Depression is a Serious Struggle

All Scriptures quoted in this article are from English Standard Version, unless specified otherwise.  

The Bible, like any other book or song, was not written in a vacuum. Every book in the Bible was written triggered by a context or situation at hand. And, as a result, the biblical writers wrote each book of the Bible to address specific situations or contexts. Therefore, I write this article in view of Christian pastors and members of the Body of Christ living in Africa, influenced by the African context, and as a biblical counsellor, not a psychologist or a therapist.   

The concept of biblical counselling is still new in Africa in general, and surprisingly, even among many Christian or Bible-believing churches here in Africa. The usual way of dealing with personal and interpersonal problems has, over the years, been reduced to praying our problems away or deferring them to psychologists and therapists, but not to go through the pages of Scripture alone searching for biblical solutions to spiritual problems or struggles. In writing this article, I will, therefore, give us milk and not solid food so that we can grasp this concept of biblical counselling as we’re dealing with the issue of depression God’s way.    

As a biblical counsellor, born and bred here in Africa, I’m not surprised when people, and reformed Christians, come for counselling, and all they want is a relief, not ready to hear anything contrary to their personal agenda for counselling or expectations. And surprisingly, while the counselee comes for counselling crying out “relief, relief, relief”, God is whispering “repent, repent, repent” (Cf. Matthew 3:8 and 4:17). And, until our personal selfish agendas surrender to God’s agenda, we will know no peace. “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22).   

Sin is Serious  

One thing that my African brothers and sisters need to be convicted of is that sin is serious and ugly. Now, the critical question is: Is depression caused by sin? The answer is yes. All suffering under the sun is a result of sin. To be specific, we suffer because firstly, we’re living in a sin-cursed world. The world is what it is today because of sin; all our personal and interpersonal problems are as a result of sin in the world (Cf. Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 5:19).   

Secondly, we’re suffering because of the sin of others. How? Tension in our personal and interpersonal relationships is a result of the sins of those around us and how we respond to their sins toward us. It is no wonder part of the list of sins in Galatians 5:19-21 which includes enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies.   

And lastly, we suffer because of our own personal sins. There is a sense in which we have no one to blame for our sins, struggles, and temptations but ourselves. In this sense, no one is a victim but a participant in whatever sin we find ourselves. James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, records, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:13-15).  

Coming closer to home, when someone is suffering from depression, it is therefore essential that a pastor, biblical counsellor, a Christian friend, and a counselee himself must identify if the struggle of depression is caused by sin in the world, sin in those around them (i.e., sinful influence), or sin in ourselves. And this brings us to one undeniable conclusion: depression is serious because sin is serious and ugly. Sin makes our lives miserable, meaningless, and hopeless; therefore, all struggles and sins, including depression, are serious, and they should be treated as such, not lightly.   The title of Dr Edward T. Welch book “Depression: Looking Up from the Stubborn Darkness” captures it well. Depression is a real struggle and a “stubborn darkness.”

It therefore makes sense why Jesus Christ came into the world. He came into the world to deal with one serious problem called sin. Being all-wise, God knows that the primary cause of all human struggles is sin, not our past experiences or the environment. And sin, by God’s standard, is living in disobedience to God in terms of what He has commanded us to be and do, and not to be and do. “Sin is lawlessness,” according to First John 3:4. Yes, sin is having no regard for God’s standard for who we are and what we do.   

The following passages of Scripture make it clear that the heart of our personal and interpersonal tensions, struggles, and sin is our sinful hearts. Read them as if you’re reading them for the first time, and pay attention to the words in bold:   

1. Romans 3:23, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (New Living Translation).   
2.  Jeremiah 17:9-10, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?   
3. Mark 7:20-23, And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”   
4.  Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”  
5.  First John 3:8-9, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”  

Sin-cure is Serious  

If we do not understand sin’s seriousness, we will treat our personal and interpersonal struggles and sins lightly. We will always seek relief instead of repentance. A low view of sin will always make us seek to fulfil our personal agenda instead of God’s agenda that bears the fruit of the Spirit we desperately need: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Show me a person who is bearing these fruits in their lives, and I will show you a Christian who is stress and depression free, immensely enjoying the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Cf. Philippians 4:7).  

It is only when we know, and are genuinely convinced about the sinfulness of our hearts that we will endeavour to deal with our personal and interpersonal struggles God’s way, not our own sinful and short-sighted way. Until then, we will not understand the place and significance of evangelism (i.e., the good news of Jesus Christ) in our lives.   

What you don’t want to do as a Christian friend helping a depressed person, or as a pastor helping a depressed church member or a biblical counsellor counselling a depressed counselee is to waste their time and yours by pointing them to all the wrong places except to the Word of God, and to the heart of their problems.   

Understanding the gospel-saturated Scriptures   

  Now the question is how to deal with depression rightly and seriously. Any personal and interpersonal struggle, temptation, or sin is only seriously dealt with if it is dealt with biblically. The first essential step in biblical counselling is to help a depressed person understand the gospel-saturated passages of Scripture such as John 15:1-5. Don’t preach to them but, instead, help them understand the text by walking through it together with them. Where possible, start by asking them to read the text and ask them what they are seeing and hearing from the text. I have personally used this passage in many counselling cases and God has used it as a game-changer for many counselees I’ve counselled to date. As you read this passage, prayerfully observe the key repeating phrases and words.   

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  

Evangelism precede counselling

  The undeniable truth from John 15:1-5 is that no person living under the sun can bear the fruit of the Spirit (“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” – Galatians 5:22-23) unless they are truly connected to the true vine, the Lord Jesus Christ. The main verb in this passage is “abide,” found at the beginning of verse four. The Greek root word (mĕnō) can be translated as “remain, stay, reside.” This means that the essential first step that turns the counselling process around is when a counselee comes for counselling and, by God’s grace, sees the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ at the foot of the cross, and remains or stays there.   

The fruits of the Spirit are not for those who come for counselling for quick relief from their struggles and sins, but those who want to be set free by the truth of the Bible even if it means not getting what they desperately want – relief. The fruits of the Spirit are for those who will do biblical counselling in God’s terms, not theirs, and God’s agenda, not theirs. If God says what they need is repentance instead of relief, they will embrace it wholeheartedly. That’s how serious soul care is, according to the Bible. The goal is to change the whole person, inside-out, and not just relieving their pains.     

Moreover, the main verb “abide” is an active imperative verb, meaning it is a command from Jesus Christ; in this passage, it is saying that only those who remain or stay in Christ will bear fruits. It is either you become a Christian to enjoy the privilege of bearing spiritual fruits or die in your sins. It is Christ or nothing, Jesus said. It is that serious. Yes, God has an agenda that will change your life radically. He wants you to become the best person you can ever be in this world – a Christian. Relief is secondary and a by-product of you becoming a Christian; a saving and growing relationship with Jesus Christ is the best gift God wants to give you as you come for biblical counselling. Soul care is more serious and significant than the pain and struggle you’re going through now.   

Therefore, only when you’re in a saving and growing relationship with Jesus Christ can you enjoy the benefits of being a Christian – which is counselling. Evangelism precedes counselling. If you try to counsel an unbeliever, you will be wasting your time and theirs because they cannot bear the spiritual fruits by their own efforts apart from the help of the Holy Spirit. 

Practical guidelines for helping a depressed person    

1. Show sincere caring by listening to their struggle. Allow them to explain what happened, what they have done, and what their expectations are for counselling. As you do so, you will earn the right to speak the Word of God to them. Allow them to define and describe what it means to be depressed; don’t give them a lecture on depression until it is wise to do so.   
2. Negotiate God’s agenda by helping them see from the pages of Scripture that their greatest need is not relief but repentance (i.e., abiding in Jesus Christ or having a saving and growing relationship with Jesus Christ). As you do so, please don’t preach to them but rather walk through the passage of Scripture with them. Help them to see the meaning of the Bible verse or passage by themselves so that the Holy Spirit can do what he does best in their heart – radical change.   

That should be enough for a start; check the next articles as we start the counselling process with those who are in a saving and growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t waste your time and theirs trying to counsel an unbeliever. Depression is a serious struggle that needs serious soul caring.