A Spiritual Cure for Depression

An estimated 19 million American adults are living with major depression. [1]

The Mayo clinic defines clinical depression as “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest… it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. You may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities, and sometimes you may feel as if life isn’t worth living. More than just a bout of the blues, depression isn’t a weakness and you can’t simply ‘snap out’ of it.” [2]

Dr Bill Gillham discerned the root cause and ultimate cure for depression:

“Christ alone must be your primary Source if you are to be liberated from the chains of depression. A practitioner who always treats depression as the problem is missing the mark. Just as fever is but a symptom of the cause, so it is with depression. Depression is a symptom of a deeper cause. Most counselors would agree that less than 5% of depression cases have physically induced depression which does not respond to counseling. PMS, hypoglycemia, diabetes, hormonal imbalance, thyroid or blood sugar problems, etc. are physical factors which can cause depression. Counseling such a Christian with spiritual truth can subject him to even greater despair because although he may see the truth which sets a man free, he can’t appropriate it. However, the remaining 95% of the depressed Christians can experience victory solely through spiritual counsel.” [3]

Cathy Solomon just published an online flip booklet about Christ-centered solutions to help the depressed person: https://cld.bz/ShSgcTo

The psalmist confessed,

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?

And why are you disquieted within me?

Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God” (Psalm 42:11).

May we move beyond life’s disappointments to confident hope in God’s encouraging and sustaining grace.

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by John Woodward