Medical Health - Depression

“VICTORY OVER DEPRESSION”
Psalms 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Do you ever feel discouragement, sorrow or grief? Those problems left unattended can lead to severe depression.
First let’s look at… I – FACTS ABOUT THE VICES OF DEPRESSION
Introduction: Have you ever be tired yet unable to sleep? Have you ever slept and slept but it seemed you could not get enough sleep? Have you ever lost interest in the things that once brought you great joy? Have you suddenly lost weight because you did not care to eat or gain a lot of weight because it seemed all you wanted to do is eat?
Have you ever been what some folks say, hyper active for a while than listless later? When alone, have you ever felt worthless or felt nobody cared or loved you? Have you ever thought of just dying or even suicide?1
Doctors say if you experience four of the above every day for two weeks you are suffering from depression.

Before you feel bad about yourself, remember that some of God’s men fought some battles with depression.
One of God’s great prophets had just prayed a monumental prayer that brought fire from heaven above to prove to all of Israel that Jehovah God was the true God. And yet only a few days later, depression hit Elijah and he despaired of life itself.
I Kings 19: 4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
Another one of God’s great prophets had preached and brought a great revival to a nation where upon the entire nations repented. This was of course Jonah. His response to this great revival was:
Jonah 4: 8 And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.

Stop and think for a minute. Here were two great heroes of the faith that just obeyed God and saw His great and awesome power. So, why are they depressed?
Elijah was depressed because he expected Israel to repent and turn to God but they did not.
Jonah was depressed because he expected Nineveh to reject God’s word like they had always rejected it. Jonah wanted God to judge the Ninevites but God forgave them instead.

“Your greatest cause of depression may be your expectations.”
What are some people’s expectations?
1- A good marriage 2- Financial security 3- Healthy body
4- Problem free life 5- Obedient children 6- Job security
7- Friends 8- Success in life 9- Having your wants met…and you could list many more.
When your expectations are met than you begin to experience:

1 – THE RELATED PROBLEMS
Often a person will goes to a doctor for depression when they are suffering from discouragement, sorrow or grief, all bring sadness.

A - DISCOURAGEMEMT:
-When you become discourage, you lose hope.
-You become downhearted and feel like you can’t pursue God-given responsibilities.
-To become discouraged can be mild or it can disable you completely.
-Discouragement begins in your mind. You entertain a lie from Satan. You give him ground to plants his seeds. Then it affects your emotions and will. Soon you are defeated and discouragement sets in.
If Bible facts for victory are not practiced your actions will be beyond your control. You will become sad and bitter.
-You will feel guilty and God’s love and joy will be gone.
CURE:
a. Bring your thoughts into obedience with God’s Word (II Cor 10;4-5).
b. Hang around encouraging people. A discouraged person needs to be around joyful people, Godly singing, and the reading of God’s word.
Proverbs 12:25, “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop; but a good word maketh it glad.”
If you have friends that are discouraged encourage them to listen to Godly music, not just any “gospel” music but melodious Godly music.

B - SORROW – King Hezekiah, king of Israel experienced sorrow.
The nation was divided. The old men saw the world as their foe, the young men saw the world as their friend.
Half the men wanted to join up with the Assyrians, God’s enemies, and half the nations wanted to join with the Egyptians. Isaiah told Hezekiah to do neither but trust God. And his soul was truly sorrowful.
Hezekiah said in Psalm, 42: 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?...
Sorrow is the sadness of the soul. But even with the sadness of the soul over outward circumstances of life, we can also have the joy of God inwardly. In Psalms 42:5b Hezekiah says, …hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
You may look at your circumstances in life and have sorrow or feel discouraged.
The key to life is to look to God for peace.
Look to God to keep His promises.
He will never fail you. Everyone else in life may but not God.
For a Godly man or woman to look at the conditions of this world, it brings sorrow of soul but we have a hope and our hope rest in the fact that God is in charge.
This world is not our home we are only here for a season. We are pilgrims, passing through. While we are here we are on a mission from God. Let’s do His will and one day He will pay us our wages.

The apostle Paul knew he had a mission form God. With his sorrow, he too had joy. 2 Cor 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

C - GRIEF – Grief is anguish of the spirit. It is the spirit of God in us that is to affect and control our soul and body.
If we allow, discouragement to fill our minds, it will soon bring sorrow to our souls. If we do not exercise victory over depression daily, it will not belong before our spirit is stricken with grief.
Grieving drains us of emotional energy. It can distort our perspective of life, our judgment, our decision in life and render us useless to God.

King David experienced grief: Psalms 6: 6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
Cure: We have all experienced grief in our lives.
The answer to over coming grief is the comfort of the Scriptures and the support of loved ones.
Prolong grief will become depression.
Stop and think are their discouragements that have consumed your thought life? Have they touched your body physically? Have they rooted themselves in your emotions? Is God’s sweet peace and joy gone?
Then you may be on your way to becoming neurotic or psychotic.

2 – THE REAL PROBLEM
Here are some comments a depressed person might make:
• "I feel sad all the time." “I don’t want to get out of bed.”
• "I just don't feel like myself."
• "I don't enjoy being with my friends or doing any of the things I usually love to do."
• "I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately."
• “It seems all I want to do is sleep.”
• "I keep having aches and pains, and I don't know why."
• "Sometimes I feel like my life is not worth living anymore." 2

Listen to some facts about depression:
• Depression is very real.
• It is the most commonly diagnosed as a “mental disorder.” 3
• It is twice as prevalent in women as it is in men.
• Depression will affect a person mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
• Depression is when a person is in a state of severe sadness.
• A person may have mild depression (neurotic) or severe depression (psychotic).
• If the mild depression is not dealt with and overcome, it can turn into psychotic depression.
Neurosis was informally classified as being overanxious. 4

One can become what is called today “Bipolar.” A bipolar person has two completely opposite emotional states. For maybe months or longer they experience exhilaration (mania). Then suddenly they experience severe sadness (depression). Thus they are called manic-depressive. 5

If a person suffers from only one extreme emotional state they are simply depressed. They are called unipolar. 6

Many people at different times in their life may experience what is called situational depression. It is a severe sad state due to disappointment over a death, family problem, job lost, or a personal financial catastrophe. 7


II - FACTS ABOUT VICTORY OVER DEPRESSION
The following information will give you some insight on how to overcome daily worry, mild anxiety, discouragement and mild depression.
If neurotic depression is not conquered, it may develop into psychotic depression. The emotional state of one who is psychotic will affect one’s physical body.
It will cause an over secretion from the thyroid gland and an imbalance of the hormones.
In the next study we will go into deeper detail from a biological, hormonal, medical and spiritual aspect.
Right now let’s answer this question: How do I get victory over worry, anxiety, discouragement and depression?

1 – Exhortation from Scripture
A – Think Right
What is something that is troubling you today? ____________
Will this not remedy that problem?
Philippians 4: 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
--The Greek word for “Be careful,” merimnao, means to be troubled, anxious or to promote one’s own interest.
To be anxious is to be nervous, worried, restless, fretful or eager. To be anxious is to lack faith and trust in God.
If you believe the Bible and it is true, then these simple verses put into practice will give you the peace of mind, heart and soul that you need.
How? Look at each verse again.
1 – Quit worrying and quit expecting… (-6a).
2 – Learn to pray (prayer), present your needs to God (supplicate) and leave them there. Then thank God for the outcome which ever way it goes (thanksgiving). (-6b)
3 – Then --- ***The peace of God shall protect and preserve your heart and mind. (-7)
4 – The prescription is this (-8). Take a full dosage of Philippians 4:8 three times a day, every four hours. If symptoms continue, take the prescription 6 times a day every day until the symptoms are gone.
Give your expectations in life to God. Quit trying to control that which only God can control. You can’t control your circumstances, but God can.
Give it a all to the Lord.

B – Walk in the Spirit
Galatians 5: 16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5: 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
-To walk in the Spirit one must die to self. Paul said in I Corinthians 15:31, “…I die daily.”
We are a trinity: Spirit, body, soul. If our Spirit is fed God’s word and we walk in the Spirit, our body and soul will be subject to God.
-If we live after the flesh, our expectations may not be met or if they are and then we lose those things which pleased our flesh, our soul or emotions take over and we can become very depressed.
-Walking in the Spirit is walking in the light of God’s world.
-It is learning to live by faith and not feelings.
-It is basking in the sunlight of His love.
-It is laughing with the joy of spiritual truths.
-It is a peace that passeth all understanding.
-It is a patience that never gets angry.
-It is like a gentle breeze on a warm sunny day.
-Oh, that we would learn God’s love and walk in His Spirit.

C – Make your focus clear
So often our focus is wrong in life. Our focus should be on Christ and to often our focus in life is on “me.”
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Here are some excuses some folks give for being depressed:
“My job doesn’t satisfy me.”
“My work schedule isn’t what I want.”
“People don’t treat me right.”
“My mate doesn’t please me.”
“I am not happy in life.”
The problem in these five statements is “I, Me and My”.
***God did not give me and you life so we might please ourselves but we were given life so we might please Him.
Colossians 1: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: Does your life please Jesus is the question?

D – Live like Christ
Matthew 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Jesus went to the cross with joy. How? He knew to be the right servant for God was costly.
It might mean you spending your life alone.
It might mean you suffering. It will definitely means giving your expectations to God.
--- Often parents build their world around their children when they should teach their children to build their world around Christ.
A child should be taught to be a servant, to be quiet, to be obedient, and to realize he is not first in the home or in life.
A child should not be given everything in life but be taught to be grateful for the things he already has in life.
A child should be taught to serve others, not to be served.
When a person’s focus is “me” they will be useless for God.
When a person’s focus is “Jesus Christ” they will be a great servant for God.
Thus, in life when a person has built their life around self, selfish desires and ambitions, and suddenly those “things” are lost or taken away, depression sets in and with that depression mood swings, discouragements and blame.

E – Remember who you belong to
I Corinthians 6: 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Does that register with you? You do not belong to yourself. You belong to God.
Your joy in life will only come as you are obedient to the one who owns you.
Many Christians are not happy because they have not acknowledged Jesus as Lord of their lives.
We should say… I belong to Jesus Christ and every thing I have belongs to Him. He can take it away or He can continue to allow me to borrow it. It is His.
I enjoy my health, my family and every thing I have in life. With all I have, I have face many discouragements, sorrows as well as grief.
But, I belong to God. I will try to by His grace to glorify Him in my spirit and in my body because they belong to Him.
And so, God’s word says, “think right,” “walk in the Spirit,” “make your focus clear,” “live like Christ,” and “remember who owns you.”

2 - Example from sorrow –
A few years ago I lost half of all I had set away for retirement. Of course I will never retire. You would have never known that unless I had told you because though it was troublesome in my flesh, it didn’t control my spirit.
I have had other sorrows and grief in life that I never share with you because you have your own.
I deal with mine daily and allow God to be my focus. Whenever I come to God’s house I want to be an encouragement to others.

I will let you see in my glass house for a brief moment. Probably the greatest discouragement and sorrow and grief I ever experienced was about 12 years ago when a group of men and women conspired against this church hoping to destroy it.
One man wrote letters and sowed doubt and when all was finished about 75 people left the church.
That didn’t bother most of the folks here much. They simply choose sides from what they heard.
And many others in our church never knew what happening but it was very discouraging and depressing time in my life as a pastor.
I came to the place where I didn’t want to pastor or teach or preach or pray. But I did.
I made myself get up every morning and praise the Lord and thank Him for His goodness. Then I would pray and seek the Lord and study the Scriptures.
But for one year I did not enjoy it. Had I walked by my feelings I would have quit. Some preachers ask me if I would be interested in another church. And then I had to practice what I preached. I told my wife you never run when you are in a battle. You don’t leave till your mission is over. Then slowly God gave me a glimmer of light here and there.
I tell you this story for this reason, if you are not already disciplined in prayer, praise and studying the scriptures, when real discouragement, sorrow and grief comes, Satan may lead you into a depression that you may find it very difficult to get out of.
What is the key? It is living by faith and not by feelings.






























Bibliography
1 - Signs of Depression, www.Cymbalta.com
2 – Ibid
3 – Basic care #14, Medical Training Institute of America, Box 3113, Oak Brook, Il
4 - www.thefreedictionary.com/neurotic
5 – Basic Care #14, Medical Training Institute of America, Box 3113, Oak Brook, Il
6 – Ibid
7 - Ibid