"I Want to Die, Take My Life, God" The Three F(s) of Depression

Can you name any three men who became so depressed that they asked God to take his life?
Answer: Moses, Elijah, and Jonah.

Each of them got depressed, but for different reasons; depression is always a symptom of a deeper problem.Depression is meant to get your attention; it shouts something is wrong! The real problem is not how you feel, but the cause of those feelings. Here are three of the most common causes of depression.

1. Fatigue (Moses’ problem): When you try to maintain a hectic pace week after week in spite of physical and emotional exhaustion, you set yourself up for depression. Or, if you try to play God, attempting to control everything and everyone around you, depression will eventually catch up with you. In Moses’ case, the solution was to learn to delegate (Numbers 11:10–17).
2. Fear (Elijah’s problem): Whenever you swallow your anxieties, your body keeps score. Instead of focusing on your depression, ask, “What is it that I’m afraid of? What’s got me worried?” Resolve the worry and your blues will vanish, if that’s the cause. In Elijah’s situation, the antidote was to trust God to handle things out of his control (1 Kings 19:1–18).
3. Frustration (Jonah’s problem): When you don’t see a purpose behind the events of your life, when it all seems so arbitrary or hopeless or unfair, then depression strikes. Life without meaning and significance is depressing. That’s why God’s solution to Jonah’s depression was to help him see the bigger picture. Perspective is a powerful cure. When Jonah finally understood God’s purpose for his life, his depression faded.

Courtesy: Purpose Driven Connection