by Wanda Murchison…
Depression is widespread in the body of Christ. We as Christians are sometimes forced to suppress our problems in order to take care of the needs of others assigned to us. You may have a Pastor and his wife have a knock down drag out fight just before church but will pull it together and go to church and personify the perfect couple. Women have been taught to mask their problems. Grandma taught us that what is said in our house stays in our house. More prominent leaders are falling from grace through infidelity, drugs, alcohol and some opt suicide verses dealing with the guilt and shame. Some women are being emotionally and physically abused by their spouse (Pastor) but will keep it a secret for the good of the ministry. Some women know for a fact that their husbands are cheating but will keep quiet for the good of the ministry.
So many women in leadership are struggling with these and other very real issues but are afraid to expose it. When they suffer in silence it can contribute to clinical depression. One of the most important things they and all of us need to realize is that clinical depression isn’t what the Church sometimes makes it out to be. It is not a lack of faith or a character defect. It is not the result of emotional hysteria, nor is it a choice. No amount of trying is going to whisk it away. Oftentimes women attempt to hide or suppress it, and never fully deal with it or the reasons that deepen it. Because many people have expressed that leaders and Believers, in general, shouldn’t have depression, the symptoms can show up uninvited without any warning. The outcome can be disastrous.
To my Sisters suffering in silence, I ask you these questions. Will the real you please stand up? Will you please take off that mask so that your true scars can heal? If you wear a mask so long it may become a permanent fixture.
Some women are in a full depressive state and feel that there are no alternatives or solutions. What will we as sisters do next?
According to the article, “It Can’t Be Depression…I’m a Christian,” the cause of depression is rooted in brain chemistry and genetics has a strong impact on a person’s tendency to become depressed. *
So, what should you do if you are depressed? Find a good professional who can help you, someone who is licensed by the state where you live. There may be community mental health providers that you can contact for an appointment or ask your doctor, a local hospital, or health department for a referral.
Whatever you do…seek to get yourself free!
*“It Can’t Be Depression…I’m a Christian” Grace Communion International at https://www.gci.org/CO/depression
Copyright 2017 by Wanda Murchison… All rights reserved.