Depression & the Dark Night of the Soul

“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go yonder and pray.’ And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.’ And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed. ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ ” Matthew 26:36

I always read this story when I get depressed because it describes how I feel. Of course, I realize that the reasons I am depressed do not compare to the reasons Christ was “sorrowful,” but if you have ever suffered from severe, clinical depression you understand the comparison.

Depression has been around a long time and we still don’t understand it fully. The scientists say it is a physiological disorder and refer to it as clinical depression. For more about this, read the The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon.

Others believe that it rooted in a stressful, traumatic childhood and is treatable with talk-therapy.

Still others will say, “It is all in your head. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

I believe is all these forms of depression and I believe in getting professional help.
However, I also believe that Christians have another obligation when it comes to treating depression—surrendering it to God as Christ did in the Garden of Gethsemane.

What does surrendering our depression actually mean? Well let’s look at what Christ did. His first act was to go to a quiet place to pray. But he did not go alone. He took his best friends. I too call upon my friends when I first get depressed, and they do bring me some solace.

However, like Christ, I often find them useless when the depression is really bad, because they really don’t know how to help me. When that happens I just go to bed.

In bed, I begin bargaining with God just as Christ did. “Take this cup from me,” I pray. “I am tired of being depressed. It has been going on too long.”

Eventually, I let the self-pity wane and I go to sleep with a prayer of surrender and acceptance on my lips. “Thy will be done,” I say. “I love you Lord. Give me strength.” Then I turn my “eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth . . . grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” (Helen H. Lemmel)

Turning to Christ works for me. Christ has filled my heart with his love for me and his endless sympathy for my condition. Most of all, he has helped me understand that I must courageously bear my sorrow, just as he did in the garden.