Exploring Depressive Feelings: Part 3

Overcoming Depressive Thoughts & Feelings in Yourself

1. Avoid as many causes of depressive feelings as you can.
2. Develop a proper view of God & Self.
1. Job 9:17-18 --Not an accurate view of God.
2. Exodus 4:10-12
   
3. James 4:133-17 --Incorrect view of ourselves.
4. We start as a love of God-- he rejoices over us.
   
3. Let go of depression as an identity marker.
1. Some people have a natural tendency towards depression --it can become a part of your identity.
1. "Fade into nothingness"
2. I Corinthians 6:9-11
   
2. God does not view you as a depressed person-- It must not be viewed that way.
   
4. Psalm 42: 5, 11 & 43:5
1. We can look to ourselves, circumstances, or God... If you look at the first two, you will focus on depressive thoughts.
2. God is the same today as he always has been.
3. Hebrews 12:2-3~ "Lose heart."
4. Hebrews 12:5-6~ "Finding hope."
   
5. Seek projects of substance and stick with them.
1. Look what you have done & don't fall into routine that lacks substance.
6. Spend time in the worshiping assembly (church) and with others who have the gift of encouragement.
1. Psalm 43:3-4
   
7. Patiently Endure.
1. Psalm 40:1-3a
2. When God is good and ready he will come fill us with song.
3. When your in a battle, sometimes we have to endure and stand our ground and not give up faith-- Don't give ground when you are suffering-- That is the victory.

Helping Others Overcoming Depressive Thoughts & Feelings

1. Two Examples:
1. John 11:32-44
1. Jesus was deeply moved.
2. Jesus corrects a falsehood in Martha. "Do you believe your brother will rise?" Jesus can rise Lazarus. So Jesus corrects the false belief.
3. As Jesus prayed, he helped people in their unbelief--> How to enter into someone's pain-- help them see God in the situation.
   
2. I Kings 19:1-18
1. Addresses Elijah's needs.
2. God gives him an experience in his presence. God gives Elijah meaningful tasks. God poured into his life; Elijah speaks truth into others.
   
3. God corrects his misunderstanding.
   
2. Key Verses:
1. 2 Corinthians 7:6-7
1. God comforts the downcast.
2. We have to help the discouraged.
   
2. I Thessalonians 5:14b
1. Help encourage.
2. It is our job to be loving and caring, but it is not our responsibility to how it is carried out at the end of the day.
   
3. Galatians 6
1. You are not to blame-- Ultimately it is their (the depressed person's) responsibility.
   
3. Love
1. To communicate that they have value and worth...
   
2. Sacrificial love~ When you give something up for another.
   
4. Spirit
1. Create an environment where the internal is lifted-- the Spirit rules.
2. If you are creating an environment of rules & expectations, then depression will be there.
   
5. Truth
1. It is connected to lying (depression).
2. Psalm 43:3~ Great combat is truth.
6. Security
1. Depressive people feel they are an inconvenience.
   
2. As long as they are not committing sins, then you can provide security.
3. Galatians 1:1 ~He is there because God placed him there--God put you in the position to help them feel security.
   
7. Significance
1. Show people the power of their position; that they have value and worth.
2. You are the result of the choices that you make-- That communicates that you have power-- Which shows value.
   
8. Hope
1. Something to hope for.
1. "It's not always going to be like this."
   
2. It must not be false hope-- Hope deferred causes depression.
3. There is a spiritual battle and we are caught in it-- At the end of the day, God is our hope.
4. God is dependable.
5. Things happen to mold and shape us to be more like Christ.
6. Romans 15:13 --The God of hope can fill us with the Holy Spirit, which fills us with peace.
   

Exploring Depressive Feelings Pt. 1 & 2

Recently, there have been a couple sermons from my pastor at church which have been on Depression and the feelings resulting from it. I decided to put a compilation together of the notes I have taken on this subject matter.

Part One:

1. Where do depressive feelings come from?
1. Physical causes-- deficiencies
   
2. Lack of parental love-- approval
1. Col 3:23-- Father's do not embitter your children or they will become disheartened.
   
2. Embitter-- to neglect.
   
3. Sin
4. Stress
1. 2 Corinthians has a lot of depression/ darkness/ loss or death
   
5. Failure/ Defeat/ Disaster
6. Legalism
7. Hope-deferred
1. Why are depressive feelings so rampant in our culture?

Part Two: Covering Romans

1. Trusting solely in God.
1. There is truth there, BUT it is too simplistic when concerning depression
2. Are we trusting ourselves or God?
1. It is an issue of identity.---> Romans 6, 7, 8
3. We are designed to experience unconditional love.
1. When sin entered, our identity became marred.
   
2. What is our life like?
1. Romans 6:3-4~ That we may have a new kind of life~ Sin destroyed our relationship with God--the unconditional love we strive for in earthly relationships.
2. v.6~ Our old person.
3. v.9-10~ Oriented towards God--we are new people.
4. v.11~ Problem is that it's not always true in practice. When we view ourselves through God's eyes, we will be able to succumb the depressive feelings.
1. It is when we have our identity right with Christ, that our depressive feelings will greatly diminish.
   
2. God provides that unconditional love we strive for when we open our hearts to His love.
   
3. Looking past the depression.
   
1. Romans 7
2. What it looks like when you don't look at it in light of depression.
   
4. Expectations??
1. Romans 8
2. Not being in a performance based identity.
3. Not living up to expectations-- in God there is acceptance.
4. Death cuts at our identity.
5. Viewing yourself as God views you-- there would be no room for depression or depressive thoughts.
   
5. ANALOGIES:
1. A wilting plant:
   
1. It survives from an underground stream-- feeding off from it-- despite the sun's harmful, harsh rays. It still survives.
2. Now, if it didn't have the underground stream & only got the water source from someone spraying water on it, then it will become DEPENDENT on it.
   
3. So when we have God [the underground stream], the depressive rays are NOT as affective--you have that source [God] to draw from...
4. --> Otherwise if you do not have God, you can't survive.
5. --> The person needs God: the unconditional love source that humans cannot provide or give.
   
6. People need that verbal affirmation once they receive it from someone--then they become needy & clingy & long for that affirmation in an unhealthy way.
7. They need more of it...
   
1. The initial "squirt" of water [the affirmation & love].
1. "Why won't you love me unconditionally?"
2. The depressive person wants you to fulfill that unconditional love, which you cannot, because only God can fulfill such a void...
3. The depressive person will flick from new friend to new friend-- in hopes to fill that void, because they cannot get the total affirmation 24/7 from a person.
4. The depressive person stops receiving it [affirmation] so they go to someone new.
5. We are dependent on affirmation from people-- but there is no substance there.
6. Nothing to point back to-- Unless you have that underground source [God] to turn to.
   
2. Slots:
1. You have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. slots-- a gradient of relationships. For example... Parents in slot 1, Work in slot 2, friendships in slot 3, romance in slot 4, etc.
   
1. You don't get affirmation in one of the slots-- so we feel the pain of the open slot in another slot... [1 into 2].
2. You won't get the affirmation if a slot is empty.
3. We spend time trying to get it filled.
4. Being that kind of person is someone who doesn't understand their relationship with Christ-- God can fill those empty slots.
5. We have to allow God to do that-- (Putting the work slot into the parental slot that our parents were supposed to fill).
6. God has enough love to fill!
7. You have the decision to Look up to God, or you can decide to keep looking down and continue filling your depressive feelings & thoughts.
1. People have a faulty view of who God is.
2. Nothing can separate us from God's love-- We can deal with these discouraging feelings.

I thought it was very interesting how much this rang true-- most of us DO look to affirmation from others, whether it be family members, friends, or just mere acquaintances. We want to be lifted up and complimented. But it goes much farther than that with people who are struggling with depressive thoughts.
In a way, you give them an inch and they'll go a mile. This comes to a point to where the non-depressive person gets worn out and tired from trying to affirm & bring them up out of their depressive mode.
Therefore, they more or less "give up" on them because they are NOT the ones who can help them-- Only God can fulfill their affirmation desires and the love that they are looking for-- no human can fulfill that.
The problem lies where the depressive person thinks that another person can be their "god" so to speak. They become needy & clingy and want unconditional love and support from this person. They continually go to this person for support, ultimately draining their friend and longing for more and more. The friend, not being able to provide the unconditional love, has to let go and collect themselves from their outpouring of support.
In doing so, the depressive person just latches onto another person, and jumps from relationship/friendship over and over... continually seeking affirmation... not realizing that what they are longing for will NEVER be fulfilled by any HUMAN; they will only be fulfilled and HEALED when they turn to THE LORD for His unconditional love.
*And the big point is... If you KNOW GOD, you should not have to latch onto people that way. God's love IS enough. Of course it's not easy... BUT, if you continue to act the way you are, then what does that say?
*It says that you are not trusting God... you don't believe His love is enough....

So what are you believing in?