Why this series?
• A recent Census Bureau survey of 42,000 adults found that “24% of [the respondents] showed clinical signs of severe depression, and 30% showed signs of anxiety.” According to the study, “The rate of anxiety and depression were highest among young adults, women, and the poor.” To put these numbers in better context, half of American adults said that they had felt depressed during the pandemic, while only a quarter reported similar feelings in a survey done six years ago.
• According to a recent study by the World Health Organization and Harvard Medical School, America may very well be the saddest nation in the world. Researchers found that 9.6 percent of Americans suffer from depression or bipolar disorder—the highest among 14 major nations polled. Those nations that scored better than the U.S. suffer from ongoing wars and rumors of war (Lebanon), vast unemployment (Mexico), and profound poverty (Nigeria).
• As of 2015, at least one in four American women now takes a psychiatric medication. Many of these women are depressed—12 million of them, actually. And while women are roughly twice as likely as men to experience depression, many aren’t receiving the holistic treatment and support they need.
• Dr. Archibald Hart, a licensed California psychologist and senior professor of psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, vividly recalls the time he spoke about depression during a seminar to 3,000 women at Crystal Cathedral in Orange County, California. “I asked, ‘How many of you are on an antidepressant but have not told your husband?’ At least half of them stood up,” he says.
• More than a quarter of US 18-24-year-olds have seriously considered suicide as the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a significant adverse impact on mental health. The pandemic appears to have had a particularly detrimental effect on people in the 18-24-year-old age group. 75% of young people reported having at least one adverse mental or behavioral health symptom, making them by far the most impacted demographic. 63% of 18-24-year-olds reported symptoms of anxiety or depression. 25% reported using substances to cope with pandemic related stress or emotions. And 25.5% of young people said they had seriously considered suicide within the 30 days before taking the survey.
• The Gospel Coalition >> Depression is something that needs to be uncovered in the Christian church, not so that people can be exposed as sub-par, but so that the stigma of depression can be set aside and people may know that they are not alone. You see, if the stigma continues, if depression is seen as having no place in the Christian life, then the depressed Christian will continue to suffer alone, thinking that there is something wrong with their faith.
When we say “
,” what are we talking about?
• The simplest definition of depression involves “feelings of
• Wikipedia defines it as “a state of low mood and aversion to activity. Classified medically as a mental and behavioral
• Psychologically, one of the theories of how we define depression is known as the negative triad, which involves “automatic, spontaneous, & seemingly uncontrollable negative thoughts about the
• In her book Troubled Minds, Amy Simpson reveals highlights from her survey about dealing with mental illness in the church:
// Nearly half (44.5 Percent) of church leaders are approached two to five times per year for help in dealing with mental illness.
// When church people are on medication or diagnosed with a mental illness, over a third of church people keep the matter very private.
// About three out of ten (29.1 percent) said that, on average, mental illness is never mentioned in sermons at their church.
// More than 40 percent of church leaders have never reached out to and ministered to a family within their congregation with someone who has mental illness.
// Although 80 percent of church leaders said they believe mental illness is “a real, treatable and manageable illness caused by genetic, biological or environmental factors,” only one out of eight (or 12.5 percent) of them said mental illness is discussed in a healthy way in their church.
• Whether we are talking about clinical depression or severe spiritual depression, often called a Dark Night of the Soul, we must recognize that God’s truth meets us where we are to inject hope & clarity into our situations.
about depression (from CRU):
• Depression is not real.
• Depression is a sin or is the result of failing to trust God or is a punishment from God.
• Depression will go away if you pray hard enough or have enough faith.
• Depression is just an excuse for laziness or not doing your “Christian duty.”
• People will depression are unstable & cannot be trusted with church leadership or responsibilities.
• It’s shameful to discuss mental illness openly.
• You can always tell if someone is depressed by outward appearances or actions.
• It’s okay to talk about another person’s depression or struggles with mental illness as long as they don’t know.
Just consider the
(as a small example)
• Over 129 times in the Psalms, the psalmist appeals to the
• Therefore, the theme verse of this series is Psalm 59:17 | O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.
Conclusion
• If you struggle with depression, anxiety, or have a predisposition to despair (historically called a melancholy personality), I believe the
• We are going to study the experiences of those who have struggled. We sing songs written by those who have struggled:
// The song we sang earlier, “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood” was written by a man named William Cowper (pronounced Cooper).
// From 1773 to his death in 1800, the prolific hymnwriter Cowper lived with another famous hymnwriter, John Newton.
// In 1767, Cowper moved to Olney, where Newton was pastor. They had much in common. Both lost their mothers at age 6. Both were skilled in language & literature & both were authors. But what united them most was their love for Jesus.
// Newton soon learned though, that January was a tough month for Cowper. For unknown reasons, paralyzing depressions had taken hold of him in January of 1752 & 1763, with the latter bringing about a suicide attempt & landing him in an insane asylum. Then on New Years’ Day 1773, the “shadow returned” never to leave again.
// Cowper would again attempt to take his own life & remained for the next fourteen months under Newton’s roof. Newton’s wife would miss church each Sunday because Cowper could not be left alone. The suicidal ideations left him, but the misery persisted leaving him in a zombie-like form, somewhere between dead & alive. Until his dying day, he believed that he was condemned by God, never returned to church, prayer, & never laid claim again to the hope he had written about in so many of his hymns.
// For 27 years, Newton nurtured Cowper & to this day leaves us a testimony of faithful friendship & fellowship in the face of depression.
More About the Friendship Between Newton and Cowper in the Midst of Depression
• “A Friend in the Fire” >> https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-friend-in-the-fire
• Biography of William Cowper by John Piper >> https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/depression-fought-hard-to-have-him
• Hymns by William Cowper >> https://hymnary.org/person/Cowper_W