When the fog of depression envelops me, what spurs me to action when there’s no feeling or motivation to do anything?

A means of grace I cling to for sustenance is the Word of God. One feature in the Bible that has thrown me a lifeline time and again is God’s promises.

 

Value of God’s Promises

A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. God “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). According to Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good?”  Peter called the Lord’s promises “precious” and “magnificent,” insisting that promises facilitate holiness (2 Peter 1:4).

Memorizing and meditating on God’s promises is perhaps the most significant spiritual discipline I’ve ever practiced.

A promise that instills resilience within me describes life in the new heaven and new earth: “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain” (Revelation 21:4). Paul insisted that a reason for not losing heart during affliction is awareness that “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also….for momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:14,17).

 

How Focusing on Forever Helps

After major surgery, you endure uncomfortable pain because you know it’s temporary.

You bear the discomfort of pushing yourself in the gym because you’re anticipating the weight loss and enhanced energy.

The distance runner concentrating on the finish line perseveres through lung-gasping, muscle-cramping pain.

The boxer entering the final round wards off debilitating fatigue because he knows the bell ending the match is only three minutes away.

The beleaguered Christ-follower in the middle of another depressive episode doesn’t give up because she knows a pain-free future awaits.

When the Lord doesn’t remove affliction in this life, we know it’s nonetheless temporary!

 

My Reliance On This Promise

When I’m despondent, the Holy Spirit’s inside whisper tells me, “Terry, hang on a while longer. This won’t last forever!”

There will no longer be….

• Discouragement over sin that keeps cropping up. (Depression increases my vulnerability to some sins.)
• Walking with a slow gait that feels like I’m plodding through a swamp.
• Tears flowing down my cheeks when I can’t explain why I’m crying.
• Emotionally numb days when I can’t feel anything.
• Emptiness and despair that often envelop me close to sundown.
• Losing sleep worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. (Over 50% of persons with major depression also experience severe anxiety.)
• Harsh, condemning self-talk when I look into a mirror.
• A gloomy, cheerless face that others sometimes see when they meet me.
• A high humidity in my heart that smothers motivation, making it hard for my soul to breathe.
• A shadow of sadness that follows me around on sunny days, keeping rays from reaching me.

 

A Blood-Bought Promise

This focus on forever isn’t escapism. It motivates ministry and faithfulness now, knowing that everything I do in this life has eternal consequences. Neither does clinging to this promise keep me from tapping into other means of grace for alleviating depression’s symptoms, including the common graces of medicine and counseling. Yet there are rough days when the promise of heaven itself is enough to keep me in the battle.

Randy Alcorn wrote, “‘They all lived happily ever after’ is not merely a fairy tale. It’s the blood-bought promise of God for all who trust in the gospel.”

For heaven’s sake, hold fast!