How Does God Treat My Depression?

Today, Chambers uses the example of the angel's treatment of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 as an example of how God treats the depression of His people.  I'm not sure this the best example since his curative is when the angel tells Elijah to arise and eat.  The rest of the story does not seem to indicate that this worked for Elijah.  When he arrived at the mountain of God, he still seemed depressed.  Perhaps he was cured when God corrected his assessment from him being the only believer left to there being over 5000 in Israel.  He at least got a job, or rather marching orders in his current job.

Chambers is careful to point out that it is not doing the ordinary things that cures depression, but rather doing them in response to the prompting of the Spirit of God.  So, if Elijah had just gotten up and had breakfast at the local diner, he wouldn't have experienced the same level of success in overcoming depression.  Again, I'm not sure I would connect the two.  Or, if I did, it would be because it is contact with God which has the real effect.

I have had to use an RO Inhibitor to fight depression.  As it turns out, I have a predisposition to depression (isn't that depressing?).  I have to be very aware of my emotions so I can take action before I spend too much time there.  Times of depression are natural, and God created people with that capacity, but remaining there for extended periods of time is harmful.  My issue is compounded by not believing I have a right to be depressed so I don't quickly admit it, and then I make excuses for my symptoms after normal circumstances have resolved themselves.  Denial is one of my really bad habits.

So, how do I climb out of the pits of depression naturally occurring in this messed up world?  While my Master created me with the capacity for being depressed, I do not believe He created me to spend a majority of my life there.  How do I respond appropriately to life circumstances, avoiding denial on the way in?  And once there, how do I avoid denial so I can hear my Master's voice leading me out?  Have you ever been asked how far you can travel into the woods?  Half way, after that you are on your way out.  But half-way is often my favorite campsite.  When I am particularly stuck, I may call that campsite home.  That's a whole host of problems, not the least of which is where to go to the bathroom.  The normal debris of life pile up and compound the problem.

It is at this point that I believe Chambers has a good point.  The Spirit of God does connect with me, leading me to do the normal thing.  My inner spirit may rail against that with a litany of excuses, and one of my favorite is, "I've already tried that."  But it is the practice of obedience that transforms my ordinary actions into spiritual disciplines.  With that new aspect, washing dishes becomes a point of reflection of Jesus' telling the Pharisees to wash the inside of the cup, not just the outside.  Driving becomes an example of being careful without an expectation that people be polite; accepting the world as it is, not as I would have it (as in the complete serenity prayer).

The point is not the activity, but rather my obedience.  That is what changes the focus from my emotional pit to my connection with my Master.  It's not that I am somehow magically lifted from the pit, it is more that the pit becomes a prayer closet, and eventually I am shown the door.  But in the mean time, I am communing with my Master in a dark and intimate place.  I meet Him and He meets me.  We share, and I come off much better (He is so much better company than me in my depressed state, trust me).  I am transformed in much the same way normal communing with God transforms, but there is something compressed and powerful about these times.  As an example, this blog is one of the things that has come out of my last "pit-y party".  So, thank you for being a part of my therapy.