Greetings friend, and welcome back to your course. I’m glad you’re here and I look forward to studying with you today. Please pray before you begin, asking God to help you understand His Word and to experience power and transformation as you study it (2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
In lesson one, we described the darkness that descends on us; the darkness of depression, the cloud of gloom, the fog of despair. As we proceed in the course, I want to share more of my story with you, but right now I want to ask you about yours:
Question 1. How would you describe the depression you have lived with or are living with now? Do the terms “darkness of depression”, “cloud of gloom” and “fog of despair” ring true for you? Please explain.
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Harris writes, "Yes, it does ring true for me. Since I grew up with my mother suffering from paranoia schizophrenia, I can remember sorrow after sorrow. Sadness accompanies me everywhere. There were times of refreshing in God's presence, but that was only for a while, then back to the same. From my 20s, I began to understand that this is depression - a heaviness sitting in my chest. It feels tangible, as though someone put a rock on my chest. This makes me lose the appetite for life, do things I will enjoy, and causes me to isolate and avoid initiatives. I am 50 now, and this fact alone, although so many years passed by and I am a child of God and still have this issue, is frustrating. Yes, sometimes I feel despair and just want to give up everything and just sit there."
I want to show you the progression of a student named Chad, so that you might have hope as you continue in these lessons. Chad answered Question 1 above like this:
Chad writes, "Darkness would be an accurate word. I feel that there is not a future for me. I am 41 and single. I sometimes can't help but think I missed my spot. That there is no future to be had that ends in any happiness."
Now let's notice his answer in Lesson 12 questions 3 and 5.
Lesson 12 Question 3 Chad writes, "Being locked up in depression robbed me of relationships where I get to love people I know. I will be patient but I am excited to have relationships of love and fellowship rebuilt. There is a mountain of areas of my life I can't wait to have Jesus restore."
Lesson 12 Question 5 Chad writes, "I have had one of those moments where I finally got something I was missing. I don't have to worry about restoring myself, I've let legalism slip into my life again. Jesus has restored my relationship with him. That is immediate. My continuing time on this earth other areas of my life will be restored, that will come in time."
It is wonderful to see someone who saw “no future that would end in happiness,” to one of looking forward to “Jesus restoring” his life and "excited to have relationships of love and fellowship rebuilt." And this is only 12 lessons of sitting at the Cross and considering the Gospel and who Jesus is in his life. The Gospel is the power of God unleashed in a life.
As we continue on in this lesson today, one thing we need to be assured of is that depression is nothing new. It’s not a new psychological discovery but rather a very old problem, found throughout the entire human race since the beginning of time. Here are some verses that describe those who have experienced darkness like we have:
“For all of them, midnight is their morning; they make friends with the terrors of darkness” (Job 24:17 NIV).
“But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals; you covered us over with deep darkness” (Psalm 44:19 NIV).
“The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead” (Psalm 143:3 NIV).
“All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger” (Ecclesiastes 5:17 NIV).
So it’s clear that darkness, depression, overwhelming sadness, etc. is part of the human experience all down through history. And it is a very powerful experience. Depression will wipe the smile off of the happiest person, it will thoroughly discourage the most hopeful person, and it can plunge into despair the most positive person. It is a very powerful, very destructive experience. Anyone who has it will know exactly what I am talking about.
Our world today has many solutions for our experience of depression. Anything from telling us to get outside and get some sun, to exercise, pills and other drugs, lightboxes, meditation, and on and on the list goes. Some of these can be helpful, some are just downright dangerous.
Question 2. What things have you tried up to this point to help with depression?
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Tori writes, "Exercise, poor eating habits, self-help and trying to better myself, work more, harder and better. Trying to improve myself as if that would heal the core issues."