What is your chief concern in life right now? Most likely you answered, “To have happiness or joy.”
There is a difference between happiness and joy. The word “joy” is used 224 times in the Bible (NIV), whereas the words “happy” and “happiness” combined are used only thirty times. That is not a coincidence. Happiness is dependant on circumstances, like a job promotion, or getting married, or finding out you are pregnant. Ralph Waldo Trine wrote, "To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy... is to set our own conditions to the events of each day."
Joy is different. It is dependant on a relationship with God. Jesus, preparing the disciples for his departure said, “You're going to be in deep mourning. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into joy. When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. “But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth.” John 16:20-21 If you’ve endured childbirth, you understand Jesus’ point.
Many see depression today as more a spiritual crisis when the issue becomes; What am I here for? Where is joy and laughter in life? What’s my purpose?
Before lasting peace and joy can be found, we must answer these questions.
Christian psychotherapist Dr. Les Carter agrees that a modest amount of depression can be a sign of a hungry spirit. He wrote, “Life is a journey, and our efforts to relate appropriately are meaningless if we do not stay focused on where we come from and where we are going.”
We’re all spiritual beings. It is when our spirit unites with God’s that we find true peace, joy, and fulfillment. Depression can even produce insight and wisdom that can be had in no other way.
From his years of experience caring for the depressed, Dr. Walter Johnson wrote, “Although I am convinced, and indeed scientific evidence is very strong in this area, that in many cases biological factors are a predominant cause of depression, I am very insistent that spiritual counseling is of the utmost importance in treating depressed individuals in conjunction, when necessary, with antidepressant medications.”
This is an excerpt from the devotional book: I’m God’s Girl? Why Can’t I Feel It? I would recommend purchasing a self-help book on how to defeat depression God’s way and challenge negative thoughts. Learn to see the world in a hopeful, positive light.
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