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<\/a><\/div>\nSeems to me that the easiest thing in the midst of pain is to either become depressed or anxious. Name the pain. Name your<\/i>\u00a0pain. And I bet if you look deep enough, you\u2019ll recognize your tendency to swing wildly toward depression, anxiety, or a combination of both. We are told in our society that if we have any kind of mental challenge, we are victims. And yet the Bible refers to us (those who know Him) as conquerors. So \u2013 how do we reconcile the world\u2019s viewpoint with God\u2019s truth?<\/p>\n
I want to clarify that there are physical causes for both anxiety and depression. I know that in a deep way, because I suffer from several health issues that are known to cause both. My doctor has advised me to take an anti-depressant, not for depression, per se, but because anti-depressants have a beneficial effect on the digestive system. And God knows I could use any beneficial effect possible when it comes to my digestive system (gross understatement). I have not decided whether to fill my prescription. My plan is to pray until I find peace about it. If the peace never comes, I\u2019ll never fill it. But my point is: if you\u2019re having emotional problems, see a doctor. Rule out anything that could be causing the issues. Do you have digestive issues to the point of needing to be tube fed? Is your vitamin D low? Do you have an autoimmune disease? Do you exercise? How\u2019s your thyroid function?<\/p>\n
I could ask a million health questions here. Point is, if you can\u2019t find a physical cause, it\u2019s time to consider other avenues of healing.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a remedy for depression, but it\u2019s not typically regarded as such. It\u2019s called simple servitude<\/i>.<\/p>\n
It starts with looking outward<\/i> rather than inward, as depression does, and seeing other people\u2019s griefs and needs instead of honing in on our own. Once we\u2019ve seen the need, once we\u2019ve honed in on the fact that everyone in this world hurts in one way or another and everyone in this world needs love in one way or another, we can then start to think of practical ways to meet those needs and give that love.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t give in to the temptation to think grandiose thoughts here. Servitude does not necessarily entail going to the ends of the earth to help poor, starving orphans. If that\u2019s what pops into your mind and becomes your life\u2019s mission, great! Go for it! But most often, needs are often displayed close. Right in front of us. They\u2019re where we live day in and day out. They are in the soul of every person we meet. Of our classmates. Our sisters. The homeless. The grocery clerk. The dentist. The one crying in the pew. The one lashing out in anger because of a craving for love.<\/p>\n
All it takes is peeling our focus off of ourselves long enough to see \u2013 really see<\/i> \u2013 the hurts and needs of others.<\/p>\n
Once we\u2019ve identified a need, small or large, we can start working to be a servant. It\u2019s not going to be easy prying our eyes and thoughts off of ourselves. And I won\u2019t lie and say that if we start helping others, all of our struggles will magically melt away. What I will say is that the vast opportunities we have to love our neighbor have great <\/i>potential to not only meet their needs, but to meet ours as well.<\/p>\n
Servitude melts away sadness in the receiver and the giver.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nAnxiety, of course, can look the opposite of depression because it is<\/i> the opposite. Remember when Martha was anxious about the \u201cmany things\u201d Mary refused to help her with? Jesus was their guest, and though Martha was the one who asked Jesus in for afternoon tea, Mary, in all her wisdom, was the one who chose to set aside domestic OCD and sit at His feet. And Jesus, when Martha scolded Him for allowing Mary sit at His feet without rebuke, said in essence that Mary had chosen the right path.<\/p>\n
What was the right path?<\/p>\n
To bask in His presence, and serve when serving was appropriate.<\/u> Martha chose only <\/i>to serve, frantically, with much anxiety when her Guest didn\u2019t desire crumpets, but to be worshiped and heard. I can just picture her skinny little arms flapping back and forth, wildly churning butter for the date and nut bread she put in just before Jesus arrived. Making sure Jesus had two cubes of sugar. Mary one. Boiling the next pot of tea. Sweeping under their feet while they tried to converse about spiritual truths. All while Jesus was trying to explain the true meaning of peace. It\u2019s a silly scene that causes us to ponder our own silly tendencies.<\/p>\n
So the cure for depression and anxiety is twofold:<\/p>\n
Draw strength from the Lord, and appropriately<\/i> meet the needs of others.<\/p>\n
We are told so often that if we are struggling, all we need is drugs. More inward reflection. More talking about our problems. Or other people\u2019s problems that are to blame for our emotional state. But Jesus, who came to this world to bring us peace, said that true peace only comes through Him. Through sitting with Him, and imitating His behavior. Not through blame-shifting, self-focus, or medication. I do not find Jesus ever lying around depressed, nor do I find Him with an ongoing pattern of anxiety. You can bet on the fact that He suffered some anxiety in the hours leading up to His death. But how did He deal with it? He prayed, asked for relief, and ultimately\u00a0submitted to the will of the Father.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Trust and obey, for there\u2019s no other way to be happy.<\/i><\/p>\n
Not what the world (and dare I say pharmaceutical companies?) want us to hear. But it\u2019s the truth. Is there ever a need for medication? Absolutely. Is medication highly over-prescribed? Most definitely. We must ask ourselves why suicide, when we have access to so much medication and psychological therapy, is at an all-time high. The Bible is often touted as highly irrelevant. Antiquated. But just because something is old, does not mean something is ineffective.<\/p>\n
Taste and see that the Lord is good<\/i>, the Psalmist says. Isn\u2019t that what depressed and anxious folks need? Something good? Someone<\/i> good? Jesus is what Martha needed, and what Mary chose. Jesus is what we need, and what we should choose.<\/p>\n