For the Personal Lament Handout Click Here

Depression is a common but complex struggle that all of us will encounter in our own lives or in the lives of people we love. 

In this episode Brenda and Alex begin by addressing what depression is and walk through possible causes for it in our lives. Looking at it holistically they address our physical and spiritual lives, the influence of other people, and the influence of the enemy. This is the lens used by Dr. Bob Smith who was both a medical doctor and a biblical counselor. By looking at all these areas we can begin to see that even at the root depression is complex, and it is okay if we feel that complexity deeply. 

Depression tempts us to see the world in black and white categories. Its antidote, Biblical hope, acknowledges that there are other colors in the midst. There are dark colors in the midst of the bright and beautiful. We can become depressed when we think people have let us down, but when we think God has let us down we can feel that depression more deeply. Biblical hope leads us to trust God even when we can’t feel Him or see Him in our circumstances. We can trust in His character, His presence, and His promises. 

This is not meant to be a spiritual bandaid or a quick fix. Through exploring Paul Miller’s J-Curve in this episode we see that when we walk through the heaviness of our grief and sorrow instead of trying to get out from under it we can come to a place of hope. The Biblical hope that even when we have to dig into deep hard things there is a time coming when we will have ultimate hope realized.

The soul tool in this episode walks us through writing a lament. This tool allows us to express our deep messy emotions while engaging our faith. Although it can feel disrespectful or irreverent to be raw and messy before the Lord; a lament is a pure form of faith that simply takes God at his word. He wants to meet us exactly where we are. It is also important to listen to our bodies and create new rhythms and patterns that will help us feel anchored and have structure in our routine. Small goals and small victories in these areas can make a big difference in the battle of depression. 
Alex and Brenda encourage us to engage in the beauty we can find around us because it reminds us that God has not given up on the world. In the end, there will be nothing to depress us, all the sadness will one day be wiped away. No matter the season, we can depend on the promise of a final and future resolution through Jesus.

To sign up for free visuals and discussion questions for this season click ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

This podcast is made possible by engineers and producers ⁠⁠Zachary Tate Smith⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Shane Selby⁠⁠, executive producer ⁠⁠Meleah Smith⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠generous donors⁠⁠.

⁠⁠Known Ministries⁠⁠ is ⁠⁠Alex Kocher⁠⁠ and Brenda Payne. This fourth season of Conversational Counseling is called "Wisdom for life's common struggles.”