Depression vs. Courage

Depression

In Webster's 1828 dictionary a few of the definitions are:

1. The act of pressing down; or the state of being pressed down; a low state.
2. A hollow; a sinking or falling in of a surface; or a forcing inwards; as roughness consisting in little protuberances and depressions; the depression of the skull.
3. The act of humbling; abasement; as the depression of pride; the depression of the nobility.
4. A sinking of the spirits; dejection; a state of sadness; want of courage or animation; as depression of the mind.
5. A low state of strength; a state of body succeeding debility in the formation of disease.

Another definitions says that it is inexplicable sadness; irrational.


Now to contrast let's see what

Courage is:

Bravery; intrepidity; that quality of mind which enables men to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear or depression of spirits; valor; boldness; resolution. 
It is a constituent part of fortitude; but fortitude implies patience to bear continued suffering.

Did you read that last sentence? Fortitude implies that we have patience to bear or hold up against the continued suffering.  So even though we are being pressed down against and feel in a low state we need to bravely walk through our suffering. But not alone.

This past Sunday our pastor taught on how we could get help for depression. He pointed out that in Jonah 4:1 - 11 we see that Jonah himself was struggling with depression.  He was clearly suffering and we can see this in his dialogue with the Lord in the later part of verse 2 and then in vs. 3. "... for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore no, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die then to live."  Do you hear the dichotomy of his plea? Isn't this irrational behavior?

The biggest thing is that we need to adjust the root of the problem, not just the circumstances. "Not forgiving others is like drinking poison and thinking the other person will feel those results." (I think this is a quote of Charles Stanley, but it is also a direct quote from my pastor's sermon.)

Once we adjust the root of depression we can get to true healing and walk in the courage that we are commanded to walk with in Deuteronomy 31:6a - "Be strong and courageous."