Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression…
Proverbs 12:25a

Depression - Severe despondency or dejection, typically felt over a period of time and accompanied by feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy.

“The Winter of the Soul” —John Ortberg

What is True About Depression?

It is

.

¹⁶ “And now my life seeps away. Depression haunts my days. ¹⁷ At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly.”
Job 30:16,17

…He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”
1 Kings 19:4

He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.”
Jonah 4:8b

⁶ I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. ⁷ My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
Psalm 6:6,7

¹⁵ I have been sick and close to death since my youth. I stand helpless and desperate before your terrors. ¹⁶ Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me. Your terrors have paralyzed me. ¹⁷ They swirl around me like floodwaters all day long. They have engulfed me completely. ¹⁸ You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.
Psalm 88:15-18

He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief…
Isaiah 53:3a

It has a

.

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?
Psalm 42:5

² Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! ³ When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. ⁴ Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Psalm 32:2-4

How to Fight Depression

³ Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, ⁴ while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” ⁵ Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” ⁶ He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. ⁷ The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.”
1 Kings 19:3-7

⁹ …And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” ¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴ He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” ¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholahto succeed you as prophet… ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
1 Kings 19:9b-16,18

• Diet,

, and rest.

It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
Psalm 127:2

• Share with

and

Reveal Answer

for others.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:3,4

• Seek the

of God.

The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 16:11

• Give

.

Give thanks in all circumstances…
1 Thessalonians 5:18a

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Hebrews 4:15

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. ¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:17,18

Not Alone Reading Resources

To bring hope and healing for those with mental health challenges.

Anxiety
Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer
Uninvited by Lysa TerKeurst
Stopping the Noise in Your Head by Reid Wilson
Live Fearless by Sadie Robertson (for teens)

Depression
If I’m a Christian, Why Am I Depressed? by Robert B. Somerville
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst
Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer

Anger and Forgiveness
Enemies of the Heart by Andy Stanley
Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion by Gary Chapman
How to Forgive Ourselves Totally by R.T. Kendall
Anger and Stress Management God’s Way by Wayne A. Mack

Family and Friends as Caregivers
We’re Stronger Than We Look: Insights and Encouragement for the Caregiver’s Journey by Jill Brown
When Darkness Reigns: A Caregiver’s Guide from Fear to Faith by Wanda Covington
The Emotional Survival Guide for Caregivers by Barry J. Jacobs