How to Help People Suffering from Depression in the Church

An encounter with deep despair and sadness, even depression, is almost inevitable. It’s someone in our family; it’s someone in our small group; it’s someone in our church – and it may even be the person looking at this computer screen.

It happens to good people. It happens to God’s people. It happens to people that seem to have an otherwise perfect life. It happens to mothers who have just brought him a beautiful, healthy child from the hospital. It happens to men who have successful careers and strong families. It happens to pastors (and their families).

Sometimes it’s a clinical depression; sometimes it’s a spiritual depression (sometimes it’s a combination of the two). Regardless, it’s a reality in our churches, and it’s affecting the people that we would least expect.

In many cases, depression is a hormonal issue, or a chemical imbalance. It may not even be remotely “spiritual” in nature. Talk to your doctor. I have many, many Christian brothers and sisters who are on anti-depressants, and that’s okay. If you have diabetes, or arthritis, or high blood pressure, you’re going to get on medication. If you have depression (and it’s a physiological issue), then you have the full freedom to consider medication.

It may not get entirely better – in this life. Hopefully, it will, and for many of you, it probably will. But for others, it’s possible that this will be a life-long struggle (at least on some level). However, if this is the case, God remains faithful. He can use this depression as the greatest sanctifying tool in your life. You can learn to lean on Him and trust Him in a way that others cannot. And remember, there is coming a day when He will once and for all, wipe all of the tears from your eyes. Although you may weep for the night, joy is coming in the morning. And in the mean time, He may not take the depression from you, but He will hold your hand. . . . until the deep, dark night of the soul is over.