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How Depression is Different for a Christian.

How Depression is Different for a CHristain

Depression tends to have a say in our lives. While everyone feels reasonably sad from time to time, depression’s influence is unreasonable and often merciless. Depression wants to convince us of a different narrative, a narrative that contains distortions of truth about ourselves and the world around us. Its grasp refuses to let us go.

Some days it has more in common with a domestic abuser, a drunken and abusive spouse, than it does with feelings of mere sadness. Even when its presence is distant, its narrative has more control over us than we’d like to admit. Pretending it isn’t there, drowning its influence through our addictions of choice, or simply giving in to its power sometimes feels like our only response. Fortunately, for the Christian, there is more to the story.

Marriage Is Not A Competition

By Jennifer Stuckert, MA MFT, LPC & Jonathan Stuckert MA, M Phil (candidate)

There are many places in life where competition is welcome, celebrated, encouraged and even helpful. But, marriage is not one of them. When competition becomes one of your key outlooks on marriage you will unknowingly trade it for safety and security. This may not seem like a big deal at first. But, an enduring Godly marriage requires these qualities. Across time a healthy couple bestows these things to one another but, that is not possible if there is a spirit of competition.

When one partner sets themselves against the other, even in jest, the end result is typically scrutiny, uncertainty, and criticism. These are not very positive words. Sometimes this starts from a good place when a couple wants to be playful and tease one another. Then by all means be playful, but encourage one another’s strengths. However, be careful not to one up the other person.