Anxiety, Depression, and the
Christian Life
But how can this be? I mean, isn’t joy like love? Isn’t it just a spontaneous feeling that comes over us at random times? Emotions can’t be commanded, can they? Don’t they just happen? Well, no… In fact, the Bible makes a regular habit out of commanding us to feel certain things (check out Psalm 42:5, Matthew 10:28, Romans 12:15, Ephesians 4:32, Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:15.) We are commanded to FEEL them, not given the OPTION to feel them. We are not to wait for these feelings to come or to wait until circumstances are right to feel them. In other words, the power of Christ must become greater in our lives than the power of circumstances. Anxiety
Have you noticed that a lot of people are struggling right now? Many seem to be facing more challenges than usual. Spiritual challenges like faith being tested and the questioning of long-held beliefs. Mental challenges such as struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide. Physical challenges like battling cancer or other serious illnesses. Financial challenges like wondering where the money will come from for this month’s bills. “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus told us, so we should not be surprised at what the Apostle Peter called the “fiery trials” of life. They are not pleasant, but we should know that they are very normal and they are to be expected and accepted with faith. Even so, these circumstances can very quickly steal our joy and then lead to anxiety and depression. And yet we are instructed in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians to “rejoice in the Lord always” and to “not be anxious about anything.” These are not suggestions; they are commands. 4
The Recorder, May / June 2018 Volume 55, Number 3
But we still experience feelings of anxiety from time to time, don’t we? The Bible tells us that the cure for anxiety is prayer. The cure for the feeling that something bad is going to happen that is beyond our ability to control is to call on the one who can actually do something about it! The cure for anxiety is faith in the mercy, sovereignty and absolute goodness of God. And you should know that you will not always be in a state of freedom from anxiety. Anxiety is not something you overcome once and then never have to deal with again. It will be a recurring challenge in our lives, so we must continue to pray and continue to trust. The Christian life is about constant, ongoing responses of faith to God and the degree to which you, as His child, will feel His peace and His joy is determined by your response to His goodness. Depression What about depression? Should we just, as many people suggest to those who suffer from depression, “get over it”? Should we just choose not to feel depressed anymore? www.emmc.ca