What’s sin got to do with depression?

What does sin have to do with depression? (Credit: Michael Dorokhov via Flickr)
What does sin have to do with depression? (Credit: Michael Dorokhov via Flickr)

All of us will feel depressed at different times and ways. For most people, this feeling is a ‘depressed mood.’

This might come from feelings of guilt about a particular sin, such as adultery, gambling, lust, lying, or greed. That person needs to confess the underlying sin to God, believe they’re forgiven, and stop sinning.

Or, a depressed mood might come from disappointment with life, where a person might keep wishing they were wealthier, or prettier, or smarter, or stronger. That person needs to stop viewing creation as an idol, and seek to see the world God’s way.

Or, a depressed mood might come as the result of an experience of grief, such as sadness at the death of someone close, or because they are a victim of a relationship breakdown or of abuse. That person should keep listening to God’s promises about the hope of eternal life, and keep trusting in Jesus.

Or, a depressed mood might come from sadness at how the world hates Jesus, as we read in the words of the Bible in places like Lamentations and the Psalms. That person should be moved to pray for the world, and keep hoping and waiting for the return of Jesus.

However for some, depression is more than just a mood.

For these people, this experience is called ‘clinical depression,’ which comes from chemical imbalances in the brain. This kind of depression needs medical treatment.

Like all sicknesses, it is the result of the first sin in the Garden of Eden. But it is no more a ‘sin’ to have clinical depression than it is to have diabetes or cancer.

If your depression lasts longer than two weeks, see your GP. For immediate help contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.