COGSC’s David Antion: The Cure for Self Depression
There Are Ways to Get Through the Jungle of Depression
In a sermon summary titled Ain’t it Awful, COGSC’s David Antion wrote:
If you watch enough TV news and TV ads you will become depressed. Ads are designed to make us dissatisfied with our lives. They may also appeal to our fears in order to motivate us.
The Bible refers to real depression. When we read Paul’s words in 2Cor 1:8 we see that he despaired even of life. He said he was “burdened excessively” (NASU). The word “burdened” means pressed down or weighed down. He wrote that it was “beyond our strength.”
Jesus warned against getting depressed and used the same word Paul did. We are not to let our “hearts” (minds) become “pressed down,” “burdened,” “weighed down,” or depressed by “dissipation” (KJV= surfeiting) which means dizziness, drunken headache as a result of too much partying with alcohol. In effect it is a hangover from a drinking bout. He mentions “drunkenness” directly and the “worries of life.” People can worry themselves into depression. It is also interesting that the number one cause of depression in American is alcohol.
Jesus was depressed the night before He was to be crucified. In Mark 14:33 Jesus is referred to as “distressed and troubled.” The word troubled is a Greek word that means depressed and anxious. The mind is whirling and frantic. Another Gospel refers to Jesus also as depressed, anxious and in mental anguish or pain. That is real depression!
But we can make ourselves depressed over imagined things by playing one of Eric Berne’s “games” – Aint It Awful. We can start to see everything in a negative light. Another thing we may do is to view things through the lenses of our own problems – marital, financial, health, job, etc. We may play a game I call “I Don’t Want To Fix It I Just Want To Gripe.” We begin to criticize what is NOT done. You can always find something that is not done.
The cure for this pseudo, self-generated depression is thanksgiving. When you give thanks you take stock of what you do have not what you don’t have. It keeps self-made depression away! Try it!
Of course, there are many causes of depression as well as various interventions to help cure it.
Understanding why you were born as well as what God’s plan is for YOU can also be of great help.
An article of related interest may be:
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God have a plan for YOU? What is it?
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