“In a sense, a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms”, wrote Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones in his amazing book, Spiritual Depression. Far from being insensitive to the realities of suffering and depression, this idea, derived from Scripture, is canon fire against our depression and solid ground in our suffering. Far from ignoring the realities of depression and suffering in the Bible, this idea is the solid ground on which to stand when you suffer and when your soul is depressed.
Consider this amazing news from just one short New Testament book, the book of Philippians. Again and again the Apostle Paul in Philippians speaks to the joy, gladness, and rejoicing that is for the church. Paul makes his prayer “with joy”, wants the church to have “joy in the faith”, wants them to complete his joy, wants them to receive the one he sends with “all joy”, says they are his “joy”, says that Christ is proclaimed and “in that I rejoice”, says that even in suffering “I am glad and rejoice with you all” and writes, “Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me”. He wants them to “rejoice at seeing him again”, calls them to “rejoice in the Lord”, and again, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” and later explains, “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly”.
How is a depressed Christian a contradiction in terms? Because knowing Jesus and the power of his resurrection and the tenderness of his forgiveness and the strength of his grace is to have reason for joy, gladness, and rejoicing. A depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms like a sad kid in a candy shop is a contradiction in terms.
Far from being insensitive to the realities of suffering and depression, this idea gives depressed Christians hope in two ways. First, what could be worse than holding to a faith that said the opposite? Imagine in your depression hearing that a depressed Christian makes sense and seems consistent. That would be devastating news. To see such a short book of the Bible littered with joy is good news for the depressed soul. It says, something isn’t right. This is not the way it is meant to be. And in saying that we get the second way this idea gives hope. Second, this idea grounds our joy outside of ourselves. Yes, many Christians are depressed, so what do you do? Where do you look? Not within. You look outside of yourself for Christian joy comes from the outside. Good news! You might be depressed but you do not need to look within your depressed soul for joy. You need to look outside your depressed soul for joy.
Joy and gladness is so fundamental to the message of the Bible that the Westminster Shorter Catechism begins by saying “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” In other words, the purpose of life is to know God and have joy in knowing God. If we are the kids, knowing God is having free reign at the candy shop. By design, the result is the heights of joy.
It is good news that a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms. It means in our depression we have reason to fight. We know something isn’t right. Something is off. And it means we can stop searching within for joy and worrying that we can never have joy again. Just as sure as Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose from the dead to forgive you of your sins, joy is for you.
