Frogster
Galatians is the best!
He could have suffered physical pain, but be blessed spiritually in God's grace.
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
So, Paul does not say that he takes "pain" in his troubles, but "pleasure". In God's grace we are in His own love having Heaven's own goodness and pleasantness so nicer and more satisfying than any pleasure which is physical of this life.
So, if there was pain, I can see it was only physical, as much as Paul was submitting to God in His grace with His personal guiding "continually" (Isaiah 58:11). There is a big difference between being saddened in God's love and being in the pain of my own ego > in God's love I can be saddened and disappointed because I care about what other people are going through; but in my own ego I can be getting depressed about how things are not going my own way. And the suffering in love is not nasty and messy and negative like my own ego's suffering can be. In love, I keep on having hope for people who are wrong and suffering > love "hopes all things", we have in 1 Corinthians 13:7.
In God's grace we can be angry and frustrated and somehow "depressed" about how things are going, but in His grace we are being guided what to do about it, including to love and do good for ones who are even enemies.
So, depression in human ego is not the same as some kind of "depression" in God's love. And we all have been born in sin; so any of us can have emotional trouble which has its roots in sin. Because in sinning we are involved with "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (in Ephesians 2:2) This spirit of disobedience does have emotions, and those Satanic emotions are cruel and driving and won't take no for an answer . . . unhumble, bossy, dictatorial . . . often driving us to seek some physical pleasure to make us feel better.
But the emotions of God's love are gentle and humble like Jesus, with very pleasant rest and perfect satisfaction . . . even while we go through things that are very hard but they are truly "for Christ's sake" like Paul says.
So, am I always thankful and enjoying God? No. Yes, I can be reacting negatively to people and my circumstances . . . instead of first trusting God; and as much as I am like this, I can suffer deeply and be joy-dead. So, I take this to God, in prayer. And yes I need to have compassion on others who are suffering deeply . . . not to criticize and guilt-trip them but take them with me to God in prayer!!!
We,, not sure what your saying, but just like today, people get depressed in warfare. If things happen in battle, one can get depressed, because we can not separate the soul from the battle, the battle creates things that depress.
People get worn down..
The psalms show this, this Psalm says it was because of the enemy (red).Then we see how he felt in the (green), it was bad.
Psalm 55[a]
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A maskil of David.
1
Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;
2
hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught
3
because of what my enemy is saying,
because of the threats of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering on me
and assail me in their anger.
4
My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen on me.
5
Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.
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