Two Steps Ahead of Depression

Ever have one of those days when you feel you’re about two steps ahead of depression? If you’re not careful it will suck you right into a full-blown defeatist attitude. How can you make sure "defeatist” and “Christian” don’t occupy the same sentence? Look to I Samuel 17 for encouragement.

When the Philistines were threatening to destroy Israel, and Goliath was intimidating everyone within earshot, the Israelites were terrified. The whole country had fallen into defeatism. That is, all but one young boy with a slingshot.

To David, Goliath displayed no greater threat than the lion or bear who attacked his flock. The Lord had delivered him from their claws so he was confident God would rescue him from Goliath’s sword. He remembered what the army evidently had forgotten: God was on their side. David’s trust in God — not his own skill — never wavered. He knew the battle belonged to the Lord. So did the victory.

When the circumstances I face cause a defeatist attitude to bark at my heels, I’m inspired by David’s indomitable spirit. As I recall God’s faithfulness in the past, I move from relying on my scrawny resources to having more faith in the living God.

If depression is threatening to overtake you, remember what David never forgot: God is on your side. Shift the battle from how you can control the outcome to how the Lord can handle it. Despondency will start to evaporate, and before you know it, depression will lie far behind, squirming in the dust.

Lord, help us to never forget you are on our side. May we trust you in every battle we face, no matter how big the giant. Amen.

Go Deeper — Read 1 Samuel 17 and be inspired by David’s example of courage and faith.

Go Further — If depression is barking at your heels, this article, Embracing My Depression may help. Our confidential, online mentors are free and can help you as well.