Stop trying to put Fairy Dust on God!

Depression sucks! Been there. Done that. Thankfully, I got the help I needed. Today, I am okay. Well, as okay as I get.

But it wasn’t as simple as the things I am seeing well-meaning Christians say about Robin Williams – "if he only had God." Are you kidding me right now?! That makes as much sense as saying that someone battling cancer would be okay if only they had God.

Depression, mental illness and cancer are all diseases and need treatment. I can't image going through any of those things without God but let's not put magic fairy dust on God and think that we can bypass the process of counseling or even medication. Now before some well-meaning religious person starts to correct me - yes, I know God still does miracles today and yes, God can heal depression and mental illness in a  blink of an eye. He does that sometimes but more often than not he allows us to walk through the healing process.

People suffering from depression come in all different packages. Some people fight against depression their entire lives. Many have God already and too many have bought into the lie that just because they have God they should be okay. When they aren’t okay, they sink deeper into depression because they don't understand why they aren't okay. Then they begin to question their relationship with God.

Stop the insanity. Quit feeding people the lie that they would be okay emotionally if their relationship with God was better.

Don't get me wrong – I believe that God IS the answer for eternity!!  I believe that God IS the answer to living a fulfilling and happy life here on earth too. (I didn’t say perfect – I said fulfilling and happy!) My life has been dramatically changed because of my relationship with God – not because I learned to follow a bunch of rules (if you know me, I didn’t need to point that out!) . . . but my life was changed because I got to know God as the incredible father that he is!

But as any loving father does – God wants the very best for you and I. The best care when physical illness hits and the best care when emotional or mental illness hits. It can take years to be cancer free. Why do we think depression should be any different?

If you are suffering from depression today, please seek help. You wouldn’t ignore the deadly symptoms of cancer, would you?  

I am on the pastoral staff at Revolution Church and we would love to pray for you if you are struggling with depression or need prayer for any reason. Use our contact page on our website to let us know how to pray for you: http://www.revolution-church.net/contact.html.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, in addition to submitting a prayer request, please reach out the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at:  http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.