Depression -It’s Source and Solution

Q. What causes depression?

A. The Bible says depression is caused by anxiety in the heart.  

25 Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs him down [i.e. ‘causes depression,’]
but a kind word cheers him up. 

26 The righteous guides his friend’s way rightly,
but the way of the wicked will lead them astray. Proverbs 12:25-26 CJB

Q, What causes anxiety in a person’s heart?

A. Fear based lies we believe that keep us from fully trusting God. When we believe a lie, we empower the Liar.

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, love and a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7.

A follower of Christ never needs to live with anxiety in the heart! When a believer in Christ experiences anxiety, he should turn to God to hear a good word! Depression is the result of agreeing with or ‘giving place to’ lies planted by a spirit of fear. This causes anxiety in the heart.

Q. Fear of what? Anxious about what? How do I find any lies I am believing that give place to fear that causes anxiety in my heart?

A. Fear of [fill in the blank.] Fear of falling. Fear of failing. Fear of people. Fear of flying. Fear of succeeding. Fear of lack. Fear to having too much. When you come into agreement with a spirit of fear, the result is anxiety, anxious thoughts, worry, and struggle to trust God. Ultimately, the spirit of fear will lead you to completely distrust God and see your situation as hopeless. When that happens, you have fully turned your back on life and chosen a pathway to death. Depression can be deadly. Don’t tolerate it in your life!

Ask the Holy Spirit: “Is there any fear in my heart?” That’s a yes or no question. What did He reveal to you?

  • If you got a ‘yes’ then seek an encounter with Perfect Love (Father God, Jesus or Holy Spirit. The Lord our God is One Lord, so choose who you want to receive from.) You can pursue this on your own. He promises if you seek Him, you will find Him. You can get help to do this by setting up a Sozo appointment (apply here.)
  • If you got a ‘no’ check yourself out. Do you fully trust God in every aspect of life? Health, well-being, provision, finances, salvation, safety? Don’t overlook any area that is important to you. If you find an area that you do not fully trust God in, then get a Sozo appointment set up to continue this exercise.

Q. How do I get rid of the anxiety in my heart (fear that causes depression) and step into a place of fully trusting God?

A. An intimate, personal, encounter with God should take care of it. Fear and Love are mortal enemies. They cannot tolerate the presence of the other. Perfect Love (that would be God) drives fear out and gives no place for fear to operate. Fear causes torment, and brings about an anticipation of punishment. Left unattended, this ‘anxiety in the heart’ weakens or seeks to destroy faith in God. Perfect Love drives out fear by exposing fear based lies and giving you the opportunity to break agreement with the lies and choose life. He replaces lies with Truth that sets you free.

18 There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love.

19 We ourselves love now because he loved us first. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For if a person does not love his brother, whom he has seen, then he cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 Yes, this is the command we have from him: whoever loves God must love his brother too. CJB 1 John 4:18-21

This Scripture is saying we all need encounters with Perfect Love that brings about maturity in ability to love as God loves. His goal is to drive every bit of the enemy’s work and the enemy’s thoughts out of our being. Fear, confusion, hatred, bitterness, hopelessness –all of these are ‘works of the devil.’  Jesus destroys the devil’s works.

God places life and death choices in front of us daily. He encourages us to CHOOSE LIFE, even when we think we deserve punishment or death.

When we dwell on the times we have chosen badly, we focus on our failure instead of focusing on God’s solution. This results in more confusion, shame and anticipation of punishment or other unpleasant consequences. While we may have faith in God, we begin to feel He is distant and unhappy with us. To ignore or deny such feelings does not help. Feelings are given to us by God to monitor the condition of the soul. When the soul believes a lie, it cannot prosper.

Beloved, I would that you be in health and prosper as your soul prospers. (3 John 3.) 

If your soul is not prospering, due to anxiety, resentment, disappointment, please get a Sozo appointment where we will help you seek your Counselor, Teacher, Trainer, Guide (God’s Holy Spirit!) to remove any lie you believe and replace it with Truth. Your feelings will come into alignment with Truth. This is called metanoeo -Greek for “change the way you think” –translated as “repentance.” This is called transformation (Romans 12;2.)

If you struggle to come boldly to the Throne of Grace in time of need to receive grace (heaven’s empowerment) to live in the abundance of life Jesus came to give, we can help you seek your Helper, the Holy Spirit, to overcome this struggle.

Think about what you think about.

Are your thoughts are filled with self-condemnation, doubts about God’s love for you, doubts about God forgiving you for the times you have chosen death instead of life, doubt of any kind? If yes, then the result is this: you are being tempted to choose death. “Repent” means “change the way you think.” Ask the Holy Spirit for help (His grace) to do this, daily.

Change your thoughts, change your life!

Additional resources:

Watch the entire series of Dr Caroline Leaf teaching on detoxing your brain. It starts here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9UtL9_2jZA

Thinking POSITIVE thoughts for twenty minutes will change your brain chemistry (temporarily.) You must do this daily to have a lasting benefit. Ask for Holy Spirit’s help (grace) to do this. Without Him, you can do nothing (John 15:5.)

Philippians 4:8-9

8 In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. 9 Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom [peace, wholeness and well being] will be with you. CJB