are there any verses or quotes from the Bible that can relate to depression or someone feeling low in life?
UPDATE========
HERE IS the advice how others are to treat such ones, whether clinical depression or not:
(1 Thes沙龙ians 5:14-15) “.?.?.On the other hand, we exhort YOU, brothers, admonish the disorderly, speak consolingly to the depressed souls, support the weak, be long-suffering toward all. 15?See that no one renders injury for injury to anyone else, but always pursue what is good toward one another and to all others.”
ONE DISCIPLE of Christ suffered a bout with this:
(Philippians 2:25-27) “.?.?.However, I consider it necessary to send to YOU E·paph·ro·di′tus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, but YOUR envoy and private servant for my need, 26?since he is longing to see all of YOU and is depressed because YOU heard he had fallen sick. 27?Yes, indeed, he fell sick nearly to the point of death; .?.?.”
--OTHER REFERENCES that could be dealing with one type of depression or another:
(Proverbs 15:13) “.?.?.A joyful heart has a good effect on the countenance, but because of the pain of the heart there is a stricken spirit (disposition--my comment.”
(Proverbs 17:22) “.?.?.A heart that is joyful does good as a curer, but a spirit that is stricken makes the bones dry.”
--Indicating a more severe case of depression is this text:
(Proverbs 18:14) “.?.?.The spirit of a man can put up with his malady; but as for a stricken spirit, who can bear it?”
--THIS TEXT seems to indicate the type of depression that we may be able to control with a positive attitude and action:
(Proverbs 24:10) “.?.?.Have you shown yourself discouraged in the day of distress? Your power will be scanty.”
--This , incident with E·paph·ro·di′tus, seems to be of natural cause , as none of us are free from it at times!
--THE ADMONITION in the Thessolonian account could also include some clinical malady , since there were cases of insanity and lesser matters throughout history.
--It would be hard to determine since , the research on chemically imbalanced persons and some treatments with medicine have taken place , mainly in out time!
Read the whole of Ecclesiastes or Job - they are the best examples of depression in the Bible. They can help you not feel so alone in your despair.
Job has a way of expressing his depression only equalled by Shakespeares hamlet.
After this, Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day, Cursed his day... Job cursed the day of his birth, not by way of wishing evil to any thing of God's creation; but only to express in a stronger manner his sense of human miseries in general, and of his own calamities in particular. 2 And he said:
3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.
4 Let that day be turned into darkness, let not God regard it from above, and let not the light shine upon it.
5 Let darkness, and the shadow of death, cover it, let a mist overspread it, and let it be wrapped up in bitterness.
6 Let a darksome whirlwind seize upon that night, let it not be counted in the days of the year, nor numbered in the months.
7 Let that night be solitary, and not worthy of praise.
8 Let them curse it who curse the day, who are ready to raise up a leviathan:
9 Let the stars be darkened with the mist thereof: let it expect light, and not see it, nor the rising of the dawning of the day:
10 Because it shut not up the doors of the womb that bore me, nor took away evils from my eyedepression bible quotess.
11 Why did I not die in the womb? why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?
12 Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?
13 For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep:
14 With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:
15 Or with princes, that possess gold, and fill their houses with silver:
16 Or as a hidden untimely birth, I should not be; or as they that, being conceived, have not seen the light.
17 There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.
18 And they sometime bound together without disquiet, have not heard the voice of the oppressor.
19 The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.
20 Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?
21 That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:
22 And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave?
23 To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?
24 Before I eat I sigh: and as overflowing waters, so is my roaring:
25 For the fear which I feared, hath come upon me: and that which I was afraid of, hath befallen me.
26 Have I not dissembled? have I not kept silence? have I not been quiet? and indignation is come upon me.
Ecclesiastes
"Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "utterly meaningless!"
What do people get for all their hard work?
Generations come and go, but nothing really changes.
The sun rises and sets and hurries around to rise again.
The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and forth, getting nowhere.
The rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows again to the sea.
Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.
History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.
-Solomon
Philippians 4:6-8
:Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
Depression is a widespread condition, affecting millions of people, Christian and non-Christian alike. Those suffering from depression can experience intense feelings of sadness, anger, hopelessness, fatigue, and a variety of other symptoms. They may begin to feel useless and even suicidal, losing interest in things and people that they once enjoyed. Depression is often triggered by life circumstances, such as a loss of job, death of a loved one, or divorce, or psychological problems such as abuse or low self-esteem.
The Bible tells us to be filled with joy and praise (Philippians 4:4; Romans 15:11), so God apparently intends for us all to live joyful lives. This is not easy for someone suffering from situational depression, but it can be remedied through God's gifts of prayer, Bible study and application, support groups, home groups, fellowship among believers, confessdepression bible quotesion, forgiveness, and counseling. We must make the conscious effort to not be absorbed in ourselves, but rather to turn our efforts outward. Feelings of depression can often be solved when the sufferer takes the focus off himself and puts it on Christ and others.
Clinical depression is a physical condition that must be diagnosed by a physician. It is not caused by unfortunate life circumstances, nor can the symptoms be alleviated by one's own will. Contrary to what some in the Christian community believe, clinical depression is not always caused by sin. Depression can sometimes be a disorder that needs to be treated with medication and/or counseling. Of course, God is able to cure any disease or disorder. However, in some cases, seeing a doctor for depression is no different than seeing a doctor for an injury.
There are some things that those who suffer from depression can do to alleviate their anxiety. They should make sure that they are staying in the Word, even when they don't feel like it. Emotions can lead us astray, but God's Word stands firm and unchanging. We must maintain strong faith in God, and hold even tighter to Him when we undergo trials and temptations. The Bible tells us that God will never allow temptations into our lives that are too much for us to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). Although being depressed is not a sin, one is still responsible for how he responds to his affliction, including getting the professional help he needs. "With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name" (Hebrews 13:15).
These might not be what you are looking for, but these helped me in the past:
Matthew 22:36-40 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (37) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Why it helps me? I am commanded to love others AS myself. Not more. Not less. I am supposed to love myself too.
Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Why it helps me? The more I think about God, the less self-centered I am. The less self-centered I am, the less depressed I am in general.
Genesis 37 on. Why it helps me. Joseph was sold into slavery, unjustly sent to prison, forgotten, hated by his brothers and on and on it goes. He became a mighty man of God. It helps me to remember that bad situations can mold me how God wants me to be.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Just memorize it and say it over and over. It just helps somehow.
Psalms 30:5
"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
My mother would always say that to me when I was sad as a child and I still remember it now and it still makes me feel better.
Matthew 6:25-34 is one of the best.
Maybe we can be more specific if you tell us what you are depressed about. What's got ya down, exactly?
Pretty much the whole book of Psalms is the psalmist pouring our his anguish over one thing or another.
so to summarize the sunflower's rather longwinded answer: no
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