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Christians Get Depressed Too
Many Christians mistakenly believe that true Christians don’t get depressed, and this misconception heaps additional pain and guilt onto Christians who are suffering from mental and emotional distress. Author David P. Murray comes to the defense of depressed Christians, asserting that Christians do get depressed! He explains why and how Christians should study depression, what depression is, and the approaches caregivers, pastors, and churches can take to help those who are suffering from it. With clarity and wise biblical insight, Dr. Murray offers help and hope to those suffering from depression, the family members and friends who care for them, and pastors ministering to these wounded members of their flock.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2010
119 people are currently reading
1018 people want to read
About the author
David P. Murray
49 books95 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
David P. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and worked for five years in financial services before being converted to Christ. He studied for the ministry at Glasgow University and the Free Church of Scotland College (Edinburgh). He was a pastor for 12 years, first at Lochcarron Free Church of Scotland and then at Stornoway Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). From 2002 to 2007, he was Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at the Free Church Seminary in Inverness. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Reformation International Theological Seminary for his work relating Old Testament Introduction studies to the pastoral ministry. He and his wife, Shona, have four children: Allan, Angus, Joni, and Amy. He also blogs at Head Heart Hand.
David P. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and worked for five years in financial services before being converted to Christ. He studied for the ministry at Glasgow University and the Free Church of Scotland College (Edinburgh). He was a pastor for 12 years, first at Lochcarron Free Church of Scotland and then at Stornoway Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). From 2002 to 2007, he was Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at the Free Church Seminary in Inverness. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Reformation International Theological Seminary for his work relating Old Testament Introduction studies to the pastoral ministry. He and his wife, Shona, have four children: Allan, Angus, Joni, and Amy. He also blogs at Head Heart Hand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
August 28, 2011
With less than 125 pages, this packs a punch. Every Christian should read, whether you suffer from depression or not. It is something that can be hard to understand because it is so complex. The table of contents are as follows; The Crisis, The Complexity, The Condition, The Causes, The Cures, The Caregivers. He also has an Appendix on the sufficienty of scripture, salvation, sanctification and Spectacles. Their are 3 extreme positions in the cause of depression, one is all physical, all spiritual or all mental. The book describes the danger of such an outlook and goes into each one and how they affect the other. Because of depression, false thought patterns often occur and can cause even a deeper darkness that sometimes calls for medication. A balanced solution is the key to recovery, along with patience, a williness to recover, and to understand God loves you and uses depression in your life to reveal himself.
March 16, 2012
Is it a sin problem or a sinus problem? I have noticed that when I am sick, so is the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit seems to spoil when I don’t feel well. I am not saying that it’s ok to sin because I don’t feel well. Sin is not ever justified. Sin is always a choice. However, we are complicated creatures. The physical, emotional and spiritual are intertwined. Sometimes there are physical reasons I don’t feel spiritual. Sometimes there are emotional reasons I don’t “feel” good. And sometimes there are spiritual reasons why my emotions are off. How does this play into depression?
This is the theme of David Murray’s small book Christians Get Depressed Too. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although he is a professional theologian, he writes with a pastor’s heart. Anybody who has ever struggled with depression or has cared for someone who has been depressed should read this book. In six chapters, Murray deals with the crisis, complexity, condition, causes, and cures of depression and concludes with some advice for caregivers.
Murray advises balance. He wants to avoid dogmatism. “Unfortunately, Christian preachers and writers have often taken a dogmatic attitude into areas where the Word of God is not dogmatic” (p 11). We should seek humility. There are two extremes when it comes to dealing with depression. One extreme is that the causes are all physical. This leads to medication being the preferred solution. The other extreme is that the causes are all spiritual. Jay Adams, the founder of the Christian counseling movement, popularized this. A more middle of the road approach is best represented by (according to Murray) the CCEF (Christian Counseling and Education Foundation).
The fall brought sin and sickness. If other parts of our body can get ill, why can’t our brains? Isn’t it an organ just like our hearts and livers? We take medications all the time to fix chemical imbalances. Sometimes this is necessary for the brain. However, sometimes the problem isn’t chemical, it is spiritual. The challenge is to discern which is which. This book strives to help us ask the right questions.
Certainly there are more in depth books on this complicated subject. However, I would recommend this book as a good primer.
This is the theme of David Murray’s small book Christians Get Depressed Too. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although he is a professional theologian, he writes with a pastor’s heart. Anybody who has ever struggled with depression or has cared for someone who has been depressed should read this book. In six chapters, Murray deals with the crisis, complexity, condition, causes, and cures of depression and concludes with some advice for caregivers.
Murray advises balance. He wants to avoid dogmatism. “Unfortunately, Christian preachers and writers have often taken a dogmatic attitude into areas where the Word of God is not dogmatic” (p 11). We should seek humility. There are two extremes when it comes to dealing with depression. One extreme is that the causes are all physical. This leads to medication being the preferred solution. The other extreme is that the causes are all spiritual. Jay Adams, the founder of the Christian counseling movement, popularized this. A more middle of the road approach is best represented by (according to Murray) the CCEF (Christian Counseling and Education Foundation).
The fall brought sin and sickness. If other parts of our body can get ill, why can’t our brains? Isn’t it an organ just like our hearts and livers? We take medications all the time to fix chemical imbalances. Sometimes this is necessary for the brain. However, sometimes the problem isn’t chemical, it is spiritual. The challenge is to discern which is which. This book strives to help us ask the right questions.
Certainly there are more in depth books on this complicated subject. However, I would recommend this book as a good primer.
January 30, 2023
“We, therefore, plot our course in this world with the chart of Scripture in our hands and the compass of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.”
I feel really encouraged and peaceful after reading this book. I’ve often felt like depression has been akin to wandering in a wilderness, wherein each day, as Spurgeon puts it, is a “day of small things.” This book felt like a practical guide to not despise the day of small things, while also giving helpful insight into the general nature of depression.
I’d recommend this short read to anyone facing depression as well as anyone who wants to learn more about depression. It’s an informative resource that affirms the sovereignty and goodness of God amidst dark seasons.
I feel really encouraged and peaceful after reading this book. I’ve often felt like depression has been akin to wandering in a wilderness, wherein each day, as Spurgeon puts it, is a “day of small things.” This book felt like a practical guide to not despise the day of small things, while also giving helpful insight into the general nature of depression.
I’d recommend this short read to anyone facing depression as well as anyone who wants to learn more about depression. It’s an informative resource that affirms the sovereignty and goodness of God amidst dark seasons.
May 14, 2024
Amazing little book. The author is wise enough to condense the material into a short, powerful read knowing that most people in a state of depression cannot absorb chapter after chapter of dense subject matter.
If you are a Christian, and you have ever struggled with anxiety and/or depression, read this book. If you are a Christian, and you have never struggled with anxiety and/or depression, read this book.
Depression is not a sign of sin. It's okay to have Jesus and a therapist too. It's okay to have Jesus and prescribed medications too.
I'd rate this book a PG, simply due to the subject matter and mention of suicide.
Original review posted 5/14/24.
If you are a Christian, and you have ever struggled with anxiety and/or depression, read this book. If you are a Christian, and you have never struggled with anxiety and/or depression, read this book.
Depression is not a sign of sin. It's okay to have Jesus and a therapist too. It's okay to have Jesus and prescribed medications too.
I'd rate this book a PG, simply due to the subject matter and mention of suicide.
Original review posted 5/14/24.
August 11, 2025
Brief, bold, and biblical. Deeply encouraging!
July 26, 2011
Today’s Church has been beset with numerous challenges. Few have been so distressing as the problem of depression. Good people are weighed down with their own depression or perplexed about that of friends and family members. In some sectors of the Church, this is complicated by a stigma associated with depression. Sin ultimately causes depression, it is assumed. And the conclusion follows that good Christians don’t get depressed.
To counter these notions about depression, David P. Murray has written an incredibly helpful book entitled, "Christians Get Depressed Too". Murray, Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, has encountered depression in ministry and personal contexts enough to be both well versed on the topic and sensitive to the need for sound resources. The book he has written is intentionally short: since “depressed people cannot read hundreds of pages.” (pg. xi). It serves as a resource for caregivers as well as a source of hope for the depressed who consciously decide they want to get better.
Murray explains what depression is and what it signifies. He counters the approach which assumes as a default that behind most bouts of depression lie hidden sin problems. The picture is much more complex than that, he claims. He exposes the faulty thinking patterns which often contribute to depression, and finds examples of such thinking, and even the depression which results, in the lives of people in Scripture. In defense of the physiological nature of much of depression, Murray appeals to Puritans such as Richard Baxter.
On the role of medicine, Murray finds two unhelpful extremes: too much dependence on medicine, and the aversion of any use of it at all. Along these lines, he says:
"Treating a depressed person with medication is often no different from giving my eight-year-old daughter one of her many daily injections of insulin for diabetes. I am not merely alleviating symptoms, but addressing the cause–depleted insulin due to dying or dead cells in her pancreas. And if she is lethargic, weepy, or irrational due to low sugar levels, I do not ask her what commandments she has broken or what “issues of meaning and relationship” she has in her life. I pity her, weep for her, and thank God for His gracious provision of medicine for her." (pg. 64-65).
This is not to say, Murray merely refers Christians suffering from depression to their local psychiatrist. Rather, he offers an abundance of help from the Scriptures on how to correct thinking patterns and learn to receive even depression as a gift from God’s very hand. He points to a little remembered passage where Scripture says, “God left” Hezekiah, “that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31). Murray elaborates:
"This is not an objective leaving, but a subjective leaving. God withdrew Himself from Hezekiah’s spiritual feelings so that he lost his sense of God’s presence, protection, and favor… But God had a wise and loving purpose in this…. Sometimes… [God] may wisely, temporarily, and proportionately withdraw the sense of His favor and presence to remind us of our state without Him and to lead us to greater thankfulness and appreciation for Him. He may do this… by lovingly afflicting our brain, disrupting it’s chemistry and electricity, just as He does when He lovingly afflicts one of His dear children with epilepsy, or any other disease." (pg. 65).
This small book of 120 or so small-sized pages, will prove an immense help to both caregivers and those suffering from depression. It is a primer on depression and in it, Murray offers a careful list of recommended resources, for those looking to continue their study of this topic. The book’s attractive cover, and handy, almost “pocket” size, make it an ideal book to giveaway to friends dealing with this issue. I’ve already loaned or given out copies of this inexpensive book, and plan on using this as a resource for years to come.
To counter these notions about depression, David P. Murray has written an incredibly helpful book entitled, "Christians Get Depressed Too". Murray, Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, has encountered depression in ministry and personal contexts enough to be both well versed on the topic and sensitive to the need for sound resources. The book he has written is intentionally short: since “depressed people cannot read hundreds of pages.” (pg. xi). It serves as a resource for caregivers as well as a source of hope for the depressed who consciously decide they want to get better.
Murray explains what depression is and what it signifies. He counters the approach which assumes as a default that behind most bouts of depression lie hidden sin problems. The picture is much more complex than that, he claims. He exposes the faulty thinking patterns which often contribute to depression, and finds examples of such thinking, and even the depression which results, in the lives of people in Scripture. In defense of the physiological nature of much of depression, Murray appeals to Puritans such as Richard Baxter.
On the role of medicine, Murray finds two unhelpful extremes: too much dependence on medicine, and the aversion of any use of it at all. Along these lines, he says:
"Treating a depressed person with medication is often no different from giving my eight-year-old daughter one of her many daily injections of insulin for diabetes. I am not merely alleviating symptoms, but addressing the cause–depleted insulin due to dying or dead cells in her pancreas. And if she is lethargic, weepy, or irrational due to low sugar levels, I do not ask her what commandments she has broken or what “issues of meaning and relationship” she has in her life. I pity her, weep for her, and thank God for His gracious provision of medicine for her." (pg. 64-65).
This is not to say, Murray merely refers Christians suffering from depression to their local psychiatrist. Rather, he offers an abundance of help from the Scriptures on how to correct thinking patterns and learn to receive even depression as a gift from God’s very hand. He points to a little remembered passage where Scripture says, “God left” Hezekiah, “that he might know all that was in his heart” (2 Chron. 32:31). Murray elaborates:
"This is not an objective leaving, but a subjective leaving. God withdrew Himself from Hezekiah’s spiritual feelings so that he lost his sense of God’s presence, protection, and favor… But God had a wise and loving purpose in this…. Sometimes… [God] may wisely, temporarily, and proportionately withdraw the sense of His favor and presence to remind us of our state without Him and to lead us to greater thankfulness and appreciation for Him. He may do this… by lovingly afflicting our brain, disrupting it’s chemistry and electricity, just as He does when He lovingly afflicts one of His dear children with epilepsy, or any other disease." (pg. 65).
This small book of 120 or so small-sized pages, will prove an immense help to both caregivers and those suffering from depression. It is a primer on depression and in it, Murray offers a careful list of recommended resources, for those looking to continue their study of this topic. The book’s attractive cover, and handy, almost “pocket” size, make it an ideal book to giveaway to friends dealing with this issue. I’ve already loaned or given out copies of this inexpensive book, and plan on using this as a resource for years to come.
February 18, 2021
A short book that I think is a must read for every single Christian.
June 17, 2018
Very helpful resource!!
October 6, 2025
This is a great, short, easy read on depression from a biblical perspective.
I really appreciated Murray’s balanced approach to depression (and other mental health conditions) that takes into account the fact that humans are a soul-body unity, and thus we should not swing to the extremes of viewing mental health issues as always purely spiritual or always purely physical. Often it is a mixture of factors at play, and we should not automatically assume that the depressed Christian is living in sin or somehow at fault for their suffering (though this may very well be a factor and should be considered along with all the other possibilities!).
Murray recognizes and articulates well that living in a fallen world affects our hearts AND our bodies/brains, and therefore we must carefully consider and care for both the spiritual and biological aspects of the suffering saint — all with the goal of bringing them into deeper communion with Christ, for His glory and their good.
Great easy read, highly recommend!
I really appreciated Murray’s balanced approach to depression (and other mental health conditions) that takes into account the fact that humans are a soul-body unity, and thus we should not swing to the extremes of viewing mental health issues as always purely spiritual or always purely physical. Often it is a mixture of factors at play, and we should not automatically assume that the depressed Christian is living in sin or somehow at fault for their suffering (though this may very well be a factor and should be considered along with all the other possibilities!).
Murray recognizes and articulates well that living in a fallen world affects our hearts AND our bodies/brains, and therefore we must carefully consider and care for both the spiritual and biological aspects of the suffering saint — all with the goal of bringing them into deeper communion with Christ, for His glory and their good.
Great easy read, highly recommend!
July 13, 2022
Curto, didático e bíblico. Essencial para pessoas em sofrimento e/ou interessados em conhecer mais sobre o assunto, além de ajudar indivíduos nessa situação.
May 5, 2012
A short and necessary read. For twelve years Murray served as a minister in northwest Scotland, which contains some of the highest rates of depression in the world. He writes, then, not as a dispassionate observer, but as a caring pastor serving hurting people. His pastoral sensibilities and insights certainly emerge in this brief work and provide much of the value for it. Murray's book contributes a helpful (and charitable) counterbalance to those trained in the NANC counseling "method." (But he is no respecter of counseling schools of thought, for he also takes issue with CCEF on occasion.)
The book is addressed to the depressed person as well as to those caring for the depressed. It's far more descriptive than prescriptive, and far more introductory and pastoral-handbook like than exhaustive and definitive. As a good Presbyterian (or a "bad" one), the author engages more with the Westminster Confession and historical theology than he does with the Biblical text. Helpful to be sure, and certainly not neglectful of Scripture, it simply unpacks more of the WCF than it does the sacred text. The result is he may fall victim to his own critique, viz. that much of the counsel and approach to the depressed arises from personal experience rather than medicinal or biblical reality.
There are still questions unanswered for me, but as a minister I am thankful for the work Murray has done here and will certainly recommend it to friends and congregants. It will free minsters and congregants from some false-guilt and point us all to the only one who was truly forsaken and abandoned so that we don't have to be.
The book is addressed to the depressed person as well as to those caring for the depressed. It's far more descriptive than prescriptive, and far more introductory and pastoral-handbook like than exhaustive and definitive. As a good Presbyterian (or a "bad" one), the author engages more with the Westminster Confession and historical theology than he does with the Biblical text. Helpful to be sure, and certainly not neglectful of Scripture, it simply unpacks more of the WCF than it does the sacred text. The result is he may fall victim to his own critique, viz. that much of the counsel and approach to the depressed arises from personal experience rather than medicinal or biblical reality.
There are still questions unanswered for me, but as a minister I am thankful for the work Murray has done here and will certainly recommend it to friends and congregants. It will free minsters and congregants from some false-guilt and point us all to the only one who was truly forsaken and abandoned so that we don't have to be.
August 30, 2020
Dr. Murray does a fantastic job in writing the book. He lays out theological principles, practical insights, and offers sound wisdom to those suffering and those who desire to serve those suffering with depression and anxiety. As one who struggles with them both, I have found the book enormously helpful and encouraging. He is an excellent narrator too, and reads at a good pace at 1.5 :)
May 26, 2025
Biblical and balanced. Very good.
Re-Read: May 2025. I think every christian, every counselor, and every pastor would benefit greatly from this very helpful little book.
Re-Read: May 2025. I think every christian, every counselor, and every pastor would benefit greatly from this very helpful little book.
July 7, 2024
This little book was excellent! Depression is often severely misunderstood by Christians… and this book helps to educate Christians on the topic in a very balanced way. I think the author was fair in his view that depression can have various causes and it’s not always spiritual… making the case that depression can be rooted in physical issues or even genetic-predisposition. I think he may have down-played the spiritual causes a little bit, but I understand he was trying to have a balanced viewpoint between the two (spiritual and physical).
The section detailing the unhelpful thought patterns displayed by depressed people was very good and accurate. He also gave suggestions on correcting those thought patterns which was helpful.
There were a few things in the book that didn’t sit well with me…. The author is clearly reformed and that comes out very much in his writing. He even goes so far as to say that some people are depressed because God has willed it to be so. I understand that God is sovereign and He allows certain things in our lives to teach us more about Him, but I believe the author takes that thinking a little too far. He also fails to admit that anxiety (worry) is a sin… not just a cause of being depressed.
Overall, an excellent little book and one I will likely refer to again.
The section detailing the unhelpful thought patterns displayed by depressed people was very good and accurate. He also gave suggestions on correcting those thought patterns which was helpful.
There were a few things in the book that didn’t sit well with me…. The author is clearly reformed and that comes out very much in his writing. He even goes so far as to say that some people are depressed because God has willed it to be so. I understand that God is sovereign and He allows certain things in our lives to teach us more about Him, but I believe the author takes that thinking a little too far. He also fails to admit that anxiety (worry) is a sin… not just a cause of being depressed.
Overall, an excellent little book and one I will likely refer to again.
June 29, 2011
This was one of my new Kindle books. I was hoping for a lot more. Oddly, the first thing I read when I got this book was the appendix. I don't usually read appendices at all, but this one was really good. Mr. Murray wrote a really good article about how Christians should view secular science. He said that we should not take everything we hear, see and read as Gospel truth. Instead, we should be steeped in the knowledge of the Word of God and view everything we see through the lens of Scripture. How great is that?
Then I went back and read the book. In many ways the book was very good. It did a good job of pointing out various characters in the Bible who suffered from depression for various reasons. Mr. Murray had spend many years with depressed people and so he knew what depression was. The down side was that other than observing that Biblical characters were depressed, he almost totally took the non-Christian medical model as the standard for explaining depression.
He said over and over again that depression and anxiety should be viewed as a medical condition rather than as a result of sin or of sin itself. He never addressed the fact that the Bible specifically commands us not to be anxious (Mt. 6:25-34; 10:19; 1 Cor. 7:32; Phil 4:8). Even in those situations in the Bible when people are depressed he didn't ever examine the contexts of those cases and see if sin was involved in any way. He just mentioned them and went on to tell Christians that depression is primarily a medical, biological and chemical problem. I don't know what happened to the lens.
I always find it interesting, even when reading specifically non-Christian literature on so called mental disorders, how often they are compared to clearly physical diseases. For example, Mr. Murray, on several occasions compared depression with polio, diabetes, and cancer. He said that we should think of depression in the same way we think of those kinds of physical maladies. But then when he went on to talk about how to "treat" depression, he mentioned examining yourself to see where the depression came from, confessing any sin in your life, making restitution where it is needed, and walking with God. But that is not how you treat cancer. You try to find it and kill it. You don't change your behavior to avoid polio, you get a shot. If you were to take a person off the street and give him a simple blood test, you could tell him, when the tests results came in, whether he had diabetes or not. It is testable. You can test for cancer. You can test for polio. With depression where is the test? It is a completely different animal from a disease.
Am I saying that depression is not a chemical, biological and physical event in a person's life? Not at all. I know that depression has physical components, but I also know that when you ask the question, "What was going on in your life when the depression first hit you?" and the person always comes up with some stressful event I would look at the event, or the response to the event before I would begin pumping the person full of an anti-depressant.
There are aspects to this that are not even about the difference between a Biblical Counselor and non-Christian counselor. This is simple logic. Even after Mr. Murray explained that the problem is first chemical and biological, he goes on to help the depressed person eliminate sinful responses and behaviors from the person's life. He says it is chemical, but then treats it as if it were not chemical.
There is one area in all this I tend to agree with Mr. Murray. He said that people are different from one another. I'm with him on that. He also said that different people's bodies react differently to different kinds of stimulation. I'm with him on this too. Some people get ulcers from worry. Some people get heart attacks, when others have strokes, when others get various forms of dementia. People are different, we're all dying, all falling apart in different ways. I'm with him on this. And some people get depressed when others, going through the same life events, don't. I'm there with him too. His conclusion is that therefore depression is unavoidable and just comes on some folks and not on others. On this last point, the jury is out on. There is no proof that anyone gets depressed independently from the things going on around them. And even if there was proof, given the world we live in, it would be the exception, not the rule.
This means that even if some people do get depressed apart from anything else going on in their lives, this should not be the first thing we think when we seek to minister to them. It should be in the back of our minds, but not the assumption that Mr. Murray is suggesting. The vast majority of people who come to us for counsel concerning depression are depressed for reasons other than that their body is falling apart. Their bodies are falling apart and maybe even because of the depression, but usually there are things going on with them. These things that are going on with them are usually related to handling the situations of their lives in unwise and sinful ways. They are often angry, bitter, hurt, in grief, or a myriad of other things, all piled up and crushing the person into bitterness.
Overall the book was thought provoking, but I disagree with the premises and with Mr. Murray's attempt to apply what he said about viewing non-Christian science through the lens of Scripture. It didn't appear that he read his own appendix before writing his book. I would love to discuss these things with him in person some time.
Then I went back and read the book. In many ways the book was very good. It did a good job of pointing out various characters in the Bible who suffered from depression for various reasons. Mr. Murray had spend many years with depressed people and so he knew what depression was. The down side was that other than observing that Biblical characters were depressed, he almost totally took the non-Christian medical model as the standard for explaining depression.
He said over and over again that depression and anxiety should be viewed as a medical condition rather than as a result of sin or of sin itself. He never addressed the fact that the Bible specifically commands us not to be anxious (Mt. 6:25-34; 10:19; 1 Cor. 7:32; Phil 4:8). Even in those situations in the Bible when people are depressed he didn't ever examine the contexts of those cases and see if sin was involved in any way. He just mentioned them and went on to tell Christians that depression is primarily a medical, biological and chemical problem. I don't know what happened to the lens.
I always find it interesting, even when reading specifically non-Christian literature on so called mental disorders, how often they are compared to clearly physical diseases. For example, Mr. Murray, on several occasions compared depression with polio, diabetes, and cancer. He said that we should think of depression in the same way we think of those kinds of physical maladies. But then when he went on to talk about how to "treat" depression, he mentioned examining yourself to see where the depression came from, confessing any sin in your life, making restitution where it is needed, and walking with God. But that is not how you treat cancer. You try to find it and kill it. You don't change your behavior to avoid polio, you get a shot. If you were to take a person off the street and give him a simple blood test, you could tell him, when the tests results came in, whether he had diabetes or not. It is testable. You can test for cancer. You can test for polio. With depression where is the test? It is a completely different animal from a disease.
Am I saying that depression is not a chemical, biological and physical event in a person's life? Not at all. I know that depression has physical components, but I also know that when you ask the question, "What was going on in your life when the depression first hit you?" and the person always comes up with some stressful event I would look at the event, or the response to the event before I would begin pumping the person full of an anti-depressant.
There are aspects to this that are not even about the difference between a Biblical Counselor and non-Christian counselor. This is simple logic. Even after Mr. Murray explained that the problem is first chemical and biological, he goes on to help the depressed person eliminate sinful responses and behaviors from the person's life. He says it is chemical, but then treats it as if it were not chemical.
There is one area in all this I tend to agree with Mr. Murray. He said that people are different from one another. I'm with him on that. He also said that different people's bodies react differently to different kinds of stimulation. I'm with him on this too. Some people get ulcers from worry. Some people get heart attacks, when others have strokes, when others get various forms of dementia. People are different, we're all dying, all falling apart in different ways. I'm with him on this. And some people get depressed when others, going through the same life events, don't. I'm there with him too. His conclusion is that therefore depression is unavoidable and just comes on some folks and not on others. On this last point, the jury is out on. There is no proof that anyone gets depressed independently from the things going on around them. And even if there was proof, given the world we live in, it would be the exception, not the rule.
This means that even if some people do get depressed apart from anything else going on in their lives, this should not be the first thing we think when we seek to minister to them. It should be in the back of our minds, but not the assumption that Mr. Murray is suggesting. The vast majority of people who come to us for counsel concerning depression are depressed for reasons other than that their body is falling apart. Their bodies are falling apart and maybe even because of the depression, but usually there are things going on with them. These things that are going on with them are usually related to handling the situations of their lives in unwise and sinful ways. They are often angry, bitter, hurt, in grief, or a myriad of other things, all piled up and crushing the person into bitterness.
Overall the book was thought provoking, but I disagree with the premises and with Mr. Murray's attempt to apply what he said about viewing non-Christian science through the lens of Scripture. It didn't appear that he read his own appendix before writing his book. I would love to discuss these things with him in person some time.
June 18, 2018
9/10 (excellent): This brief book is ideal for Christians who want a better understanding of the roles of the spiritual, the physical and the psychological in depression and anxiety. In six short chapters (only 100 small pages in total), Murray guides readers away from extremes, and to a balanced, biblical position that helps sufferers and carers understand depression, its causes, and what can be done to help. I've bought multiple copies, as I know it will be useful to give to many others.
January 7, 2020
Such a balanced and helpful book for Christians who are either walking through depression or trying to support someone who is. Excellent!
November 5, 2025
I found this book on depression to be very balanced and helpful in its approach to the often thorny issue of depression and also very practical in its approach to its varied causes and cures. I especially appreciated how Murray addressed the complexity of the causes of depression in a world that tends to oversimplify very complex issues.
March 11, 2021
First sentence: There are many different kinds of mental and emotional suffering. The area I am particularly concerned with here is the most common--depression. As anxiety and panic attacks are also commonly associated with depression (so much so that doctors are increasingly using the term depression-anxiety when referring to depression), much of what I write will apply to these distressing conditions also.
ETA: I have created a SPOTIFY playlist titled Christians Get Depressed Too. It is over three hours of music. You'll finish the book a LONG time before you finish the playlist. My hope is that it will prove helpful and spiritually edifying. If some of the songs seem to be stuck around this time period--before 2015--there's probably a good reason for that! These are songs that have personally built me up, encouraged me, challenged me. These songs are lived in songs.
I first reviewed this one in October 2015. Looking back, I wouldn't say it is providential that I read it when I read it, but for anyone who actually knows me, the word 2015 is enough of a trigger!!! I've got about a million spiritual lessons I learned through my trials, tribulations, and sorrows of 2015. And I do think the book helped me process some of that.
Original review follows--I couldn't really think of anything I'd change about describing the book itself.
Christians Get Depressed Too may just be the best book I've read on the subject of depression. Its strengths? Well, it's short, it's concise, it's well-organized. It tells you what you need to know and why you need to know it. It is also a very practical book. Because it is short and concise, it may not tell you absolutely everything there is to know on the subject. But if it did, it would be overwhelming and intimidating. There is something to be said for telling people clearly and precisely what they need to know first.
Murray's book is divided into six chapters:
The Crisis
The Complexity
The Condition
The Causes
The Cures
The Caregivers
In the first chapter, Murray shares eight reasons WHY believers should study the subject:
Because the Bible speaks about it
Because it is so common
Because it impacts our spiritual lives
Because it may be prevented or mitigated
Because it will open doors of usefulness
Because it is so misunderstood
Because it is a talent to be invested for God
Because we can all improve our mental and emotional health
I'll be honest. I didn't need all eight reasons to convince me to read the rest of the book. I include the whole list because I do believe--strongly believe--that all believers would benefit from reading this little book.
In the second chapter, Murray shares two guiding principles with readers. HOW should Christians prepare themselves to study depression? Both principles are important, but, one is especially important: "avoid extremes and seek balance." Most of the chapter focuses on how depression has been perceived and how depression has been treated within the Christian community. What things have we gotten right? What things have we gotten wrong? What is the best way to think about depression? He urges us not to go to either extreme and seek balance.
In the third chapter, Murray focuses on WHAT depression is--its symptoms. How does depression manifest itself in our everyday lives and in our spiritual lives? Even if the cause of a person's depression is not in any way caused by problems in our spiritual lives, the consequences of depression may effect our spiritual lives. Mainly because depression effects our thoughts and our feelings. One of the things I found most helpful in this chapter is his sharing of ten false thought patterns that "reflect, but also contribute to, the symptoms of depression." With each thought pattern, he shares an example from ordinary life, a spiritual example, and a biblical example.
In the fourth chapter, Murray focuses on some of the causes of depression, and in the fifth chapter, he goes on to focus on some of the cures for depression. He presents things in balance. Not all physical. Not all spiritual.
The final chapter focuses almost exclusively on caregivers--the family and friends of those suffering from depression. What can they do to help? How can they best help?
ETA: I have created a SPOTIFY playlist titled Christians Get Depressed Too. It is over three hours of music. You'll finish the book a LONG time before you finish the playlist. My hope is that it will prove helpful and spiritually edifying. If some of the songs seem to be stuck around this time period--before 2015--there's probably a good reason for that! These are songs that have personally built me up, encouraged me, challenged me. These songs are lived in songs.
I first reviewed this one in October 2015. Looking back, I wouldn't say it is providential that I read it when I read it, but for anyone who actually knows me, the word 2015 is enough of a trigger!!! I've got about a million spiritual lessons I learned through my trials, tribulations, and sorrows of 2015. And I do think the book helped me process some of that.
Original review follows--I couldn't really think of anything I'd change about describing the book itself.
Christians Get Depressed Too may just be the best book I've read on the subject of depression. Its strengths? Well, it's short, it's concise, it's well-organized. It tells you what you need to know and why you need to know it. It is also a very practical book. Because it is short and concise, it may not tell you absolutely everything there is to know on the subject. But if it did, it would be overwhelming and intimidating. There is something to be said for telling people clearly and precisely what they need to know first.
Murray's book is divided into six chapters:
The Crisis
The Complexity
The Condition
The Causes
The Cures
The Caregivers
In the first chapter, Murray shares eight reasons WHY believers should study the subject:
Because the Bible speaks about it
Because it is so common
Because it impacts our spiritual lives
Because it may be prevented or mitigated
Because it will open doors of usefulness
Because it is so misunderstood
Because it is a talent to be invested for God
Because we can all improve our mental and emotional health
I'll be honest. I didn't need all eight reasons to convince me to read the rest of the book. I include the whole list because I do believe--strongly believe--that all believers would benefit from reading this little book.
In the second chapter, Murray shares two guiding principles with readers. HOW should Christians prepare themselves to study depression? Both principles are important, but, one is especially important: "avoid extremes and seek balance." Most of the chapter focuses on how depression has been perceived and how depression has been treated within the Christian community. What things have we gotten right? What things have we gotten wrong? What is the best way to think about depression? He urges us not to go to either extreme and seek balance.
In the third chapter, Murray focuses on WHAT depression is--its symptoms. How does depression manifest itself in our everyday lives and in our spiritual lives? Even if the cause of a person's depression is not in any way caused by problems in our spiritual lives, the consequences of depression may effect our spiritual lives. Mainly because depression effects our thoughts and our feelings. One of the things I found most helpful in this chapter is his sharing of ten false thought patterns that "reflect, but also contribute to, the symptoms of depression." With each thought pattern, he shares an example from ordinary life, a spiritual example, and a biblical example.
In the fourth chapter, Murray focuses on some of the causes of depression, and in the fifth chapter, he goes on to focus on some of the cures for depression. He presents things in balance. Not all physical. Not all spiritual.
The final chapter focuses almost exclusively on caregivers--the family and friends of those suffering from depression. What can they do to help? How can they best help?
November 11, 2023
I think everyone should read this book to have a better Biblical understanding of mental health.
I only have two smallish quibbles:
1. I do appreciate (and more or less agree with) his stance that some people need to take medication to help with a physical aspect of depression. I just would have liked him to at least briefly mention the non-prescription options such as St Johns Wort. (Disclaimer: Herbal medicines have side effects too--RX and OTC both need research to understand what you're taking OR for a trusted friend to research for you if you're not mentally up to it.)
2. He needed to be a LOT more gentle in his section on the importance of a daily routine. He mentions way at the end of the section that it's okay to start small, but the concept of baby steps and grace in adapting the routine to where you are needed to be emphasized throughout the section.
I only have two smallish quibbles:
1. I do appreciate (and more or less agree with) his stance that some people need to take medication to help with a physical aspect of depression. I just would have liked him to at least briefly mention the non-prescription options such as St Johns Wort. (Disclaimer: Herbal medicines have side effects too--RX and OTC both need research to understand what you're taking OR for a trusted friend to research for you if you're not mentally up to it.)
2. He needed to be a LOT more gentle in his section on the importance of a daily routine. He mentions way at the end of the section that it's okay to start small, but the concept of baby steps and grace in adapting the routine to where you are needed to be emphasized throughout the section.
December 3, 2016
Excellent, balanced and short.
Murray knows the difference between depression that is physically or chemically caused, and depression that irresponsibly mishandles feelings or difficulties. Sometimes the two are intertwined. Medication can be wrongly prescribed when the cause is spiritual. Rebuke can be wrongly administered when the cause is medical.
Murray’s main point in writing is in the title. Christians should not load themselves with false guilt simply for noticing they are depressed. Christians can and do suffer from all forms of depression. This doesn’t mean it is always a sickness for which they bear no responsibility, but sometimes it is. His main point leads Murray to argue against assuming as a default starting point that depression has a sinful cause. That may be where you wind up, but when the counselor starts his investigation from that viewpoint, it can harm the one suffering.
Being diagnosed with depression doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you. One of the best parts of the book is the way Murray applies a Reformed view of God’s sovereignty to depression. God afflicts us with diseases and difficulties for a reason – a holy reason that is for our good, though we cannot see it.
The church does not handle afflictions like this well. How do you raise and face deeply personal problems publicly, and live with them for years, when they have no simple solution? The church needs to extend and show much patience and love through this.
Murray offers lots of practical help in a short space, for the sufferer and their caregivers both. Highly recommended.
Murray knows the difference between depression that is physically or chemically caused, and depression that irresponsibly mishandles feelings or difficulties. Sometimes the two are intertwined. Medication can be wrongly prescribed when the cause is spiritual. Rebuke can be wrongly administered when the cause is medical.
Murray’s main point in writing is in the title. Christians should not load themselves with false guilt simply for noticing they are depressed. Christians can and do suffer from all forms of depression. This doesn’t mean it is always a sickness for which they bear no responsibility, but sometimes it is. His main point leads Murray to argue against assuming as a default starting point that depression has a sinful cause. That may be where you wind up, but when the counselor starts his investigation from that viewpoint, it can harm the one suffering.
Being diagnosed with depression doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you. One of the best parts of the book is the way Murray applies a Reformed view of God’s sovereignty to depression. God afflicts us with diseases and difficulties for a reason – a holy reason that is for our good, though we cannot see it.
The church does not handle afflictions like this well. How do you raise and face deeply personal problems publicly, and live with them for years, when they have no simple solution? The church needs to extend and show much patience and love through this.
Murray offers lots of practical help in a short space, for the sufferer and their caregivers both. Highly recommended.
July 14, 2022
Depression can be a complicated issue for the Christian to tackle. This book, l felt, simplified the issue. I read it a while back when I had a friend dealing with depression. It is very helpful in that it does not try to convince the reader to take on any particular perspective, yet sticks to the facts while staying Biblical. I highly recommend for anyone, be it for someone who is depressed, has a friend or family member who struggles with it, or even the therapist who deals with depression on a professional level.
January 3, 2011
A nice short very practical book. One of his key points is that depression is not always or even most of the time related to sin and we should not be so quick to assume so. Yes, it may be but we need to respond to folks dealing with depression more the way we respond to our kids when they're sick or have a broken arm. My son may have busted his arm because of foolishness but that does not give me room to have no compassion on him.
December 21, 2020
A short but very helpful book for those who are depressed or who have a loved one suffering from depression. Murray is very well-balanced in his view of the causes and treatment of depression. He does not think that, for the Christian, depression always or even usually has a spiritual cause (i.e. sin), although it by necessity will have spiritual consequences (feeling distant from God, etc.). And he believes that medication can be a valid and important part of treatment.
October 26, 2014
An intentionally small book on the various aspects and factors of depression. Murray does an excellent job of taking a balanced, yet biblical, approach to the topic. Almost everyone is affected in some way by depression and this book has value for all.
February 28, 2020
Attempting to correct both errors that depression is always a physical problem and depression is always the direct result of personal sin, Murray hits the mark with this tiny book. Well worth the several hours it takes to consume it.
April 19, 2025
This book is surely a must-read for any Christian struggling with depression-anxiety (the writer’s preferred term) or who is trying to understand and help someone doing so. It begins by explaining what depression-anxiety is, showing how common it is and that it afflicts Christians as well as non-Christians without distinction.
Murray emphasises that depression-anxiety is not a sin nor is it even necessarily associated with any sin. Rather, like measles, it is a consequence of living in a fallen world. Murray gives examples of believers who suffered in the Bible (Moses, Elijah, David) and in church history (Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon) and points to surprisingly knowledgeable wisdom concerning depression-anxiety found in the writings of the Puritans.
Murray cautions us to approach the subject with humility and without dogmatism in view of its complexity. Various possible causes and symptoms need to be considered and conclusions should not be rushed into. In particular, he argues, mistakes are made when people assume the causes are all spiritual, all physical or all mental. In any case, whatever may be the root cause, the other aspects almost always become involved and need to be considered and addressed. Murray critiques the writings of Jay Adams and the modern Christian counselling movement on this basis. He quotes Lloyd Jones’s Spiritual Depression approvingly, while recognising its more limited scope.
Murray goes on to describe the unhelpful thought-patterns that sufferers of depression-anxiety succumb to and the harmful feelings that follow. He explains practical steps a sufferer can take to address them. Murray distinguishes between reactive depression (triggered by an outside cause) and endogenous (arising from within), acknowledging that both may be involved. He considers five possible trigger events or situations: stress, patterns of thinking, sin, sickness and the sovereignty of God (as in the case of Job).
In a very practical chapter, Murray then sets out some cures for depression-anxiety: correcting an unhelpful lifestyle, correcting wrong thinking (seeing how Asaph does this in Psalm 77), correcting with medication any imbalance in brain chemistry and finally correcting harmful spiritual consequences. (Even if there is no direct spiritual cause, depression-anxiety affects the spiritual life and unhelpful consequences need to be addressed.)
In a final chapter for family, friends and pastoral carers, Murray gives further practical advice under these headings: Study (learn all you can), Sympathy (real and expressed), Support (be available, pray, love), Stigma (counter wrong views), Secrecy (keep confidentiality carefully), Self-esteem (counter debilitatingly low self-esteem), Subjectivity (encourage objectivity about God and salvation), Speak (little, listen much), Suicide (give solid reasons against, when to seek professional help), Slow (be patient, recovery can take months or years).
There is an interesting and helpful appendix on the subject of the sufficiency of Scripture. Murray explains three ways in which Scripture is sufficient: in explicit detail for all that we need to believe and do to be saved; by clear implication for all that we need to do to live as Christians; by providing “spectacles” through which to view and receive knowledge that comes to us from other sources.
This book is a very helpful starting point for any Christian needing to investigate the subject of depression-anxiety. It is comprehensive and concentrated, in places almost becoming a check list. I needed time between chapters to digest what I had read.
Murray helpfully points to several other books to further and deepen your reading. I would also recommend a very pastoral, Bible-centred booklet, Anxiety Stress Depression by Bryan A Follis, available from the Church of Ireland Evangelical Fellowship.
Murray emphasises that depression-anxiety is not a sin nor is it even necessarily associated with any sin. Rather, like measles, it is a consequence of living in a fallen world. Murray gives examples of believers who suffered in the Bible (Moses, Elijah, David) and in church history (Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon) and points to surprisingly knowledgeable wisdom concerning depression-anxiety found in the writings of the Puritans.
Murray cautions us to approach the subject with humility and without dogmatism in view of its complexity. Various possible causes and symptoms need to be considered and conclusions should not be rushed into. In particular, he argues, mistakes are made when people assume the causes are all spiritual, all physical or all mental. In any case, whatever may be the root cause, the other aspects almost always become involved and need to be considered and addressed. Murray critiques the writings of Jay Adams and the modern Christian counselling movement on this basis. He quotes Lloyd Jones’s Spiritual Depression approvingly, while recognising its more limited scope.
Murray goes on to describe the unhelpful thought-patterns that sufferers of depression-anxiety succumb to and the harmful feelings that follow. He explains practical steps a sufferer can take to address them. Murray distinguishes between reactive depression (triggered by an outside cause) and endogenous (arising from within), acknowledging that both may be involved. He considers five possible trigger events or situations: stress, patterns of thinking, sin, sickness and the sovereignty of God (as in the case of Job).
In a very practical chapter, Murray then sets out some cures for depression-anxiety: correcting an unhelpful lifestyle, correcting wrong thinking (seeing how Asaph does this in Psalm 77), correcting with medication any imbalance in brain chemistry and finally correcting harmful spiritual consequences. (Even if there is no direct spiritual cause, depression-anxiety affects the spiritual life and unhelpful consequences need to be addressed.)
In a final chapter for family, friends and pastoral carers, Murray gives further practical advice under these headings: Study (learn all you can), Sympathy (real and expressed), Support (be available, pray, love), Stigma (counter wrong views), Secrecy (keep confidentiality carefully), Self-esteem (counter debilitatingly low self-esteem), Subjectivity (encourage objectivity about God and salvation), Speak (little, listen much), Suicide (give solid reasons against, when to seek professional help), Slow (be patient, recovery can take months or years).
There is an interesting and helpful appendix on the subject of the sufficiency of Scripture. Murray explains three ways in which Scripture is sufficient: in explicit detail for all that we need to believe and do to be saved; by clear implication for all that we need to do to live as Christians; by providing “spectacles” through which to view and receive knowledge that comes to us from other sources.
This book is a very helpful starting point for any Christian needing to investigate the subject of depression-anxiety. It is comprehensive and concentrated, in places almost becoming a check list. I needed time between chapters to digest what I had read.
Murray helpfully points to several other books to further and deepen your reading. I would also recommend a very pastoral, Bible-centred booklet, Anxiety Stress Depression by Bryan A Follis, available from the Church of Ireland Evangelical Fellowship.
April 18, 2018
As someone who has never had much experience with depression or dealing with those struggling with depression, I picked up this little (audio) book because I'm noticing a growing trend in the world, among Christians, and even among friends that depression is a real hardship. Murray does an excellent job of explaining to amateurs of the subject some of the basic causes of depression. He maintains a strong middle of the road point of view that it may be caused by spiritual or non-spiritual reasons. Each case is different and broad generalizations cannot be drawn from just one persons' experience. He encourages the reader to make sure that accusing the depressed of having sin in their lives might cause an already distressed Christian to fall further into anxiety and sorrow. He doesn't rule it out as a possibility, but rather says that it just shouldn't be a starting point when questioning why. I thought this was a really wise point to make. He advocated for the use of medical help and drugs (to help balance chemicals in the brain), but still held that Christians should stay in Scriptures, focus on objective truths, not think too deeply too often, not feel guilty, and a number of other things. He didn't excuse wrong actions on the part of the depressed but sensitively points out to the reader (without depression) the things that a struggling Christian is trying to work through. He draws from Scripture often and reminds us that many heroes of the faith had times of deep sadness and grief in their lives and were not ashamed of it, but brought it to God and laid their case out before Him. (Job, Asaph in Psalm 77, Habakkuk) This is one of those books that I started re-listening to as soon as I finished it just to make sure I gleaned everything I could out of it.
July 10, 2014
Summary
1
It is presumptuous to view one's own experience as the norm for everyone else. We must not overreact to one unhelpful extreme by adopting another. We have to fight against making that experience the default starting point.
"Never ridicule the nervous and hypochondria cal, their pain is real, though much of the[ malady]lies in the imagination[thought-processes] it is not imaginary.
"It is a sad case when our only hope lies in the direction of death. Under the influence of certain disorders everything will wear a somber aspect, and the heart will dive in to the profoundest deeps of misery."
-Charles Spurgeon
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
and life to the bitter in soul,
21 who long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
(Job 3:20-22)
15 so that I would choose strangling
and death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.
17 What is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
(Job 7:15-17)
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; 22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
(Job 10:20-22)
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
(Job 12:22)
2
It is important for Christians in such situations to doubt, question, and even challenge the accuracy of their feelings, as they usually do not reflect the facts. Often damaged spiritual relationships and feelings are not the cause of depression, but the consequence of it. It is vital to avoid extremes and seek balance.
3
We cannot separate our thoughts from our feelings or our feelings from our behavior. What we think affects how we feel. What we think and feel affects our physical health. Our thoughts, feelings, and physical health affect what we do. While we often cannot change the providences we are passing through, we can change the way we think about them. False thinking in ordinary life is transferred into spiritual life. People suffering form depression tend to take their emotions as truth. They let their feelings determine the facts.
Reverse false thinking patterns over time. However strange it may seem to you, God wants you to go through this depression- so look at it positively, not negatively. What does he want you to learn from it? What can you gain from going through it?
4 While we have little if any control over life events, we do have substantial control over our lifestyle. Use the psalms as your prayers. God withdrew himself from Hezekiah's spiritual feelings so that he lost his sense of God's presence, protection, and favor to test Hezekiah nad to reveal to him what was in his heart when God's presence was withdrawn, to remind Hezekiah of his state without him and to lead him to greater thankfulness and appreciation for Him. We are made up of body, mind, and spirit- interrelated and reactive; realize the place, function, and sphere of each one of these realms.
5 You have no hope of recovery unless you desire it. Restore order and discipline in your life. Relearn how to relax and breathe properly. Consider properly viewing God's world as serious as properly viewing God's word. Challenge falsehoods of excluding the good. Confront the tendency to dwell on and magnify dark distortions of reality.
They feel nothing in their body, but all in their mind. Avoid your musings, and exercise not your thoughts too deeply, nor too much. Long meditation is a duty to some, but not to you. You may live in the faith and fear of God, without setting yourself to deep, disturbing thoughts.
— Richard Baxter, the cure for melancholy and overmuch sorrow and
Accept that depression has caused a general loss of feeling. Persevere in corrections.
Question first your life situation, then your feelings about it, then the thought that flow therewith, followed by the analysis, the behavior, reasons.
6
Communicate that you truly understand the problem and the symptoms, and the you are deeply concerned, and the you will do all you can to help- this can have a powerful effect on the sufferer. Pride is one of the least dangerous sins for someone who is downcast. Deeply rooted self-doubt and self-criticism will often emerge and strengthen during prolonged melancholy. Encourage by highlighting God-given abilities, help to the lives of others, and industry in society. Without a proper self-confidence and self-respect, man cannot function properly.
To focus on feelings, and thereby base beliefs and conclusions in a profoundly subjective manner tends only to shade the world in darker tones of pitch which is highly flammable. Move away from the subjective and toward the objective. Pill s might get you through this word, but they will not be available in hell, the place of ultimate torment, despair, and gnashing of teeth. However, the motor of the mind may be repaired through the use of physical as well as mental medicine. On the other hand, most of the best poetry of the world would probably not have existed had the poets been on anti-depressants.
a
There can always be found in the Bible a principle or guideline that can be applied to any given situation.
"We will be careful. . . Not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears. . . If the Lord has willed that we be helped. . . By the work and ministry of the ungodly, let us use this assistance."
- John Calvin
1
It is presumptuous to view one's own experience as the norm for everyone else. We must not overreact to one unhelpful extreme by adopting another. We have to fight against making that experience the default starting point.
"Never ridicule the nervous and hypochondria cal, their pain is real, though much of the[ malady]lies in the imagination[thought-processes] it is not imaginary.
"It is a sad case when our only hope lies in the direction of death. Under the influence of certain disorders everything will wear a somber aspect, and the heart will dive in to the profoundest deeps of misery."
-Charles Spurgeon
20 “Why is light given to him who is in misery,
and life to the bitter in soul,
21 who long for death, but it comes not,
and dig for it more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice exceedingly
and are glad when they find the grave?
(Job 3:20-22)
15 so that I would choose strangling
and death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.
17 What is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
(Job 7:15-17)
21 Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; 22 A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
(Job 10:20-22)
22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.
(Job 12:22)
2
It is important for Christians in such situations to doubt, question, and even challenge the accuracy of their feelings, as they usually do not reflect the facts. Often damaged spiritual relationships and feelings are not the cause of depression, but the consequence of it. It is vital to avoid extremes and seek balance.
3
We cannot separate our thoughts from our feelings or our feelings from our behavior. What we think affects how we feel. What we think and feel affects our physical health. Our thoughts, feelings, and physical health affect what we do. While we often cannot change the providences we are passing through, we can change the way we think about them. False thinking in ordinary life is transferred into spiritual life. People suffering form depression tend to take their emotions as truth. They let their feelings determine the facts.
Reverse false thinking patterns over time. However strange it may seem to you, God wants you to go through this depression- so look at it positively, not negatively. What does he want you to learn from it? What can you gain from going through it?
4 While we have little if any control over life events, we do have substantial control over our lifestyle. Use the psalms as your prayers. God withdrew himself from Hezekiah's spiritual feelings so that he lost his sense of God's presence, protection, and favor to test Hezekiah nad to reveal to him what was in his heart when God's presence was withdrawn, to remind Hezekiah of his state without him and to lead him to greater thankfulness and appreciation for Him. We are made up of body, mind, and spirit- interrelated and reactive; realize the place, function, and sphere of each one of these realms.
5 You have no hope of recovery unless you desire it. Restore order and discipline in your life. Relearn how to relax and breathe properly. Consider properly viewing God's world as serious as properly viewing God's word. Challenge falsehoods of excluding the good. Confront the tendency to dwell on and magnify dark distortions of reality.
They feel nothing in their body, but all in their mind. Avoid your musings, and exercise not your thoughts too deeply, nor too much. Long meditation is a duty to some, but not to you. You may live in the faith and fear of God, without setting yourself to deep, disturbing thoughts.
— Richard Baxter, the cure for melancholy and overmuch sorrow and
Accept that depression has caused a general loss of feeling. Persevere in corrections.
Question first your life situation, then your feelings about it, then the thought that flow therewith, followed by the analysis, the behavior, reasons.
6
Communicate that you truly understand the problem and the symptoms, and the you are deeply concerned, and the you will do all you can to help- this can have a powerful effect on the sufferer. Pride is one of the least dangerous sins for someone who is downcast. Deeply rooted self-doubt and self-criticism will often emerge and strengthen during prolonged melancholy. Encourage by highlighting God-given abilities, help to the lives of others, and industry in society. Without a proper self-confidence and self-respect, man cannot function properly.
To focus on feelings, and thereby base beliefs and conclusions in a profoundly subjective manner tends only to shade the world in darker tones of pitch which is highly flammable. Move away from the subjective and toward the objective. Pill s might get you through this word, but they will not be available in hell, the place of ultimate torment, despair, and gnashing of teeth. However, the motor of the mind may be repaired through the use of physical as well as mental medicine. On the other hand, most of the best poetry of the world would probably not have existed had the poets been on anti-depressants.
a
There can always be found in the Bible a principle or guideline that can be applied to any given situation.
"We will be careful. . . Not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears. . . If the Lord has willed that we be helped. . . By the work and ministry of the ungodly, let us use this assistance."
- John Calvin
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