Posts Tagged ‘Depression’
Hope in Darkness
The darkness and barren landscape and often overcast skies of late autumn and winter can be depressing to me. I probably could not live in a country with just a few hours of daylight. I’ve written before about some things that help me through the “winter blues.” But I decided this week to do a…
Read MoreHealing the Wounded Spirit (2)
Prov.15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. This headline exploded on my computer screen as I sat down to write this blog: “New York City school kids are losing their minds over the zonked-out drug addicts and raving vagrants they encounter every day –…
Read MoreHealing the Wounded Spirit (1)
Proverbs 18:14: The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? The pandemic we lived through has triggered an explosion of crushed spirits and broken hearts. Loneliness, exhaustion, abuse, fear of infection, grief over loved ones lost, and financial concerns are some of the key stress factors. All…
Read MoreDepression & Sin
Depression is a monumental bane to human flourishing. The contributors to depression can be, and are often, physical. A failure to get enough sleep, poor nutrition, and a lack of exercising can all contribute to depression. We also noted, though, that depression can also be related to spiritual issues, namely, sin. Sin is an unpopular…
Read MoreCan depression be spiritual?
“There is no soundness in my flesh…there is no health in my bones…My wounds stink and fester…I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all day I go about mourning. For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult…
Read MoreHow can we handle depression physically?
The time has come to put our knowledge of what depression is and what contributes to it to good use. While depression is something that can (and often does) afflict all of us, some endure it more than others. What we have discovered is that depression is a feeling of hopelessness, like walking through a…
Read MoreDepression: What is It?
“I am depressed.” Maybe you have heard someone make this claim. Perhaps you have made it yourself. Or, you may be wondering if you have depression. What is depression? Some have described it as a deep hole in which no light shines. Others style it as a heavy blanket draped over them. Whatever it is,…
Read MoreHappily Ever After?
Psalm 88 is a lament. The psalmist is greatly distressed and emotional. Most interpreters of the psalm believe the reason for the distress lies in some type of terminal illness. Loneliness and spiritual distress accompany physical illness. The psalm reflects this as well. Many psalms have a theme which connects judgment from God with the…
Read MoreA Final Challenge to Churches and to Pastors
We’ve been working on a series about pastors and depression. We’ve discussed how the people of the church can come to the aid of their pastors. In this post, we offer a few conclusions. Christ, the head of the church, rules His church through the written Word and through spirit-called and spirit-led men. That’s a…
Read MoreWhat Can Church People Do to Help Their Pastor?
We’ve discussed the fact of depression in pastoral ministry and outlined some of its causes, both from the nature of the task and from the weakness of the flesh that all men experience. Today, I want to look at ways in which God’s people can help bring encouragement to their pastors. The prayers of God’s…
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