To the Depressed

[smash_kate]

If you really believe in Christ then You will believe in what he said right? This is what he said.

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed,
1. some fell along the path, it was trampled on, and birds ate it up
2. some fell on rock and when it came up, the plants withered because of no moisture
3. other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants
4. some fell on good soil. it came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

Explanation by Christ..
"the seed = word of God
1. those seeds along the path are the people who hear, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved
2. those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hearit, but have no root. they believe for a while, but in time of testing they fall away.
3. those seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on, are choked by lifes worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature
4. but the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

(LUKE chapter 8)

so which seed are you?

Love, kate

 

[Mr.Cheese]

Ok, that has to do with depression how?

 

[smash_kate]

to stinkycheeseman,

well you just gotta read the rest of what christ taught you...then if you really believe in what he said...you could be category #4 and all depression goes away.

 

[urbanfaerie]

i'm more lost, then b4 i entered this thread..

 

[Mr.Cheese]

lol.
I am the stinky cheese man!

So are you assuming you know the quality of my relationship to the savior?
That is a mistake.

I also have no idea how the parable of the soils relates to depression.
Even by using sorry interpretation skills I can't make the connection.

 

[tj179]

I can relate to what Kate has written and how it relates to depression. My opinion is that depression is caused by looking at our lives as a failure, thinking that we are not fit for society, thinking that we are going through things that no one ever has, and letting all those lies that come from satan fill our heads full of all that BS.
My mother suffered from depression as to where we found her trying to commit suicide a few times. Since, she has given her life totally to serving the Lord ( sowed her seed on good soil) Today she is a bundle of joy.
What Kate is saying and it's clear to me is that if we plant our faith on good soil, that faith will continue to grow, keeping us out of satans grip. If we are weak in our faith it simply means that our faith was planted on a rock and is slowely washing away letting satan fills us with lies that we are depressed and life is not worth living.
It all comes down to how much faith we have in a God that says he will take care of his sheep. We need to stand on Gods Word more and not on lifes struggles. When we do this, what man calls depression will turn to joy.
My opinion for anyone that cares to hear it is, depression = lack of faith.
If there was a time in my life to be depressed, (have not faith in God alone) that time would be now. My wife left to have an affair last Feb, left me with the kids, left me with all the bills, and wont sign divorce papers to set me free. BUT I am not going to let this bring me down. I have planted my seed upon good soil and I will stand on Gods Word that tells me He is all I need. I am happy as ever. I Rebuke the lier when he comes and continue to reach for the stars climbing the ladder and never stepping back down.
My prayer for christians around the world is to forget what satan and men call depression and start to rely on the Almighty God for happiness. Its there for all of you that seek it.
TJ

 

[urbanfaerie]

depression = lack of faith.

depression is by no means, a lack of faith. ugh..thats what irks me about some xtians.

i don't even have the energy to argue that inaccurate statement.

 

[Mr.Cheese]

Lack of faith.
So you too assume to know the quality of my spiritual life and so judge me as faithless.

I recommend you get an application for a clue because apparent the two of you are in desperate need of one.

You walk in here and judge me like that, and you don't know a thing about me or anyone else you just walked all over.

You don't have a narrow understanding of depression; you have no understanding of depression. Why don't the two of you go away before you say something unfortunate to someone who needs help.

 

[Dawn Marie]

Go Cheese.

 

[smash_kate]

look, i was depressed and a psychiatrist diagnosed me with depression..but because of Christ's word I got saved and got better. no more zoloft or anything..

I can never be depressed again because everything makes sense now.

The thing to get away from Depression is to READ THE BIBLE EVERYDAY!

 

[macandcheese]

All right.

this is ridiculous. this is one of my biggest pet peeves.
While some types of depression can be overcome by salvation and attitude changes, as you suggest, true clinical depression is NOT that simple. While reading the bible and praying certainly help, and are fairly necessary for any true hope and joy, sufferers of clinical depression/major depressive disorder most often suffer from a chemical imbalance. It is like having anemia in your brain, but with different chemicals. That is why antidepressants are sometimes needed to help restore balance and aide recovery or remission. Someone with clinical depression can try to feel better, try and be happy, try and see the good things in life, but at times it is just impossible. I could read the bible from cover to cover without stopping, but if i feel like i am worthless or any other feelings that come from depression, reading alone will never help. Please refrain from judging other people's faith or lack thereof. you do not know and can never presume to know what is going on in someone else's mind or heart. Only God knows that.

 

[smash_kate]

Well I love you anyway

 

[paw4me]

I've suffered from depression for years. I believe that God allows some people to stay on medication and others he heals, just like he doesn't heal every person with cancer. He allows certain things to remain in people's lives, like Paul's thorn. You know what I mean? I don't believe that one suffers from depression merely because of a lack of faith. I've known lots of people who so much faith and yet, they suffer just as I do. It's in God's hands and he will deal with it however he pleases. It's not for us to judge people. Besides, we're NOT supposed to judge people. We're called to LOVE them.

 

[Salsa_1960]

I see some truth in both sides of this.

I have a form of Bipolar Disorder. (Probably Bipolar II or Cyclothymia/AKA Bipolar III). I take a mood stabilizer. It is a tremendous help. It helps me see things more clearly. My meds were increased October the change has been VERY helpful! I also have ADHD. I started taking Ritalin in late November. Again, this has been very beneficial.

At the same time, I have made some spiritual changes in my life recently. I'm not a new Christian. I've been a born-again Christian for about 29 years-- and before that, I was not really NOT a Christian, I just hadn't made a personal decision yet. BUT recently I've made some decisions to walk closer with the Lord. They have helped me with my depression and hypomania (my mood swings)-- and ofcourse my medicine has as well. It's a combination of both.

I agree, though, that one needs to be careful when talking about depression (or any medical matter). It's too easy to say "well it worked for me, it can work for you too." What we forget is that the person we are talking to might have a medical problem that isn't as easy to overcome as ours was.

I was at a Joyce Meyer conference recently. She talked about depression (and overcoming depression) and even she was careful to point out that she was referring to "situational depression" not "clinical depression." (There is a difference). She had a lot of good things to say and it is good to think in a positive way about the Lord-- about how He is our rock and our salvation. (No doubt about it). I'm only saying that it isn't always as easy as it seems when the depression is more than "the blues."

~Sandy





PS Paw4me, I refer to 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10 quite often.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10[7] To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. [9] But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.



​

OR here is another version called "The Message:"

2 Corinthians 12:7-10
[7] Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! [8] At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, [9] and then he told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. [10] Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size--abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

​

http://www.christianforums.com/t84726

 

[TheOriginalWhitehorse]

All right.

this is ridiculous. this is one of my biggest pet peeves.
While some types of depression can be overcome by salvation and attitude changes, as you suggest, true clinical depression is NOT that simple. While reading the bible and praying certainly help, and are fairly necessary for any true hope and joy, sufferers of clinical depression/major depressive disorder most often suffer from a chemical imbalance. It is like having anemia in your brain, but with different chemicals. That is why antidepressants are sometimes needed to help restore balance and aide recovery or remission. Someone with clinical depression can try to feel better, try and be happy, try and see the good things in life, but at times it is just impossible. I could read the bible from cover to cover without stopping, but if i feel like i am worthless or any other feelings that come from depression, reading alone will never help. Please refrain from judging other people's faith or lack thereof. you do not know and can never presume to know what is going on in someone else's mind or heart. Only God knows that.

Well, while I do see what you're saying and I see how there can be differences, the truth is, when we are depressed, all the things we want, and feel are good for us, are not what are in fact good for us. Isolation. What depressed person doesn't feel they need that, when objectively, that's precisely what they don't need. What depressed person who has felt hopeless hasn't pushed away very sound advice because they thought, 'I'm struggling with these issues, and your idea of fixing it is exercise and vitamins????" And no. No one said those would take away the issues. But it gets our bodies in optimal shape to deal with them. But a depressed person doesn't usually want to try things. They want advice, typically, but will usually reject it until such a time as they are facing their own unwillingness to live any longer. And then they find out the person was right all along.

A lot of it does have to do with perception and attitude. It won't take away the problems, but it will give us the strength and the willingness to do what is necessary. It really is 90% attitude. But we never think anyone understands. And I've said it before; I'll say it again: depression destroys our coping mechanisms. But the evil genius of it is, it tricks us into doing it ourselves. We do have more control than we realize.

But because of what depression does, the depressed person never wants to think this. The depressed person, will categorically reject it until there are no other options but to sincerely accept it.


That was true of me, and pretty much everyone I've met with depression has this same pattern of thinking.

 

[tj179]

Lack of faith.
So you too assume to know the quality of my spiritual life and so judge me as faithless.

I recommend you get an application for a clue because apparent the two of you are in desperate need of one.

You walk in here and judge me like that, and you don't know a thing about me or anyone else you just walked all over.

You don't have a narrow understanding of depression; you have no understanding of depression. Why don't the two of you go away before you say something unfortunate to someone who needs help.

I was not refering to you in specific . I dont judge anyone I only gave you my opinion as I see it and have seen it many times. I am sorry if I came across to you the wrong way.
I also dont feel that I walked over anyone and I do have a clue about depression. It saddens my heart to see anyone fall into satans grip. I have been there. My mother has also been there.
I spent time on my knees praying at my mothers bedside as she would lay there screaming at me and yanking her hair, to leave her. She was in depression. After weeks of praying with her and reading her scriptures she started to progress. Today she is working again, happy, and living a life for the Lord.
I am going to take your suggestion and go away. As I leave I am praying that there will be no hard feelings between brothers here.
God bless you all and goodbye,
TJ

 

[BigToe2]

God does cure some forms of depression yes. But people who are depressed are NOT so because they are in Satan's grasp. Depression is by no means a lack of faith. There are many different kinds of "depression".

By telling someone who is depressed that they are so becaues they lack faith- well that is ridiculous and seriously not intelligent. You aren't doing anything to help them. You are just continuing to put them down. We are to edify each other- to encourage each other- build one another up. When your friend falls you pick them up.

I know your heart is in the right place and all, but you are probably not going about it the best way. If you don't think depression is legit- perhaps you shouldn't go into the depression area of the site.

 

[smash_kate]

response to: "By telling someone who is depressed that they are so becaues they lack faith- well that is ridiculous and seriously not intelligent."

for Jesus said,

"I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." matthew 21:21

Also he says,

"Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." matthew 17:20

Thus, even for these two statements alone...a person should have no reason to be depressed or sad anymore for the rest of their lives!!!

 

[Loki]

Cheese, I feel for ya.

It's nice and all if you don't have clinical depression and can kick it by yourself, but it doesn't work that way for everyone, despite how many scriptural references you post. Understanding the parable of the seeds is not going to change the serotonin levels in my brain.

Depression doesn't need a reason. Not all depression is caused by an external stimulus.

Perhaps reading about different types of depression, rather than judging the rest of us based on your one anecdotal experience might benefit us all.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm

 

[macandcheese]

amen, Loki.

The parable about the mustard seed shows that God is all-powerful, and He CAN do anything I ask. It's saying that it doesn't matter how 'big' my faith is, that if I am a brand new Christian or have been a strong Christian for years it doesn't matter, as long as you have faith. It doesn't say, or imply, that because you have faith, you shouldn't feel bad or mad or sad sometimes. These feelings happen, because we are human. And it's ok to express these feelings to God, as well. He can take it. It's even ok to say, "God, I dont understand this, and I am feeling depressed right now." The point is not that we never are allowed to feel these things; it is that we are able to deal with them.

I hope I am making my point clear - if not, pm me or something so i can clear things up!

peace.