8. Too Close to Home.
People in the congregation may assume the pastor or staff person is talking about this subject as a subtle way of crying out for help, and he or she might be depressed themselves. This could put a career in jeopardy. The statistics reveal than in fact more than 60 percent of pastors are suffering from some degree of depression or stress-related illness. Some may call it “burnout,” but the result is many are leaving the ministry or living with continued frustration.
So if Jesus warned us we would have “trouble,” what should our response be to our brothers and sisters in the human family who are suffering the emotional and physical consequences of life’s heartaches? There continues to be a stigmatization of depression in the Christian community that says if you are feeling depressed, it is because of sin or lack of faith.
How is this different than what Jesus said in Matt. 23:4:
They tie up heavy loads and put them of men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them? What good is our faith without actions? James says, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? . . . Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”
In Luke 4, Jesus describes His mission as Messiah that includes “to heal the brokenhearted,” which implies a role to mend broken hearts that have been crushed by calamity like pieces of broken earthenware. Think about brave firemen who, when others are running away, run toward the fire in order to rescue those who are in crisis. Can we not agree to emulate the heart of Jesus and come alongside those who are hurting and be their companion in encouraging them to seek help?
Depression has many degrees of severity and many triggers. Should we not pursue and investigate the many interventions and treatments available? As Romans 6:19 says, “How much different it is now as you live in God’s freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness” (The Message).
No patient has ever sent me a “thank-you” note because I prescribed a medication to lower their cholesterol even though I suspect strokes or heart attacks were prevented from occurring as a result. The medical interventions did not fundamentally change how they experienced life in contrast to the transformation that takes place in the lives of people who are released from the bondage of depression.
Why not take an honest assessment of where your church is in regards to its attitude toward those who suffer from depression and other illnesses of the soul? May the Lord bless your efforts as you reach out in His name to help those who are hurting!
