Depression A Fast Growing Epidemic - 2148 Words

Depression is a fast growing epidemic in America, claiming the lives of an estimated one in eight people in our country; and several thousand in that number express faith in Jesus Christ (â€Å"Depression Statistics†) . But if God loves us, why does he allow us to feel this way? Where do we turn for up-to-date answers about this issue when the Bible was written over 2000 years ago? Believe it or not, the Bible contains some of the most compelling stories of painful and crushing depression, and the plan and purpose God had for those people who felt that way. You won’t find the word â€Å"depression† in the Bible, but you will find many biblical characters described as forlorn, downcast, heavy-laden, or brokenhearted. These are characters such as Job,†¦show more content†¦From each of these characters and many more in the Bible, we can learn about more about depression, ourselves, and how God would want us to deal with depression. Instead of looking inward for an answer, we should look to God. Each of these Biblical characters were specifically placed in the Bible by a perfect God who created us to be emotional human beings, and has the answers to why we feel the way that we do. One of the most popular characters who faced depression in the Bible was Job. The entire book of Job deals with the question of â€Å"Why do bad things happen to good people?† This book can be seen as the testing of a man of God to produce righteousness, but it still begs the question of why such a Godly man had to go through such testing. Job started out as a wealthy man with plenty of servants, possessions, and a great family, but all of this was to be taken away from him. First his servants and oxen were taken away by the neighboring enemy. Job’s first response was not to curse God, but to praise him for all he had given him, and recognize that it was the Lords possessions to take away. Next, Job was stricken with painful sores all over his body. Again, Job’s response was not to accept the good from God but not the bad. Even when Jobs wife and friends were asking him why he was not cursing God, Job remained faithful. After this, Job cries out in what is one of the most mournful chapters of the Bible, but still he does