Depression - The Other Side of the Window

I wrote a note to a good Christian friend of mine who was suffering from depression, and I would like to share it with you. I have changed my friend's name to Terry.

Hi Terry,
Thank you very much for your kind and loving note, what a privilege it is to share the love of Jesus with others. I am very sorry to hear about your depression, it is one of Satan's sharpest tools. The only other thing I can think of which comes close to depression is when our love for another has been rejected, and there is no hope in our hearts. When we see others suffering from such pain, we often say to ourselves, they are just going to have to get over it. But when it happens to us, it is obvious that the world can't possible understand the terrible pain we are enduring. Perhaps reality is somewhere in between.

I personally see depression as a raging fire, and the only thing that can stop fire is to flood it with its opposite, water. Depression is not normal, but will drown us if we cannot find a way out. However, there is a way out, and that is to drown our depression with its opposite, true and abiding love. Love is the only thing that empties our prideful lust, and can even overcome the pain of physical disorders, all of which fuel the fires of our depression. Depression is not something that goes away on it's on, but must be drowned by washing it away in a flood of love. Depression boils it furry in an empty and lonely heart.

We must not get love and lusts confused, because lust and pride are usually the key ingredients to our depression. Lust says to our hearts, what is in this for me, how does it affect my feelings, and how do I make this terrible hurt I feel go away. But love never looks at self; it looks only at the one, or thing being loved. I think the difference between love and lust can somewhat be seen in our love for a dog or cat. We require nothing back from such pets as we love them anyway, regardless of what they may do because they do not challenge our pride or self lust. They may awaken us in the middle of the night with their barking and mischief making, or try to run away from our warm and loving home, but we see them for the imperfect creature that they are, and we love them anyway.

Now when such a pet or loved one dies, it leaves a great vacuum in our souls which must be refilled with love, otherwise the evils of depression will enter in once again to destroy our souls. There is only one way to stop this cycle of joy and pain, and that is to live our lives on the other side of the window, where we look into our own lives through the loving eyes of Christ. When we love Christ first, then we filter our love for all others through His love for us, and there is never a vacuum in our soul, because it is filled first, and always, with our love for Christ. Jesus is our window, through which we see and love all of the rest of the world. He is our first love, and comforts us in all of our tribulations. There is never a moment in the darkest night when He does not hear our cries and no matter how far away we may try to run, He is always there to bring us back home. No matter how evil we may see ourselves to be, He loves us anyway, and He is always standing there on the other side of the window, waiting for His loving pet to return.

I have learned that in my loving Christ first, the depressions of this world simply melt away in the warmth of His loving light. Humans will surely fail us, our health will surely fail us, but the love of Christ will never fail us. He is always there to quench the fires of our sorrows and depression; He is always there on the other side of the window, waiting with open arms. When sorrows and joys try to fill our lives on the other side of the window, there is no room left in our hearts for depression.

It is all a matter of who do we love, and do we really understand what love actually is. It is true, that love conquers all. My prayers are with you Terry, that the Lord will show His loving face, and that you might see His loving grace shinning there through the windows of your heart.

---

To Return To My Home Page - "My Talk With The Lord" - Main

- -