Faithbase

Hi, guys. This week, as I was recuperating from back surgery, thanks to the prayers, I watched an interesting show on Netflix. It was called Live to a Hundred, The Secrets of the Blue Zones. In that, the journalists kind of went around the world to investigate the diet and the lifestyles of those living the longest lives here on Earth. And one of the ingredients is finding purpose in life and creating a tight circle of friends. And then I got a message, unfortunately, from my Italian editor that his best friend's father committed suicide. And it got me thinking. It got me thinking more about the aspect that actually shortened our lives. And I wanted to briefly address the deadly issue of depression. And why do I call it deadly? Because if it's not addressed, it could lead to a suicide. Now, in the last two decades, the number of total suicides in the US jumped 35% higher. In 2022, people 65 and older had the highest increase in the number of deaths by suicide. And in 2020, suicide was the second cause of death in kids from 10 to 14. We're afflicted by both ends of the spectrum. But how do we identify it? Here are some words from a young person that has been suffering from depression. Depression creeps upon you quietly. At the very beginning, you struggle with the little things but usually choose to ignore them. It's like a headache. You tell yourself it is temporary and it will pass. It's just another bad day. But it is not. You're stuck in the same state of mind. You get used to putting on a social mask and you continue to live among other people because that's what you have to do. That's what others do. However, the problem does not go away. You struggle to put on a play every day and it starts to cost you more and more. That is why you fall even deeper. And that's when you slowly start to back away from friends and family, sometimes completely shutting them out. All satisfaction is gone. The little things that used to bring you joy are now worthless. Even the simplest tasks become painful. That is why you lack motivation. Now, why would you keep on trying if nothing makes you happy anyway? All of this makes you feel even worse and you get caught up in a vicious circle. Suddenly, you find yourself living in slow motion. Days become indistinguishable. Just white noise. Just heaviness filling your mind and spilling over your body. You feel as though you never will be happy again. You continue to back away and destroy relationships. You're ashamed for everything you have done and everything you haven't. There is a part of you that wants to make things right. A sudden positive upsurge makes you want to go out and meet people, but it's all very short because you know it won't work anyway. Things that make your friends excited leave you indifferent and you become aware of the huge gap that lies between you two. Another failure is not an option. So, in the end, you choose to be alone in your comfort zone where no one asks any questions. The low self-esteem and the lack of purpose become unbearable. You finally realize you can go on that way and two things can happen. You either decide to get some help or you might attempt a suicide. Wow, that's a very heavy duty. So, what we see from this exposition of inner thoughts is that depression is not just a negative view of life. It is the embodiment of emotional suffering and that is why people often feel not just the psychological effect but also a physical effect to it. Some of the items that we saw from that letter are these. Persistent feelings of worthlessness. Basically, you feel hopeless and you talk yourself down. Another one is having little or no interest or pleasure in doing things. Then fatigue and low energy and even every task that is menial becomes exhausting. Then misjudging your friends, thinking that they are out to get you. They're not caring about you anymore. Then change in appetite, whether it's too much or too little. It changes also your weight. And then poor concentration or undecisiveness. That means you can also take a long time in making the smallest of daily decisions. And finally, the suicidal thoughts or urges. And at this point, I have a question. Can a Christian get depressed? And I think that for a Christian, the issue may even be more challenging because probably we think that under God's umbrella, under his protection, we should not be susceptible to these kind of threats. And thus, we may even feel more embarrassed or ashamed to even admit it. Well, let me say that you can learn from those who have made it through and actually are featured in God's Word. And I want to read a few things. Jeremiah, you know, remember the prophet who was chosen by God to proclaim the truth. He writes this on chapter 1510, "'Woe is me, my mother, that you bore me, a man of strife and contention to the whole land. I have not lent, nor have I borrowed, yet all of them curse me.'" Basically, what he's saying, he is cursing the day that he was born. And maybe that is why he even wrote the book of Lamentations. In Lamentations 2.10, he says, "'I have cried until tears no longer come. My heart is broken.'" Then we have also Job. He was a very rich man. He was highly praised by people in the past. And all of a sudden, his wealth was swept away. The kids were killed. The wife left him. His health was absolutely crashed. And toward the end of his book, he's made fun of, and he's spat upon, and he writes basically a depressing poetry. He says this on Job 30.16.20, "'And now my soul is poured out within me. Days of affliction have taken hold of me. The night racks my bones, and the pain that gnaws me takes no rest. With great force my garment is disfigured. It binds me about like the collar of my tunic. God has cast me into the mire, and I've become like dust and ashes. I cry to you for help, and you do not answer me. I stand, and you only look at me.'" Wow! Fairly depressed. Then we have even King David. You know, that's a man after God's own heart, and he is up and down, you know, with his feelings during the Psalms. In Psalm 6.5.7, he says, "'I am weary with my mourning every night. I flood my bed with tears. I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief. It grows weak because of all my foes.'" Anyways, we can say the same for Moses, for Elijah, and other men of God. So, I think that God made sure that these raw feelings were included in the Bible so that we would not feel that we are alone. And depression can come from anyone, even believers. The fact is God knows more about depression, anxiety, despair, sadness than any psychiatrist, counselor, pastor, or even friends. And His Word, God provides a framework that we can use to approach this subject. Now, I'm not a psychologist, so I cannot give you a cure except saying that if you corner yourself in the dark, the enemy will continue to pounce on you. And as I was preparing for this in my backyard, I was looking at some plants, and I noticed that some, the ones that were in the light, they're actually lighter in color, and they're blossoming, while the one that is in the shade is darker and flowerless. So, expose yourself to the light of Christ while denouncing the lies of the enemies who works in the dark. And I was reminded of one psalm, Psalm 23, where David says, even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Let's stop there for a second. The fact that he's walking and he's seeing the shadow means to me that the light is actually behind him. He's walking away from the light in this place of death and darkness. So, turn around. Why? Because if you turn around, you will see something. I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Hebrews 4, 15-16 says, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. So, be bold in your approach towards God's throne of grace. And with every accusation that the enemy is putting in your mind, just rebuke it and claim God's promises in your life. Going back to what I was saying in the very beginning, if you remember, I say your life has purpose. So, search for it and nurture a tight group of friends. Thanks again for listening. I love you guys. I pray for you. Pray for me. Ciao!