How Can I Love God With My Whole Heart But Still Feel Depressed?
How can I love God with my whole heart but still feel depressed? All of us feel down or blue at times. Usually with time, this sadness passes. Even when it lasts longer, you often can draw strength from other sources to overcome it. Be that through the support of your family or friends or by reaching into your well of spiritual water.
After all, you know times are often hard and feeling anxious or depressed is nothing abnormal.
But sometimes, that sadness just simply doesn’t want to let go. Despite your best efforts, your emotions may become so profoundly negative that they debilitate you. They may cause you to feel guilty and worthless. They may interfere with the way you function in everyday life.
“But I love God with my whole heart,” you may reason. “I trust him and lean on his word. And I believe his promises. I should not feel depressed! How can this be happening?”
Why You Can Feel Depressed Despite Your Love for God
Mental distress and depression, including clinical depression, are mood disorders.They are medical problems, not spiritual ones. Realizing this is crucial for maintaining balance and seeking support.
Spirituality and love for God certainly promote mental and emotional balance, but it does not provide immunity from health problems. On the contrary, it’s human imperfection that makes you vulnerable to illness. Genetic factors and deficient brain chemistry can cause mental and emotional difficulties. And environmental factors, such as stress and societal pressure, add to the problem.
Would you believe that the words quoted at the beginning of this post were spoken by King David of ancient Israel? There were many times he expressed great anguish, distress, and profound sadness over various matters in his life. And he wasn’t the only one.
Other servants of God – like Lot, Jacob, Hannah, and Job – expressed feeling depressed, tormented, broken-hearted, or deep despair during their lifetimes. For some, it passed quickly. For others, not at all. As an example, Job was so profoundly discouraged and Elijah so grief-stricken, that they wanted God to take their lives away.
Do you think any of these lacked faith or love for God?
Certainly not. Hence, clearly, depression isn’t a spiritual flaw. In fact, God showed them all compassion and support, expressing a deep understanding of their weaknesses. In the same way, he understands your feelings of depression.
Aside from gaining strength from prayer, meditating on good examples and the hope found in God’s word, feeding yourself spiritually, taking care of your mind and body, and leaning on supportive friends and family, what can you do to cope with serious problems of depression?
Seeking Medical Treatments
While acknowledging the help God can provide, you may also want to seek medical attention for your persisting depression. Consider the following soon:
A physical exam – Having a thorough examination by a trusted medical health professional is prudent. Various physical diseases can have similar symptoms to mental disorders.
Talk therapy – A trained mental health professional can help significantly. They can offer therapy to assist you in understanding your illness, learning coping skills, and resolve practical problems.
Medication – Many psychiatric drugs are not addictive, hallucinogenic, or tranquilizing. Of course, there are always risks. But, under medical supervision, medication can help correct imbalances in your brain and allow for normal function.
Admittedly, getting an accurate diagnosis and treatment requires time and patience. But if you approach it with caution and wisdom, it’s often well worth it.
Remember, though, while depression is not a spiritual ailment, combining a medical approach with a process of building yourself up spiritually can yield the most effective result.
