Being depressed and sad in church and how to deal with people

Rescued One said:

I've heard that. I thought Christians should repent and be kind. Ephesians 4:32.

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Yes, but I have not yet met one that walks in perfection, including myself.

Solum Aeternum said:

I'm not clinically depressed but O have moments where my mood is down, feel very alone ad sometimes don't want to go to church. I have to because my parents will complain plus I work in the A/V and I have the most experience working there so I have responsibility. People are nice, say hi ask me how I'm doing ect... but sometimes I just want to walk past them and be on my own, not have to fake smiling as if everything is alright. The reason being that I know if that older members see me being sad, unfriendly, cold, they will find it weird because "you are Christian and you are in church, you shouldn't be sad". What do i do and how should I handle it? It's worse when their "help" is saying "hey God loves you, be happy, read this Bible verse". Do I believe God loves me, yeah i do. is that a very lazy and simplified way to help someone going through struggles, also yes. Why do you think, things like depression gets downplayed a lot in the church and by Christians? Everyone expects you to be happy all the time and if you aren't, there is something wrong with you.

PSA; If you are in church and see someone who is cold and unfriendly, don't just assume they're a bad person, most likely they are going through something.

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When we become a member of the body of Christ we are saints.
We are saved humans, not perfect humans.

Our faith is in God and His work through Christ, not in our friends and acquaintances. We may feel we should be able to trust our brothers and sisters in Christ to behave with brotherly love, however they wrestle with their own set of questions. Our temptations are common. The insecurities, pride, indifference, pretense, emotional frailties, We all dance on our own little stage.
The kingdom of heaven is within you, we answer for our words and actions not those of others.

Emotions are an essential aspect of humanity, yet we are not to be governed by them.
We are to, “Come and reason together,” with God. To seek understanding and knowledge of Him.
Relationships in which the happiness of the other is dependent on our behavior is not a healthy one in my estimation. Both parties should be secure and whole within themselves. Emotional dependence and approval of others is not our foundation. Faith in the presence of God's Spirit is.
Romans 10:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep... 18. If possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceable with all.
Constant positivity and elation are not the entire human experience.

Recent article in New scientist.
We know that a positive attitude can be good for us and that the right mindset can have a real impact on our health and happiness. But it turns out that we can have too much of a good thing. What those psychologists studying self-affirmations found was an example of “toxic positivity” – the idea that a forced optimistic interpretation of our experiences alongside the suppression of negative emotions can do real damage. The term has become something of a buzzword in both academia and pop culture. Yet despite this, messaging that “happiness is a choice” and “positivity is a mindset” abounds...

It also isn’t surprising that we consider certain emotions to be inherently bad, because those like anger, guilt, fear and resentment do feel unpleasant. When we experience them, we can become consumed, agitated or paralysed with inactivity. Such negative emotions can leave us feeling as though we have been robbed of our agency to interact with the world in a measured, meaningful way. It can seem like we have been hijacked by our emotions.

The dark side of positivity
Nevertheless, it is becoming apparent that positivity has its limits. In 2021, a meta-analysis (a study of studies) with a combined total of more than 217,000 participants investigated the link between optimism, pessimism and mortality. It found that an optimistic outlook was indeed associated with lower instances of death from any cause over the course of the studies. However, both unrealistic optimism and pessimism were linked to a higher risk of mortality...

...Social media and the positively curated images of ourselves we create online add to this pressure to be happy, says Brock Bastian at the University of Melbourne in Australia, who was part of the research team. “When we are not willing to accept negative emotions as a part of life, this can mean that we may see negative emotions as a sign there is something wrong with us,” he says. In other words, with an overemphasis on positivity, we are more likely to perceive normal emotions, such as sadness and anxiety, as signs of a mental health condition needing treatment...

There is one person you have lived with and will remain with your entire life. You. Be honest with yourself, learn and be nice to you. Forgive others and forgive yourself. God does.

mourningdove~ said:

Yes, but I have not yet met one that walks in perfection, including myself.

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Same here, but we still enjoy reminders of God'will.

Rescued One said:

Same here, but we still enjoy reminders of God'will.

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My favoritest group of people to be with are those who love God and are mutually focused on Him, and His will.