I believe that depression and suicide are modern day epidemics that often get overlooked. While things like COVID-19 and politics capture much of the public's attention, those suffering silently from depression and anxiety often fall through the cracks. Everything might look okay on the outside, so the symptoms are often difficult to see. We may add to this the fact that it is even more difficult for the average person to address this topic in passing conversation. For example, twenty-two veterans per day commit suicide in the United States. PTSD and a wide range of other difficulties contribute to this situation for many who face active combat scenarios. While these numbers may not compare with heart disease or other medical maladies - they are still staggering. That equates to over eight-thousand people per year who go to an early grave unnecessarily. If this doesn't bother you, then let me say without reserve that it really should. And this doesn't even include the average civilian who might be struggling with suicidal thoughts as well.
Note that in the following Scripture from 1 Kings, there is mention of God's people also struggling with depression. 1 Kings 19:3-4 says, "Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. 'I have had enough, Lord,' he said. 'Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.'"
Elijah had reason to be scared. He was on the run from Jezebel, who was set on murdering him. Notice that this Old Testament character finds himself in the same situation that many people deal with today. He had a sense of hopelessness and even prayed for his own death. Three-thousand years may exist between this historical account and our own time, but the specter of depression hasn't changed much. It is still fueled by what I believe is a fundamental misunderstanding about what our personal worth is.
If left to our own devices, people often repeat two very distinct lies to themselves during times of trial and struggle. The first goes something like this: "God has rejected and abandoned me." Now I want to point out here that many fine people throughout history have thought this very thing. So if it is running through your mind also, know that you are not alone.
Second, people who are struggling often believe the lie: "Your family would be better off without you." This is also based on a false assumption that the people who care for us might actually 'have it easier' if we aren't around to burden them. The truth of the matter is, even if we don't get along well with our family, they would most certainly suffer grief if you were suddenly gone.
If you don't remember anything else from this article, then please hear what I say next. Your personal value isn't determined by your performance in any given situation. If you are struggling to hold down a job, it doesn't always mean that you aren't worthy of making an income. If you happen to make a few mistakes regarding something important, it doesn't mean that you cannot learn from it and rise above it the next day. You are more than what you may or may not accomplish from one week to the next.
I remember the very first job I had when I was fourteen years old. It was at a local grocery store, and I was running the cash register. This was before political correctness had set in, so if you got in trouble with the boss, you received an ear-lashing. Needless to say, I was trying really hard to perform well! One day a really nice woman strolled through the checkout line and began complimenting me on my shirt and tie. Little did I know that she was part of a crime ring that traveled from store to store and stole money out of cash registers. One person would distract the clerk, while the person behind them in line literally reached into the open drawer and pulled out large bills.
This little scam worked like a charm on a young and vulnerable kid working his first real job. I didn't get into serious trouble because the manager knew about the crime ring, but I still felt awful. I felt like dirt actually. If I could have crawled into a tiny hole to hide, I would have. But fortunately I had enough wherewithal to understand that this event wouldn't end up shaping and defining my entire career. I had a few people who helped me to remember that as time went on and I became more experienced, the tension and anxiety would pass. This is a simplistic illustration, but I do think it lends itself to the truth that my own self worth wasn't a reflection of that particular day at work.
And now lets discuss what God says about our value as an individual. Here we talk about three truths, in direct opposition to the two lies previously mentioned. The first truth is that you are who God says you are. Forget all the negativity that sometimes surrounds us. Maybe it comes from a co-worker or a bully at school. For many, this type of abuse exists between spouses or parents and children. Whatever the case may be, please consider allowing God's positive voice to drown out all the other white noise.
The second truth is that you are what Christ did for you on the cross. No matter how low your personal self-esteem may be, nothing can change the fact that two-thousand years ago, Jesus died a painful death on the cross as a blood sacrifice for sin. It was an act of altruistic love directly from the Creator to us. He didn't have to sacrifice His son; He didn't owe us anything. He did it anyway. Rest assured that God must have had a good reason to vouch for you and I, so let's take Him at His word that we are worthy enough to be loved.
Finally, we may rest in the truth that God has big plans for us. There are so many places in Scripture that talk about the different ways He plans to prosper us and lead us into safer pastures. It may not always feel like we are unique or special, but to the being who created the entire Universe - we are invaluable.
In short, you have been made with a purpose and a plan. If there is still life left in your body, then you still have work to do for the kingdom of Heaven. Consider verse 5 from the first chapter of Jeremiah: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." This is the way the Bible describes God's call to Jeremiah to get up, get going, and start prophesying to the world. It is a call for you and I today also.
Even back when you were a simple, single-celled organism in your mother's womb, it appears that God had a plan for you in this life. Don't cut it short, and don't cut yourself off from His future blessing. We need not live a life of depression, thinking that we aren't worth anything or that we will never amount to anything. It simply isn't true.
In some ways, Jeremiah 1:5 has much to say about the modern day plight of abortion also. If God really knew us before we were born, then stopping a fetus from reaching adulthood becomes philosophically problematic. In 2018 for example, the CDC reported over half a million abortions occurred in America. I believe we can take from Scripture that each person has value in God's eyes. In essence, half a million of God's candles were extinguished on purpose in just one year. The WHO (World Health Organization) reports close to fifty million abortions annually worldwide. This is an incredible amount of death by anyone's standards, almost akin to some types of genocide I think. I believe this ought to give us pause for thought when it comes to what life means in terms of value and worth.
Ultimately, I suppose my point is this: you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Capable of great success and purpose. Erase the lies that you may have been fed throughout your life that you aren't important, or that not all life is equally valuable. Instead, lean into what God actually said and did. In this way, hopefully the plight of depression will gradually begin to diminish in our culture over time. Resist the urge to quantify yourself as anything less than important beyond measure.
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