While asking God to take it away seems reasonable enough; what if He doesn't? What if He says, "My grace is sufficient for you" and then, like Paul the thorn in the flesh remains. Paul told Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach. He didn't tell Timothy to just pray it away or ask God to take it away and then expect it to be gone. I have prayed at the bedside of a dying woman who was given hours to live and she was back in church within three weeks. I have prayed at the side of dying woman and she died that day. Some things, like sickness and death really lie in the will of God and we will have to learn to live with that will. Nothing has helped me so much as just being honest that I have an illness that God has left me with and He, in His divine wisdom, gave men medical knowledge to help me suffer less, a fact for which I do praise God.
Depression and Christians
- Thread starter Pastor David 1611
- Start date
Paul's thorn wasn't an injury, it was persecution he was dealing with.
Hey, Pancakes, First I am glad that you are a believer; that is the most important part of life now and forever. I would encourage you to hold fast your faith because God does care. My wife and I longed to go to the mission field and were prepared to go when we lost our first child. That certainly didn't help my depression. I did question God and that has a strong biblical foundation. David questioned God in many of his psalms. Job questioned God as well. Habakkuk questioned God's wisdom in using evil Babylon to judge Israel. It didn't make sense. God never slapped anyone up side of the head and said, "Why are you being so stupid as to question me?" We find in the passage where Abram believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness that Abram was actually questioning God at that time. But when God spoke of His eternal love for Abram, Abram believed. It doesn't mean he didn't doubt later to some extent, but He did keep the faith that God cared. God does care and there are other believers who do care and to whom you can turn to for support.
That is one possibility, but it isn't the only option for his thorn. Illness could be an option. I think that God left the "thorn" undefined so that people in a variety of situations might find comfort in their distress. People who are persecuted can find comfort and hope and people who suffer physical illness can also find them. For me it shows a the immense love and hope of God to all who suffer.
When we can find blessings where God places them, that is finding real joy in our lives. Paul said, I know how to abase and to abound. I am glad that you find the blessings.
Your pastors comment was very wise. I hope that you were encouraged by it.
I suffer with you my dear and pray that you will be able to overcome. MY mother has struggled with being bi-polar now for 35 years and the last 10 have been with my wife and I. We are very familiar with depression.
I did not read all the posts so you may already have done this, but have you sought out a doctor to evaluate what kind of depression you have?
Yes, prayer is wonderful as is reading your Bible and attending church and I totally agree with them, but if there is a "clinical" problem none of that is going to release you from the grip of its claws. There are many, many kinds of medication now available to you and I would encourage to to consider that course along with the things you are being advised to do.
It is very nice to have you here Pastor. Your comments are sound and your compassion is evident. I hope that you will stay here for a long time. There are some really great Christians here on this site.
With all the pain and sorrow in the world it's enough to make a sensitive person depressed. Doesn't make you less Christian. Just makes you more human.
Pastor, a lot explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction—or something else entirely—has never really been answered with any kind of satisfaction, IMO
I have for a long time understood that it was probably poor vision.
Galatians 6:11.........
"Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand."
Galatians 4:13.......
"Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first."
Galatians 4:15.......
"Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me."
I really like your answer! Well said.
Hey I disagree about that. You can be a good christian and depressed at the same time. Just as long as you don't lash out on people or complain. It's like many Jews keeping their faith after the holocaust or Christians after the roman persecution. Despite their misery they remained faithful to god. Anyway, I've gone through and am still going through a lot of difficult times. I'm not really all that happy most of the time, but I still love god. I think it's a common misconception that Christians wake up every morning smiling, shouting with joy, singing, dancing, etc. I'm actually quite cynical and quiet most of the time.
Thanks for this. I agree with you, definitely sounds like poor vision.
Even Gal 4:13 suggests it in that he does not say 'in my sinful state I preached'.
Brian, I encourage you to seek out a Christian doctor. Some one who can understand what is effecting you and if needed prescribe a medication that will help stablize your thoughts and emotions. There is no shame in doing this and it is not un-christian in any way whatsoever.
Being a Christian does not mean that you and me are not going to have emotional concerns and there are so many products available now that it would be a shame not to use one.
It is stated many times in the Bible that God is close to those who suffer and are weak in spirit. I've been clinically depressed for a few years and I have noticed that I come along well with other people that are suffering aswell, always noticing that they who suffer are kind hearted in the end, which tells you something about the spirit and the meaning of suffering.
When people get really happy, they easily tend to forget God, where their strength and gifts come from, and they start to follow the path of flesh without embracing and thanking their lord. It's bad for a person to think that he is the master of his/her own life. God gives and takes, but he blesses those who have faith in him with rest, food, warmth, love and hope.
When people get really happy, they easily tend to forget God, where their strength and gifts come from, and they start to follow the path of flesh without embracing and thanking their lord. It's bad for a person to think that he is the master of his/her own life. God gives and takes, but he blesses those who have faith in him with rest, food, warmth, love and hope.
I confess, I was avoiding this thread because it seemed...well...erm...depressing. 
I went to a doctor and he diagnosed me as "depressed". I told him, "no, I have a lot of things to be depressed about but for me the glass is 1/2 full, always." We all go thru troubles in our life and we live in a very troubled world. Meds and good counsel are good things if you have a "clinical" condition. I have fibromyalgia and am in pain 24/7 with nothing but over the counter meds. Because I have hope and belief in God's love, I realize it could always be worse and He hasn't "given" me anything I can't handle. That is not to say I blame God for any of my troubles - He is the only place I get any relief/comfort.
Robin Williams may have had a medical condition leading to the suicide: Lewy Body Dementia. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/robin-williams-driven-suicide-lewy-body-dementia/story?id=26860752 . I suppose this doesn't preclude demonic spirits.
I went to a doctor and he diagnosed me as "depressed". I told him, "no, I have a lot of things to be depressed about but for me the glass is 1/2 full, always." We all go thru troubles in our life and we live in a very troubled world. Meds and good counsel are good things if you have a "clinical" condition. I have fibromyalgia and am in pain 24/7 with nothing but over the counter meds. Because I have hope and belief in God's love, I realize it could always be worse and He hasn't "given" me anything I can't handle. That is not to say I blame God for any of my troubles - He is the only place I get any relief/comfort. Robin Williams may have had a medical condition leading to the suicide: Lewy Body Dementia. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/robin-williams-driven-suicide-lewy-body-dementia/story?id=26860752 . I suppose this doesn't preclude demonic spirits.
Sufficient means more than enough. It does not mean having to continue to suffer. Also God did not leave the Thorn unidentified. Paul was Quoting the OT............... Enough with this, get wisdom, get understanding.
Depression is caused by thinking and meditating on the wrong things. There could be very good physical reasons to be depressed, and there could be no good reason to be physically depressed. Depression is whateveer you are willing to meditate on that destroys your qualilty of life.
So, Depression has nothing to do with how big the problem may look. Israel got real depressed when they found out about the giants in the land. They went into a thing, because there is no way possible to beat someone when you look like a grasshopper in thier eys.
The giants were not the problem though. What they believed was the problem and it cost them the promise land. The very thing they had been striving for.
We should have nothing to do with depression, and I can promise, someone that meditates on the Word, and spends time with God does not stay depressed by they encourage themselves in the Lord.
No time in the Word, no time with God, makes a weak spirit man and the throughts will take over.
We are to cast down every single imagination that is against the Word of God and bring it into captivity and obedience to Christ Jesus. If we don't obey the Word, then those thoughts take life and become real.
Paul said don't worry, make your request made known to God. God never failed anyone that believed, no not one time. Paul then said think on these things. What is lovely, pure ..... so on.
I have been depressed, so much so I had entertained ideas that it might be better for everyone I was not around. It's a confusing place, but I realized that what I was not depressed but in serious unbelif that God could not, or did not want to help and fix things. It was unbelief, and devilish. I had to force myself to start meditating on the Word again, which is why depression took hold in the first place. I took a long Word break.
Depression should not be named among us. Not with Jesus on the throne, in charge and all victory is ours.
A good example is job, the man must have been depressed but still remained faithful. In the end his depression faded and the full glory of God was revealed. Just a thought
Scripture says Job was patience. I would not say Job is a good example of what we should follow though.
David is a good example of what we should follow. The enemy came and took the women and children at ziklag. David and the boys where crying the scripture says, and they were all about to jump David.
All the women and children Gone. All the stuff Gone. Had to be a good reason to get depressed.
David though wiped the tears away and stopped getting depressed. Scripture says he encouraged himself in the Lord and then asked the Lord. "Shall we go after this troop?" The Lord said GO!!!!
And David recovered all, and there was no spoil, David recovered all the enemy had taken.
When the Chaladeans and Sabeans came and took Job's stuff. Job sat around and cried about it wondering why God did this to him. Then Job goes into 30 some chapters about how great a guy he was and how these things should not happen to great guys like himself.
Never one time Asked God for help.
Never one time presented the Lord with a plan.
Sat that like a baby.
If we want to be like someone, be like Jesus, David, Paul, Abraham. Not Job.
Scripture says Job was patience. I would not say Job is a good example of what we should follow though.
David is a good example of what we should follow. The enemy came and took the women and children at ziklag. David and the boys where crying the scripture says, and they were all about to jump David.
All the women and children Gone. All the stuff Gone. Had to be a good reason to get depressed.
David though wiped the tears away and stopped getting depressed. Scripture says he encouraged himself in the Lord and then asked the Lord. "Shall we go after this troop?" The Lord said GO!!!!
And David recovered all, and there was no spoil, David recovered all the enemy had taken.
When the Chaladeans and Sabeans came and took Job's stuff. Job sat around and cried about it wondering why God did this to him. Then Job goes into 30 some chapters about how great a guy he was and how these things should not happen to great guys like himself.
Never one time Asked God for help.
Never one time presented the Lord with a plan.
Sat that like a baby.
If we want to be like someone, be like Jesus, David, Paul, Abraham. Not Job.
I have to disagree with you. I do not think job was happy the entire time. He seemed to have an extremely morbid attitude. Sure he was patient, but after losing your kids, getting divorced, and being berated by his friends. During all that I would say he was depressed. Mainly I view his patience as remaining faithful towards god.