Charles Spurgeon was depressed more frequently than most

Someone reading this needs to be reminded that Christians can get depressed. If that is you let me know in the comments and/or speak to someone you can trust. Charles Spurgeon, the renowned preacher, suffered with severe depression which he described as probably worse than anyone in his church. Would your pastor be too afraid to admit publicly if they were suffering in a similar way? Would your friend feel safe to confide in you with their struggles? Spurgeon’s sermon, “The Secret of Happiness,” highlights the joy found in the forgiveness of sins and God’s mercy, driving away the clouds of depression.

Nothing that follows should be read as implying that a Christian can’t get depressed. That idea is simply foolish, and Spurgeon himself featured many periods of time that he was enveloped in a cloud of depression so severe he could not function as despair gripped him.  I wonder how many pastors today would dare to say, as he does in the quote below that they get more depressed than most of their congregations?

If that level of struggle with your emotions is all too familiar to you, allow him to share what he found to help him at those times.  The quote I share below is talking about one of the four pillars of mental health.  Which I will highlight briefly here.  I call this the biopyschosocialspiritual model of mental health.  Most secular practitioners do not address the crucial fourth leg of the stool, the spiritual.  But if we only focus on one leg then a comfortable and safe stool will never be made!

• Most of us who struggle with our emotions may need to take steps in terms of our physical or biological wellbeing which may include simply exercising more or in some cases taking medication such as antidepressants or to treat other physical health cases.
• We may also need to address our own internal psychology. Here we are talking about harmful patterns of thinking or traumatic memories troubling our minds, and here counselling (and yes a Christian CAN see even a secular counsellor and have benefit), as well as certain types of self help books, or just talking to friends can be incredibly helpful.
• Depression can also be helped by social interventions such as either taking a pause from overactivity and work, or increasing our sense of purpose by taking a more challenging role.  Asking yourself if you are doing too much and causing excessive stress or too little leaving you struggling with a sense of a lack of purpose is crucial.  We each have a capacity to work, socialise, and do things to help other people. But we also each need to learn to spend time with ourselves, perhaps pursuing creative hobbies.  Relationships can be the cause of much joy but also of much pain.
• Depression can also have spiritual roots. Seeking forgiveness from God,  and both offering and receiving it to others can sometimes be the key that unlocks years of sturggling as a root of bitterness entwines our souls.

The following quote from Spurgeon’s sermon, The Secret of Happiness (No. 3,227)  addresses the last of these four pillars very well Logos Bible Software’s new AI tool generated the following summary of this sermon: