Why do Christians have depression? Since we have trusted Christ shouldn’t we be free from those feelings? Is depression a sin? The answer is we have depression because we are alive as imperfect people in an imperfect world, and it is not a sin to have those feelings.
Psychology tells us that teenagers have feelings of depression on the average of once a week whereas adults experience it once or twice a month. If feelings of depression become a daily experience, an experienced Christian counselor should be seen. But for the average person, this psalm is a great help.
Here an unidentified believer was having a severe problem. He wrote, “Death wrapped its ropes around me; the terrors of the grave overtook me. I saw only trouble and sorrow.” (Verse 3). He didn’t give us any details about the reason for his depression. Maybe that was God’s intension in inspiring this psalm because we don’t all experience the same reasons for depression. Some people think David wrote this when he had to escape from Saul or Absalom; it may have been written by Hezekiah when the prophet told him he would die soon. But whoever wrote this for whatever reason, he found the answer.
When the writer found himself in this deep depression, he tells us, “Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘Please, Lord, save me’!” Most of the time we have a natural fear of death. When we are young and healthy, it is reasonable to desire life. Usually, only Christians who are either very old or very sick welcome the transition from here to eternity. The writer wasn’t ready to go.
The Lord did extend his life. He experienced relief from his anxiety and depression. “How kind the Lord is! How good He is! So merciful, this God of ours! The Lord protects those of child-like faith; I was facing death, and He saved me.” (Verses 5-7).
How grateful was the writer and how did it affect his life? He said, “And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth! . . .I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me. . .I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people in the house of the Lord. . .!” When God answers our prayers, it should give us a greater desire to praise Him.