When I begin writing a blog, it is totally something that Holy Spirit has been stirring in me. This one is not only controversial but personal. The Dark Side, no I am not talking about Star Wars, but then again it is a war that is raging in some of us. I grew up in a Christian home. Both of my parents have stepped into eternity. There were things that were NEVER discussed in my home. Looking back, I wish they were....
The Dark Side is one of those things. The Dark Side is Depression! I already hear the voices....but you said you were a Christian and so were your parents. Christians are to be delivered, healed, set free. Depression is of satan. Just snap out of it. Put on the mind of Christ. I don't believe Christians suffer because they are 'healed'. Christians should not take anti-depressants.... And so the journey begins.
Daddy has really been dealing with me regarding this topic. See, my mother was depressed. It was hid in my house. So then how do I know? When my father was coming to the end of his earthly journey, I went to visit him. He showed me a box of letters and cards my mom had kept through the years. You know the ones kids hand write for Mother's Day, or a picture of stick people and say "That's my family." Going through this box, I cried. Grieving over the missing of my mom. Then I found notes she had written. Notes to God. Notes crying out about things she couldn't explain. Darkness, emptiness, pain, loneliness, sadness....depression. I don't know if my dad even knew the depth of the darkness. She suffered alone.
In my life I have dealt with depression. I have been on anti-depressants. I have hid my medical condition from other 'Christians' as to not have to take their judgement. My world would become extremely dark. I was saved, sanctified, and filled with Holy Spirit ALL the way through it (and still am). I prayed and had others pray for me. I was told by doctors that I had a chemical imbalance due to chemotherapy. I would go up for every alter call, cry out to God for healing, and condemn myself for still taking meds. I was wrong. I walked through depression, the valley of death, but God was always with me. When I came through the valley, I was healed. It was a battle.
We are triune creatures. When one part of the triune is hurt, injured, dealing with something, the other parts are effected, positive and negative. If you cut your leg severely, you don't go around saying, "I'm healed", and never get medical attention. YES, Jesus heals. But He also gave us common sense to get help when we are sick (The Samaritan need assistance...) Depression is cause from an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. Depression is ALSO caused by the enemy. Don't get me wrong. We do deliverance and healing on Spiritual Encounters for depression. Jesus heals!
What I am talking about is the taboo, secrecy, not sharing, hidden depression that many walk through. They don't want to be labeled, or they don't want to be condemned. So they suffer in private. For many years I kept my battle quiet. One day Daddy told me to share it with my daughter. So I did (It was hard). Then I realized in sharing, one of my friends were showing those exact signs. She was covering up what was happening in her life. She was suffering alone. She is in the body of Christ, was crying out to Daddy, yet was humiliated to share with her "Christian" friends about her nightmare world she was walking through. Approximately 30-40 million Americans suffer with some form of depression. The word 'depression' is not in the Strong Concordance, although there are description of people who suffered depression in the Word of God. (Abraham, Jonah, Job, Elijah, King Saul, Jeremiah, David. Ps. 38:6, 8 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. {I looked up tumult: highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; turbulent mental or emotional disturbance}) We are to walk by faith not by sight (nor feelings). Sometimes this is extremely difficult. We need brothers and sisters who understand and will lovingly help us walk through it.
Am I recommending medicine? Yes and no. Daddy has given us wisdom in the medical field. There are medicines that will help. This is where wisdom comes in. There are other ways to help. Eating right, exercise, not being alone, music (big one, remember King Saul), rest, soaking... James 1:2 tells us to consider it all joy when we fall into various trials. Not to feel joyful, put on an act, but to trust what Daddy says rather than feelings. Feelings are neither good or bad; it is what we do with them that determines our paths. We must find the root of the issue: sin, physical, abuse, chemical, stress, postpartum, trauma...
My hope for others and my family is Gal. 2:20. I want to walk it out with others, not let them suffer alone. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
No comments:
Post a Comment