In my experience, most depression results from seeing something important to you becoming lost or destroyed and having no control or power to affect change. When the things that are the most important to our existance are threatened, we despair of existance itself.
Now, Christians, in addition to experiencing the depression that accompanies hard seasons of life on planet earth, must also wrestle with the deeper fear that our trials and resulting depression prove we are carnal afterall and not worthy of the name "Christian." A Christian may lose a job and not fret too much if he is certain of God's approval. But, sustained trials can often bring into question God's approval of our lives, and then depression is sure to follow. His approval is what is most important to our existance...take that assurance away and life isn't hardly worth living anymore.
Inspite of our deeper Christian insecurities, we need to be willing to consider that the root cause of our depression is probably something earthly. This is a gentle and practical kindness I am offering here, and not a lack of spirituality. In seasons of financial strain, serious health difficulties, or a hopeless family relationship, Christians are no different then other people in their reactions, except we might become mystic or apocalyptic about our feelings.
During depression we might wonder if our disdain for life might perhaps be the work of the Lord in our hearts, prying away our affections for this world. And indeed the Lord is very much at work in our hearts through these things, but I do not believe he is out to produce shriveled gray shadows of what we once were. Rather, I believe the Lords gracious fruit in our souls would be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no more depressing condemnation.
So, it is worth saying, that when we are sinking is the swamp of despair, the answer is not to add more joy crushing burdens to justify ourselves to God. I am firmly convinced that Jesus is pleased with every peanut butter and jelly sandwhich a tired Christian mother makes for her children, and every muffler pipe a struggling Christian auto-mechanic installs as unto the Lord. We often make Christ's yoke beyond the sphere of our current lives, as if he is scolding us for every ordinary and normal thing we must do in this life. Making peanut butter sandwhiches instead of running off into some spiritual quest often requires more surrender and self-denial then we give credit for.
Now I am not trying to reduce or minimize the terrible confusion that comes with depression.These feelings are very crippling. Indeed, the feelings of confusion are so painful they can lead to a lack of feelings, a kind of numbness and deadness to the world. Confusion is not a sign that your situation is complex, but that you are exausted.
I am also not denying there is a spiritual aspect to this pain. Instead, what I am saying is that the cause of your depression is probably closer to earth then heaven. That we are depressed over something material or physical does not make us unspiritual. This kind of thinking causes us to mask ourselves, which is yet another burden. And there are lot of angry Christians who, in sensitivity to their own pain, would accuse everyone else of living lives of ease and pleasure while the world burns. This is only a surface reality, because inwardly most peoples minds are tormented with vivid fears of modern dangers out of their control such as war, personal poverty, crime, and disease.
The bottom line is that the cause of depression need not be unknown,; it can be human and common, like the loss of a career or becoming emotionally exhausted from carrying too much financial stress. There is no need to make it spiritual or special to justify or sanctify our pain to one another. I think people, especially Christians, are very eager to offer love and support...even if we don't always trust their ability to understand what is actually going on in our lives.
Forgive me if I've overstepped myself here. In the very least, accept it as a snyopsis of my own encounters with depression.
Blessings everyone,
MC
