Depression, Sin and Easter

​I have found a positive to having depression: ​Depression​ allows you to understand a little ​about how God views sin. When you are depressed, you can’t brush aside the negatives. You can’t turn a blind eye to the pain and suffering in the world and focus on the cute, fun things. 

Sin in the world 

Depression lets you see the extent of the sin in the world more clearly. You can’t brush off stories of war and poverty and move on with your day. The anger, hatred and lack of trust all around ​are​ easy to see and ​quickly lead to ​despair. 

Sin in yourself 

Depression also reveals the sin in yourself more clearly. The “I’m mostly a good person” argument falls away as you understand the depths of your imperfection and how cons​is​t​e​ntly ​you ​fail to meet your own standards, let alone the standards of others. 

Helplessness 

The ‘badness’ inside you won’t simply wash off. You can’t fix your sin, and you definitely can’t fix the sin of the world.

​Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world

Ephesians 2:12​ (emphasis added)

NOT hopelessness 

When I first walked into church, I was a 17-year-old who was just miraculously healed from depression and I was desperate to learn more about the God who rescued me. I was ​shocked when the ​”badness” in the world and​ in​ ourselves was acknowledged​.

More astoundingly, the church I walked into showed me there was an answer to the problem. The answer, which I realised through the words of one of the songs, is ​​Jesus​. Here are those words:

​I’m special because God has loved me,

For He gave the best thing that He had to save me;

His own Son Jesus, crucified to take the blame

For all the bad things I have done.

Thank You Jesus, thank You Lord,

For loving me so much.

I know I don’t deserve anything.

Help me feel Your love ​​right now,

To know deep in my heart

That I’m Your special friend.

I’m special by Graham Kendrick

The song highlighted my ‘bad things’, and that ‘I don’t deserve anything’. After two years of depression, I was quick to accept these things. And in awe of Jesus who loved me enough to save me from my fate.

So this Easter, remember your sin​. But then remember Jesus, who is the willing, loving answer to that sin​ and stand with your head high, knowing you are God’s beautiful child.​