the emotions
that would be untouched - they are all controlled by the consumption of
one's wine.
Luke 5:36-39
And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new
garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and
the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. [37]
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst
the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. [38] But new
wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved. [39] No man
also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The
old is better.
Ladies, Jesus did not come to patch up our lives; He came to make them
whole! He did not intend to mix the new with old… If you are a new creature
in Christ, you have no business resorting to old methods of dealing with
your problems. Jesus has a fresh, new way for you to face life and all
it's ups and downs - if you would but trust Him… The tragedy is that many
believers prefer their old ways of coping and do not want to be trained
in the new. Their lives represent nothing more than a hodgepodge quilt
fashioned in a frenzied attempt to hold things together. In their slothfulness,
they prefer a quick, painless and effortless curing and therefore remain
tied to their old behavior. They may take on the form of godliness through
gulping down anti-depressants, but they have no real power within. Following
Christ requires us to replace the old way of life with a new one. It is
my prayer that every depressed lady would be open to changing as the Lord
directs and gain back her consciousness of God! Below are three ways the
Bible has shown it to be possible. This is the Lord's anti-depressant
formula, found within the same text where God condemns being drunk with
wine…
Ephes. 5:19-21
#1
[19]Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Self-talk is the first step to either wrong or right thinking and is closely
linked to our patterns of behavior. What is your self-talk like, dear
lady? Does the Word of God control it? If not, you are traveling down
a road that will certainly lead you to depression! The heart always follows
the lips; speak that which would praise and magnify the Lord and draw
closer to true joy. Nurture your heart and mind with the Word of God,
an old-fashioned hymnal, and God honoring music and experience a beautiful
self-control that is actually GOD control; your being coming under the
influence of the right force! This activity will transform your life…
You will no longer need a false stimulant for your brain when your heart
is being fed the right information on a consistent basis. All throughout
the Bible there are examples of the saints of God who, in what should
have been their most depressed moments, were found singing to the Lord.
When you are filled with the Spirit, you will sing with your heart, not
just your lips!
#2
[20] Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
An attitude of thanklessness is common among disheartened individuals.
It is self-importance at work. Through believing they deserve more than
they have received in life, people have left off their awareness of God's
daily provisions. Too, most of what they have they believe they arrived
at themselves and therefore find no reason to thank God at all! If we
are honest today, humans are more prone to ask for something than to express
thanks. When we are apt to speak a word of gratitude, it is typically
when something goes our way. However, the Bible says we must give thanks
always and for all things - pleasant or unpleasant; even in times of trouble
or testing, and times when we are feeling overwhelmed by our circumstances.
Murmuring and complaining does nothing for the heart and mind but fill
it with hopelessness and quenches the Spirit of God. The cure for thanklessness
is humility. Dethrone self and put Christ where He belongs; apart from
Jesus, all things that take place in your life will not work together
for good! If you understand yourself to deserve nothing, you will be thankful
for everything! It is the mark of a spirit filled believer…
#3
[21] Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Never has there been a Christian topic that carries such a dreadful reputation
as the word submission! No wonder so many of God's people are miserable;
they refuse to yield to any person and consequently, countless relationships
suffer unnecessarily. The death of marriages and families is on the rise
along with the depression that accompanies such casualties. Selfishness
rules in most settings rather than sacrifice… Whenever we try to conduct
our lives apart from God's ways the results are dismal! However, when
we are tempted to promote ourselves, the Holy Spirit enables us to submit
ourselves. Ladies, we must accept God's standards by faith and surrender
to His methods for peace and joy. Every obedient, Spirit-filled Christian
is a submitting Christian.
In closing, it is possible for a depressed individual to live a joyful,
thankful, submissive life and never need to swallow a pill to make it
a reality! If you've been wrestling with this issue I beg you not to draw
your standards from the world… By obeying the Word of God and applying
these simple truths to your life, you will begin to develop a new and
healthy way of acting in response to matters that arise. The measures
explained in the above text revive the believer and must be used regularly.
If you can remember to take a pill every day, I think you can remember
God's prescription just as easily!
Jeremiah 15:16
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the
joy and rejoicing of mine heart…
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
