Overcoming Depression!

I was walking through Wal-mart yesterday and in passing, I saw the face of a woman. Her face has been with me since then. I have been praying for her although I do not know who she is. Something in her expression touched me deep in my soul. I recognized the face of someone who is severely depressed. I have seen this face in my own mirror in past years. It is not something I feel very often anymore. But knowing depression in my own life, helped me relate to the pain and hopelessness that gripped this woman.

In the last week, I have been reading the Psalms. The Psalms are full of the emotions of man. They range from purely joyful moments to utter despair. It is amazing how the Bible has the answer to every one of life's problems! This is because it was written about real people! God inspired these words to those who have gone before us so we would have a way to deal with all the things that come our way. It is a manual for our life and a love letter from our God. His Word will get us through with grace and mercy.

So as I was reading, I found the answer to heal depression in one verse! It is comforting how one verse can be so packed full of answers for my life. I can testify to the accuracy of this verse because the Lord has used this method to heal my life of depression.

Psalm 42:5 says; "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..."

Here are the steps that I see in this verse:

Step 1: The Psalmist asks himself the questions; "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?" It is important to ask yourself these questions so you know what it is that is causing the depression. You can even ask the Lord to help you. You might even want to talk to a friend about it. But figuring out what is really going on is the first step.

Step 2: Put your hope in God! Hope is actually the emotional state that is opposite of despair. So if we spend some time meditating on who God is, we see the hope of Him helping us through the situation. If we remember He parted the Red Sea, He healed the sick, He raised the dead, and He died for us, we have a much better perspective to gaze at our problem. When we consider God, every circumstance has hope. After all, nothing is impossible with God and everything is possible!

Step 3: Make a decision to praise Him! Jesus is our Savior. Often when I feel depression gripping my soul, I get out my journal and I start writing down everything I am thankful for. Sometimes it is hard to start, but as I get going, I feel my soul being lifted and I thank God for all of the beautiful creation around me, the amazing people in my life, and His abundant love for me. I am His favorite! You are His favorite! We are all His favorite! We cannot be grateful and depressed at the same time.

I am blessed to testify to the fact that depression is not something we need to live with day after day. God has given us the answer to dealing with depression. Depression was a daily struggle in my past and now it is just a word on the list of things from which the Lord has healed me.