Christianity and depression - A Contradiction

As a Christian, I was taught that God is our joy and happiness. For me, it was too good to be true.  I had always found God to be a great kill-joy, he was not interested in our life and the only thing that He needed was unquestioned obedience. The Christian background that I came from had too many restrictions. It was as if God wanted to control every nitty-gritty things of my life. I felt suffocated under it. So in front of me were two unconquerable forces – religion and God. A religion that had restricted me and a God who gave license to it, in both I never found any joy.

Something that I find lacking in the Christian circle was the lack of understanding of this disorder. Oftentimes we (as Christians) brand it as a spiritual battle and leave the person to fight alone.  We say “brother will pray for you, see you next week, and take care!” I recognise it is a spiritual battle but more than that you are dealing with a person. Most of the time a person who suffers wouldn’t say “hey I have depression! Please help me!” There can be an exception to it as well some would open up but a majority would like to sit behind a closed door. I recollect the time when I was in depression I used to search online for spiritual counselling and found none. None of the Christian ministries or websites was aware of it. I believe it’s high time that we recognise this malady and start finding solutions for it.  

I would like to share my experience of “what happens when we box people?” I joined workplace a few years back and they used to box people according to their temperaments. So I used to hear this often times there goes the phlegmatic! Oh, he is choleric or melancholic! It was a huge blow to my recovery. I used to think “Man because of this particular temperament that I belong to I won’t be able to do the things that the others could do.” People there never expected that I would act differently than the description of the temperament they had boxed me in.  So in my mind, I was thinking why should I change if they are not expecting a difference in me? Though ‘change’ was vociferously preached! Later on, I understood that if I allow myself to continue like this I’m proving their theory. So I decided to change, it was not a change to perform. It was a change to fulfil the purpose of transforming the lives of people. To experience the joy that can come into our life because of transformation in someone else’s life. Another thing that propelled me was the need of God for me to change, if I hadn’t changed, the plans that he had for my life to bring transformation in the world would be unfulfilled.

It is the person who is important than the religious rites or rituals. It is high time that we try to understand the people who are with us. Yes, there is power in prayer but more than that it would make more sense if we can spend time with that person who is feeling low. In the scripture we find the good shepherd leaving the 99 to find the one who was lost. We don’t see the shepherd asking the sheep “why did you leave?” “What made you stray away from the group?” the shepherd held closely the sheep to his chest and brought it back to a place of security.  As a Christian isn’t this something that we are supposed to do, to bring back the lost? They can be lost because of depression, anxiety, wrong direction or something else. The question is that are we bringing back the one who have lost? One more thing that I want to add here the sheep was lost but it didn’t rebel and go! We can save the lost but pray for the rebellious that God will have mercy on them and will change their heart.  

In my life, it was because of that one person that I was found. I have seen extreme levels of love in that person. I have seen a leadership that influences people to become better. Watching that one person exemplifying “Christ-likeness” in personal life challenges me to become one. It was because of this one person that I came to the real understanding of God. The picture that I have of God now is not that of a kill-joy but a joy giver. God is a strong anchor on which we can put our hope on.

I believe we have to be aware of what is happening around. We can’t stay aloof to what is happening in the world. It was William Wilberforce a Christian who voiced out to abolish the slave trade. We should be Christians living in the two worlds – natural and supernatural. We can’t neglect either! We need prayer as Christ says to put “this kind won’t go unless through prayer and fasting” (Mat 17: 21) we also need to have compassion on people as He had on them. (Matt 9:36) we should create a secure ground where people can come and say that “I’m going through depression and hard times”. Not to get surprised and ostracise them by saying “your walk isn’t right with the Lord! Or say if you read your bible everything will be all right” when the woman who was caught in the act of adultery Christ didn’t take the stones to throw at her. He created a secure place for her to live and face the ones who judged her to be a vile woman. We need to have the same place for people in our life. We need to create places of security where they would run into and feel safe Churches needs to be that kind of place. People know that they have screwed up they don’t need the attestation of the church. What they need are care and compassion.  

Let us ask God to give us the grace to accept people and help them grow into the stature of Christ. As Paul puts it “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Colossians 1:28.  

Be faithful in the little!!

"if you had given me that responsibility i would have done that!!! i will not do such meager works!!" many times we hear this complain!!! mostly because of our pride!! i like the story of the three servants in the bible who were given 5, 4 and 1 talents respectively. and the master went for a journey and on his return he found that the first and the second had doubled the money whereas the last one didn't and he cursed the master!! what happened to him? the money that he had was taken from him and given to the man who worked hard. same thing happens to our lives when we fault on the responsibility that our authority entrust us!! may it be in the church or in the work place we need to be hard workers we have to be faithful! Even God expects this from our lives. the more we are faithful the more we are blessed!!
when we put our energy to accomplish the little things with utmost faithfulness, God will see that effort and return us with more wisdom and blessings that will grow us in our career or anything that we are engaged in!!And, with this blessing you will be an example for others to follow thereby give Glory to our Lord!! i would like to thank God for giving me a pastor like Pr John who taught me this great lesson! the experience that i wrote is what i got by living that way!!

Modern christianity

.....if God hasn't changed his love towards us then why should we change. God has given us the things even the laws for our good, and not for bad. If we are going to live in our own way, i believe it will be a way to the endless pit of death and hopelesness. let God decide our way rather than we ourselves doing it. God is intelligent than us, He forsees our future, He knows A-Z of our lives. And, believe me this is the greatest of the benefits of being with God. His knowledge gives us the hope to live a free life. He gives us the love that we need. I believe it from heart that there is no need to change something that is spectacular and beautiful in its own way.

modern christianity- do we need it?

Once a coffee table disscussion happened. It was about "should christianity change its old ways and move on to a phase that is accepted by and appealing to everyone?". A deep silence followed the question just because none was prepared for such a question. one of us started with "it should happen, the world religions has followed the suit, so why wait?" It really shook majority of us's thought of belief. To a orthodox christian, this would be the filthiest heresy that can come from a person's mouth. A disaster that he has read in the books of revelation. That, in the last day things like this will happen to humanity and the christian world. But we gave it a piece of our thoughts. If we are doing this, a lot of the unbelievers would come to this faith. it would really make christianity an appealing religion. Some of us were like "why God! Why didn't this thought come to us before?" Then, another question came, is christianity on a look out for crowd or is it looking for true followers of faith.

In between the waiter came to us, placed coffe-filled cups on the table, with a smile he left us. The discussion started to shape a debate. Every one tried hard to convince each other that it shouldn't be or it should be. After finishing the hot coffee, that heated us against the coldness left by the heavy rain. Even if we didn't reach any where in the discussion. It sparked a controversy and a thought to be dealt with; within ourselves. The rain became more severe, i had a long road to my home the umberlla that i had didn't save me from the rain that went thru my sides and drenched me beneath. After reaching home, the numbness left by the cold still enrobed me. Switching on the T.V didn't dither me from the thought that was burning deep inside my heart. I prayed to God, sitting on the chair. Lord is there a need for this, a modern christianity that appeals all.

The rain outside subsided. i was still immersed in the thought. suddenly this thought came into my mind, if God hasn't changed his ways and still, he loves us as the way he used to be. then, why should we do the same to him i.e. to create a new way of thought. contd....