Does the Bible Talk About Depression?
It’s estimated that 2-6% of people in the world experienced depression in the last year. That’s at least 160 million individuals.
Researchers also estimate that one in three women and one in five men in the US will have an episode of major depression by the time they’re 65.
That is a lot of people who experience depression. So if you are struggling with it today, know that you are not alone—not at all. And beyond the people around you, the Bible is full of accounts of individuals who struggled, too. While it may be a book written many years ago, it still relates to us today in many ways.
Stories in the Bible about depression and anxiety
Reading stories of men and women in the Bible who may have experienced what you’re experiencing tells us two important things: you are not alone—God is with you, and He cares!—and you do not have to be ashamed.
If you’re struggling with depression today, Biblically speaking, you’re in the company of greatness! Some of the great heroes of the faith fell into deep despair, and we can read about it all throughout the Bible.
The Prophet Jeremiah said he was weary with groaning: “Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.” (Jeremiah 45:3)
Moses, the man who parted the Red Sea, told God the burden was too heavy and asked to die: “I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” (Numbers 11:14-15)
King David cried out that the floodwaters were up to his neck: “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me.” (Psalm 69:1-2)
The Apostle Paul said he was under great pressure and despaired of life itself: “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself.” (2 Corinthians 1:8)
Even Jesus expressed deep pain: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." (Matthew 26:38).
And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to people in the Bible experiencing seasons of depression, pain, suffering, and grief. Not everyone would have been officially diagnosed with clinical depression or another disorder, but it is clear that there is deep struggle recorded through the pages of Scripture.
What the Bible teaches us about depression and anxiety
The Bible is full of raw and honest accounts of emotional pain that we experience today, too. This shows us that not only are we alone, but we can bring it out into the open and talk about it.
The verses shared about are people crying out to God for help. They are turning to Him in the middle of their pain.
And we can do that, too. Our God is not far away or indifferent to what you’re experiencing now. Rather, He is our great High Priest who can empathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). He steps right into the storm so that we know we are not alone.
How does it feel knowing that people for all of time have experienced what you’re going through? Can you follow the example of those in the Bible who brought it all to God? He is with you.
We are with you in this season, too. Reach out to us and we would love to pray for you.
