Depression can have a number of underlying causes – guilt, disappointment, trauma, bereavement, betrayal and so on. (Depression is sometimes linked to chemical imbalances in the brain, but medical science is unclear which is cause and which is effect. In my experience and the experience of others pastors to whom I’ve talked, chemical imbalances are never the only cause. You have to remember that medical practitioners look at all problems in medical terms because that is what they are trained to deal with – they almost inevitably ignore the spiritual dimension.)
We are not responsible for most of those causes. But we are responsible for how we respond to them. We all at different points in our life have to respond to adverse circumstances. Those circumstances may be external (bereavement, failure, disappointment, relational difficulties). They may be internal (illness, chemical imbalances). They may involve both external and internal factors. But we are responsible for how we respond and we will respond with different degrees of faith. Where we are not trusting God’s grace or God’s care or God’s goodness then that response will be expressed in ungodly ways.
The word ‘depression’ covers so much that it is impossible to say depression is a sin or not a sin. Many of those causes (guilt, disappointment, trauma and so on) will make us sad. They may sap our energy and our zest for life. They may feel like an overwhelming darkness. All these are classic symptoms of what people call depression. All of them are, I think, natural and often quite proper responses. But God also tells us to rejoice in the Lord. So in some people features of their depression can reflect a failure to have faith in God in some sense. They may doubt God’s grace and so be consumed by guilt. They may doubt God’s goodness and so be consumed by disappointment. They may doubt God’s care are so be consumed by fear. For some people their depression becomes an identity that enables them to avoid taking responsibility in life.
I am always surprised that people are so reluctant to say that sin might be involved in depression. People seem to think this is cruel. But it should not be shocking to evangelicals to discover that we are sinners, and that our sin affects us in profound and significant ways. And seeing the sin that is involved also offers profound and significant hope because we have a Saviour who rescues us from the penalty and power of sin. Often the process of change is slow. Complete change takes a lifetime. But change is always possible because of Christ’s work for us and the Spirit’s work in us. That is not cruel. That is good news.
Summarily, it is difficult to say definitively whether or not depression is a sin. Depression can arise as the result of sin. One thing is for sure however: How we respond to depression can be sinful. When we fail to trust God (in essence, we commit idolatry; we end up trusting/loving/serving something or someone more than God), then it will expressed in ungodly and sinful ways.
I think Chester's final comments are worth-noting:
Friend, remember our identity, significance, security and worth is found in Jesus. When you are faced with depression or anything else, remember this truth!
It is simply not true that Christians with depression are in any way lesser Christians. In fact it’s a horribly, ugly distortion of the gospel. But the issue is not whether some people think depression is a sin or not (as if Christians without depression are not sinners in a myriad of others ways?!). The issue is people believing anything we might do could make us more or less a Christian. That is the lie. I guess it’s a lie many people operate with, but it is a lie. Our identity is entirely based on God’s electing love, Christ’s finished work and the Spirit’s regenerating power. I can’t add to that and I can’t take away from that.
[Answered by Pastor HM]
