Faith | One antidote for depression is having a vision for the future

Most of us have experienced depression at some point in our life.

The depression may have been temporary due to a situation, or long-term due to an ongoing crisis. Either way, depression is a horrible state of mind to be in.

The Bible says in Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” Depression results from a heart filled with sorrow, grief, and worry.

Often, when people are depressed, they feel hopeless. There is a sense that there is no way out of this vicious cycle.

The good news is that there is a way out of depression. Professional counselors and psychiatrists have the tools to assist you with battling the disorder. In addition to good counseling, God has given us promises in the bible on overcoming it.

Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but depression drains one’s strength.” As we can see, a joyful heart is essential to overcoming depression.

You may say, “How is it possible to have a joyful heart in the middle of my problems?”

It’s possible through vision. Getting a vision for the future is one of the antidotes for depression.

Vision is the blueprint for your life which gives you the fuel to stay up in down times. Vision is a picture of a better tomorrow. Vision gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Whenever a person lacks vision for their life, it’s easy to lose hope.

No vision is a vision. It’s a picture of mediocrity and defeat. Vision is the driving force of a person’s life that determines the outcome of their existence. Without a vision, it is easy to succumb to depression.

The second antidote for depression is to put your hope in God.

There have been numerous times in my life when I felt overwhelmed by different challenges, and it was during those times that my hope in God pulled me through.

My journey from boyhood to manhood was not easy. Far from it, in fact. I never knew my biological father, so Father’s Day was a sad day. I did, however, know my stepdad. My mom was married to him for a year and a half and then divorced him.

What happened was my mom would say something to him on Monday, and then he would get drunk on Friday night and then beat her up for what she said to him on Monday. So, she did what was best for her and my sister and me, and she divorced him.

Growing up in a single-parent home came with some challenges. My mom was bipolar and schizophrenic, which I believe stems from her upbringing and being married to an abusive husband. We were on welfare, did not have a car, and lived in apartments.

However, despite all this, my mom raised my sister and me in church, and that foundation in Christianity was my saving grace.

Even though I experienced moments of sadness growing up—and even now, from time to time—I have a vision for my future and hope in God, which gives me the strength to overcome.

I challenge you to do the same.