My Answer: Prayer not the only cure to depression
Q: My wife seems to be getting more and more depressed. A friend of hers says she just needs to pray more and have more faith, but I’m not sure if that’s right. Is depression just a spiritual problem, like her friend says? — J.W.
A: Sometimes depression does result from spiritual problems, and if so, they need to be faced and confessed, and brought to God for forgiveness and healing. After King David committed the sin of adultery, he fell into a deep depression that affected him both mentally and physically — until he repented. He later wrote, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away” (Psalm 32:3).
However, depression can have many other causes. I’m not a doctor or psychiatrist, of course, but I know of cases that came about because of chemical or hormonal imbalances in the body, and were successfully treated when these imbalances were corrected. Other cases may develop due to worry or stress, or from emotional traumas that happened many years ago.
Whatever the cause of your wife’s depression, I strongly urge you and your wife to seek professional help for her problem. Don’t be ashamed or feel that you’re somehow showing a lack of faith. If you had a broken bone you’d seek help — and if you have a broken emotion you also should seek help. One place to begin would be with your family physician. If your wife needs counseling, your pastor may be able to direct you to someone who’s both spiritually sensitive and professionally competent.
I know these are difficult days for you both, but do all you can to let your wife know you love her — and so does God. The Bible says, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak” (Romans 15:1).
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Q: A young couple just moved into an apartment near us. We invited them to our church, but they said they aren’t interested in religion and prefer to keep their weekends free. How do you get through to people like this? — Mrs. M.R.
A: I’m thankful you’re concerned about this couple, and that you want to help them build their lives on a solid foundation of faith. Many young people today are just like they are — morally and spiritually adrift, and yet not even aware of it. The Bible warns us against being “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:4).
Although they’ve rebuffed your invitation to attend church, go out of your way to be friendly and interested in them (without appearing nosy or overbearing). Ask God to give you a genuine love for them, and to be the best friends you can possibly be. Do others see Christ in you — in your love, your patience, your peace, your joy, your helpfulness? Our most effective witness often isn’t what we say, but what we are and what we do. The Bible says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders.... Let your conversation be always full of grace” (Colossians 4:5-6).
The most important thing you can do for this couple, however, is to pray for them. Only God can open their eyes to His truth, and only God can show them the emptiness of their lives and draw them to Christ. The Bible says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
The greatest gift we can ever offer someone is the same gift God has given us — the gift of his son, Jesus Christ. Ask God to make you a “gift-bearer” to those around you. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
(Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: https://www.billygraham.org.)