Do Christians get depressed?

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God.—Psalm 42:5

In a sermon, a Pastor friend of mine commented on Psalm 42, saying that sometimes Christians get depressed. The next day someone called my friend tell him that he was wrong. He said, “A Christian has no business being depressed.” He was sure that to be depressed showed a lack of faith.

Fortunately, the Bible does not share that view. It presents God’s people just the way they are: sometimes angry or confused, and sometimes bitter or depressed. According to 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah was so depressed that he asked God to let him die. And in our reading today the psalmist says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?”

All of us have moments in our lives that send us into what I call a funk. The loss of a loved one, finances, work, relationships, they can all make us feel the most basic of all human emotions, which is sadness. If you look throughout the Bible you will see a lot of people in addition to Elijah who were not only sad, but downcast to the point of wishing for death. If you doubt this, read of King David and Noah. My point is that there will always be people who think that Christians never face the emotions that the rest of the world does, but I say that since we all fall short of the glory of God, then it happens.

If you’re facing sadness and tough times, don’t be afraid to ask for help. My suggestion has always been to look to the Word of God and find the people that were going through the same thing I am, and to see how they got through it. We can find a path through the wilderness of depression in God’s word, and God’s love. Be assured that God cares about how you feel. Ask him to open your eyes to the provisions he makes available.

Prayer:

Lord, today we pray for all who suffer from depression and for those who try to minister to them. Help them to know there is hope. Amen.