Dear Friends,
In recent years I have found more and more people of all ages wrestling with depression, despite their faith in Christ and assurance of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Part of that (for the older folk) seems to be their struggle with a world so different from the one they grew up in, that they no longer feel at home in this world, while with younger people it seems to have a lot to do with the social isolation caused by their phones and social media. I know it sounds odd to say that social connectivity can lead to loneliness and depression, yet it’s true. It’s one thing to be connected electronically to others and another altogether to enjoy face to face “in the flesh” presence, eye contact, conversation, affection, laughter, and physical touch – even if it’s a simple handshake, hug or pat on the back. Better to have one committed, caring, loyal, ‘there in the flesh friend,’ than 1000 followers on Instagram merely leave a comment in your thread on occasion.
Yet please don’t hear me saying depression is anything new. Job (chap. 12-14), Saul (I Sam. 14:14-23), David (Ps. 38), Herman the Ezrahite (Ps. 88), Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet” (Jer. 15:15-18), the apostle Paul (II Corinth. 1:8-10), Martin Luther, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, David Brainerd, William Cowper, Charles Spurgeon – and others too many to mention, including myself – have wrestled with debilitating bouts of depression.
Today, though, I will focus on Martin Luther. Luther is better known for his immense courage and boldness, yet he also struggled mightily with bouts of depression. One time Luther was so overcome by worries, fears, and depressive feelings, that nothing his wife Katie said could comfort or pull him out of it. At her wits end, she put on a black dress while going around the house. Luther asked her, “Are you going to a funeral?” “No,” she replied, “but since you act as though God is dead, I wanted to join you in your mourning.” Wise woman
! Luther got the message and recovered.
This condensed excerpt comes from “Companions in the Darkness – Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt,” by Diana Gruver. I highly recommend it as an excellent resource for those who are struggling with depression or know someone who is. Enjoy.
“Several years before his death, Luther’s beloved Katie suffered a miscarriage that left her extremely ill – so ill, in fact, that she was unable to walk for two months. I imagine Luther feared he would also have to suffer the loss of his wife. Two years later, they would lose their precious thirteen-year-old daughter Magdalena, who became extremely ill. Luther stayed by her deathbed, comforting her and pleading in prayer. He reminded her of her Father in heaven, and of where she was going… An onlooker described the scene:
“When his daughter was in the agony of death, he fell upon his knees before the bed and, weeping bitterly, prayed that God might spare her life if it be his will. In this way she gave up the ghost in the arms of her father. Her mother was in the same room but was farther from the bed on account of her grief.”
Oh, the raw sorrow of this account. Comforting your child as she eases into death, fully aware and able to grasp what is happening to her. Comforting your wife as she weeps with loud sobs, trying to say goodbye to her daughter. And in all this, speaking some truth to yourself, trying to remember God’s Promise in the midst of tears. Magdalena’s death was a heavy emotional blow… Years later, Luther still wrote of mourning and missing her…
What would Luther himself do to combat the depression?... He once wrote to a young man, Jerome Weller, who feared he would give in to despair and perhaps commit suicide – a young man who studied with him, lived in his house, and even tutored his children:
“By all means, flee solitude, for the devil watches and lies in wait for you most of all when you are alone… Therefore, Jerome, joke and play games with my wife and others. In this way you drive out diabolical thoughts and take courage… Be of good courage, therefore, and cast these dreadful thoughts out of your mind. Whenever the devil pesters you with these thoughts, at once seek out the company of men, drink and joke and jest, or engage in some other form of merriment.”
This advice may not be easy to follow. It works against the natural pull of depression to isolate and withdraw… [But] Luther said to fight against this inclination. To not only avoid it, but flee from it. To surround yourself with friends, to do anything but remain alone…
To a woman concerned about her suicidal husband, Luther wrote:
“Be very careful not to leave your husband alone for a single moment and leave nothing lying around with which he might harm himself. Solitude is poison to him. For this reason, the devil drives him to it… Whatever you do, don't leave him alone, and be sure that his surroundings are not so quiet that he sinks into his own thoughts. It does not matter if he becomes angry about this.”
Don’t be alone, Luther urges. Go find some company… But what happens when friends aren’t close by and there isn’t a safe haven to get to? What happens if you really are isolated? Luther wrote:
“When I am assailed with heavy tribulations, I rush out among my pigs, rather than remain alone by myself. The human heart is like a millstone in a mill… if you put no wheat under it still grinds on, but then ‘tis itself it grinds and wears away. So it is with the human heart. Unless it be occupied with some employment, it leaves space for the devil, who wriggles himself in, and brings with him a whole host of evil thoughts, temptations, and tribulations, which grind out the heart.”
If you can’t be with friends, says Luther, go hang out with your pigs. Refuse to be alone. [I’ve often gone for a walk with my very cheerful dog!] Don’t allow your darkened thoughts to continue grinding, spinning, swirling in your mind. Find some warm-blooded being, any sort of companionship, to keep your melancholy feelings at bay.
Writing to a young prince who suffered from depression, Luther suggested what would be good for him:
“Engage in riding and hunting and seek the company of others who may be able to rejoice with Your Grace in a godly and honorable way. For solitude and melancholy are poisonous and fatal to all people, but especially to a young man… Be merry [with your friends at hand]; for gladness and good cheer when decent and proper, are the best medicine for a young person – indeed, for all people. I myself, who have spent a good part of my life in sorrow and gloom, now seek and find pleasure [good and proper pleasure] wherever I can.”
Of course, walking in nature, getting enough exercise, enjoying the sunshine, keeping busy, eating healthy foods, proper amounts of sleep, praying, focusing on the right things (Phil. 4:8-9), memorizing God’s promises, grounding your identity in the eternal things of God and Christ, forgiving, resolving trauma, ridding yourself of bitterness, avoiding dark conspiracy theories, preaching the Gospel to yourself, spiritual journaling, listening to beautiful and faith-nurturing music, gathering with believers – and yes, if need be medication – can all help! Gruver’s treatment of Charles Spurgeon, David Brainerd, William Cowper (especially), as well as Hannah Allen, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa, all offer tremendously helpful insights.
Remember, there are those around you who ARE struggling. Many of whom are afraid to confess that to anyone. Care enough for those people to read up and learn how you might be able to help, and in the process strengthen your own soul as well.
In His Grace and For Your Friends, Pastor Jeff
In recent years I have found more and more people of all ages wrestling with depression, despite their faith in Christ and assurance of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Part of that (for the older folk) seems to be their struggle with a world so different from the one they grew up in, that they no longer feel at home in this world, while with younger people it seems to have a lot to do with the social isolation caused by their phones and social media. I know it sounds odd to say that social connectivity can lead to loneliness and depression, yet it’s true. It’s one thing to be connected electronically to others and another altogether to enjoy face to face “in the flesh” presence, eye contact, conversation, affection, laughter, and physical touch – even if it’s a simple handshake, hug or pat on the back. Better to have one committed, caring, loyal, ‘there in the flesh friend,’ than 1000 followers on Instagram merely leave a comment in your thread on occasion.
Yet please don’t hear me saying depression is anything new. Job (chap. 12-14), Saul (I Sam. 14:14-23), David (Ps. 38), Herman the Ezrahite (Ps. 88), Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet” (Jer. 15:15-18), the apostle Paul (II Corinth. 1:8-10), Martin Luther, Richard Baxter, John Bunyan, David Brainerd, William Cowper, Charles Spurgeon – and others too many to mention, including myself – have wrestled with debilitating bouts of depression.
Today, though, I will focus on Martin Luther. Luther is better known for his immense courage and boldness, yet he also struggled mightily with bouts of depression. One time Luther was so overcome by worries, fears, and depressive feelings, that nothing his wife Katie said could comfort or pull him out of it. At her wits end, she put on a black dress while going around the house. Luther asked her, “Are you going to a funeral?” “No,” she replied, “but since you act as though God is dead, I wanted to join you in your mourning.” Wise woman
! Luther got the message and recovered.
This condensed excerpt comes from “Companions in the Darkness – Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt,” by Diana Gruver. I highly recommend it as an excellent resource for those who are struggling with depression or know someone who is. Enjoy.
“Several years before his death, Luther’s beloved Katie suffered a miscarriage that left her extremely ill – so ill, in fact, that she was unable to walk for two months. I imagine Luther feared he would also have to suffer the loss of his wife. Two years later, they would lose their precious thirteen-year-old daughter Magdalena, who became extremely ill. Luther stayed by her deathbed, comforting her and pleading in prayer. He reminded her of her Father in heaven, and of where she was going… An onlooker described the scene:
“When his daughter was in the agony of death, he fell upon his knees before the bed and, weeping bitterly, prayed that God might spare her life if it be his will. In this way she gave up the ghost in the arms of her father. Her mother was in the same room but was farther from the bed on account of her grief.”
Oh, the raw sorrow of this account. Comforting your child as she eases into death, fully aware and able to grasp what is happening to her. Comforting your wife as she weeps with loud sobs, trying to say goodbye to her daughter. And in all this, speaking some truth to yourself, trying to remember God’s Promise in the midst of tears. Magdalena’s death was a heavy emotional blow… Years later, Luther still wrote of mourning and missing her…
What would Luther himself do to combat the depression?... He once wrote to a young man, Jerome Weller, who feared he would give in to despair and perhaps commit suicide – a young man who studied with him, lived in his house, and even tutored his children:
“By all means, flee solitude, for the devil watches and lies in wait for you most of all when you are alone… Therefore, Jerome, joke and play games with my wife and others. In this way you drive out diabolical thoughts and take courage… Be of good courage, therefore, and cast these dreadful thoughts out of your mind. Whenever the devil pesters you with these thoughts, at once seek out the company of men, drink and joke and jest, or engage in some other form of merriment.”
This advice may not be easy to follow. It works against the natural pull of depression to isolate and withdraw… [But] Luther said to fight against this inclination. To not only avoid it, but flee from it. To surround yourself with friends, to do anything but remain alone…
To a woman concerned about her suicidal husband, Luther wrote:
“Be very careful not to leave your husband alone for a single moment and leave nothing lying around with which he might harm himself. Solitude is poison to him. For this reason, the devil drives him to it… Whatever you do, don't leave him alone, and be sure that his surroundings are not so quiet that he sinks into his own thoughts. It does not matter if he becomes angry about this.”
Don’t be alone, Luther urges. Go find some company… But what happens when friends aren’t close by and there isn’t a safe haven to get to? What happens if you really are isolated? Luther wrote:
“When I am assailed with heavy tribulations, I rush out among my pigs, rather than remain alone by myself. The human heart is like a millstone in a mill… if you put no wheat under it still grinds on, but then ‘tis itself it grinds and wears away. So it is with the human heart. Unless it be occupied with some employment, it leaves space for the devil, who wriggles himself in, and brings with him a whole host of evil thoughts, temptations, and tribulations, which grind out the heart.”
If you can’t be with friends, says Luther, go hang out with your pigs. Refuse to be alone. [I’ve often gone for a walk with my very cheerful dog!] Don’t allow your darkened thoughts to continue grinding, spinning, swirling in your mind. Find some warm-blooded being, any sort of companionship, to keep your melancholy feelings at bay.
Writing to a young prince who suffered from depression, Luther suggested what would be good for him:
“Engage in riding and hunting and seek the company of others who may be able to rejoice with Your Grace in a godly and honorable way. For solitude and melancholy are poisonous and fatal to all people, but especially to a young man… Be merry [with your friends at hand]; for gladness and good cheer when decent and proper, are the best medicine for a young person – indeed, for all people. I myself, who have spent a good part of my life in sorrow and gloom, now seek and find pleasure [good and proper pleasure] wherever I can.”
Of course, walking in nature, getting enough exercise, enjoying the sunshine, keeping busy, eating healthy foods, proper amounts of sleep, praying, focusing on the right things (Phil. 4:8-9), memorizing God’s promises, grounding your identity in the eternal things of God and Christ, forgiving, resolving trauma, ridding yourself of bitterness, avoiding dark conspiracy theories, preaching the Gospel to yourself, spiritual journaling, listening to beautiful and faith-nurturing music, gathering with believers – and yes, if need be medication – can all help! Gruver’s treatment of Charles Spurgeon, David Brainerd, William Cowper (especially), as well as Hannah Allen, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mother Teresa, all offer tremendously helpful insights.
Remember, there are those around you who ARE struggling. Many of whom are afraid to confess that to anyone. Care enough for those people to read up and learn how you might be able to help, and in the process strengthen your own soul as well.
In His Grace and For Your Friends, Pastor Jeff
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