Depression is a fact of life. We begin to experience it as teenagers, but it can happen at any age. Jeduthun was having a terrible time with it. Have you ever had a problem so great you were troubled by it day and night? That is what Jeduthun was going through.
Depression has a lot to do with pastors resigning their churches. There are three primary reasons pastors resign. First, there is the feeling of inadequacy in teaching the word of God. One of the greatest preachers of the 19th century was Charles Haddon Spurgeon, pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London, England. It has been said he was greatly depressed after preaching. Why? Because it is a great responsibility to teach the word of a holy God, and how can a human do it adequately. Many times pastors will take Mondays off to relax to get over their depression. I speak from experience. But Peter tells us, “Do you have a gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you.” (1 Pet. 4:11).
The second reason many pastors leave churches is criticism/complaints. This started as a problem in the early church. In Acts 6, the Apostles called a meeting of all the believers. They told the members to choose deacons to deal with problems/complaints “then we Apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word”. This is the way a New Testament church should operate, no exceptions.
The third reason pastors leave their churches is because their discouragement has led them into sin. It may be something that can easily be dealt with or it may be something that requires the pastor to leave the ministry for a time. Pastors are held to a higher standard than most people. A member of a church may be caught in a sin, but, if they repent, they are forgiven and remain in the church. If a pastor commits the same sin, he is usually forced to resign. This is as it should be; but after a period of time, a pastor may be given another opportunity. If God is willing to forgive us when we confess our sins, shouldn’t we be willing to forgive our pastors?