Is it wrong for people of faith to be depressed?
Posted on October 27, 2024 by Todd Leonard, One of Thousands of Spirituality Coaches on Noomii.
Anxiety, depression and discouragement are normal and essential parts of the human experience. Running from them delays the healiing process.
According to some preachers and teachers, it is unbiblical and unfaithful as a person of faith to be depressed and discouraged. When things are falling apart, religious people look “up.”
Bullshit.
First of all, to be at your breaking point and to feel like giving up is something that Jesus, Mohammed and other religious leaders experienced multiple times. It’s part of being human. Don’t beat yourself for your “faith failing you.”
Secondly, some of the most important spiritual work you will ever do is when you are depressed and discouraged. Not because depression and discouragement are good long-term postures to be in, but because depression and discouragement alert you to one or more things that aren’t right in you, aren’t right in your immediate world, or aren’t right with the broader cosmos and/or even with God. It’s when your existing understanding of things falls apart that you have the opportunity to discover something deeper and more profound. And you will miss it if you try to fake your faith and act like you’ve got it all together. But if you descend into the unknown, you will arise to new light and a more robust spirituality that is more comfortable with discomfort and can handle increasingly difficult questions with increasingly less satisfactory answers.
Caveats to what I just said: 1) You don’t need to suffer to grow. Don’t seek out suffering. Seek to grow in all of life’s circumstances. But moments of suffering can be catalysts for growth. Take advantage. 2) If you suffer from clinical depression or anxiety, as I do, seek therapy and, possibly, medication. This condition is no longer just a result of momentary suffering, but long-term chemical/biological changes that predispose you to mental illness. Get the help you need to manage your condition. (Note: I am a coach and consultant, not a therapist or physician. Seek professional mental health help). 3) Don’t tell people in chronic conditions of suffering (poverty, marginalization, incarceration, etc) that they are blessed to be “extra-spiritual” because of their chronic suffering. Instead, work to relieve their suffering so that their spirituality can flourish in healthier environments.
To suffer is to be human. To suffer is part of being spiritual. Sadness and discouragement hold hands with suffering. Let the difficult emotions do their work in you too. You’ll be better for it and the others in your life will be blessed by you because of it.
