Joel M Bradshaw

1I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.–Psalm 9

I battle depression and have for most of my adult life. And in my journey, the Bible has been such a blessing. As I read David’s psalm from the reading plan this morning, four simple, but powerful depression hacks stood out. A hack is a way to attack the ‘system.’ You are daily doing that when you are depressed and need hope. They just happen to be the four lines that open the psalm. I remember years ago singing these in an old church praise song. Rocking the drums during the chorus. To this day still one of my favorite choruses.

1. I WILL GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD WITH MY WHOLE HEART. I journey with people who also face depression. One of the things I assign is for them to keep a nightly notebook of things they can thank God for. Depression wants you focusing on everything that is bad or that could be better. Shame, who is depression’s horrible best friend, comes right in tells you that everything is your fault and then despair reminds you that you have no hope to change matters. So this first attack focuses you away from yourself and onto God. Being thankful to God is a great way to get your mind off of yourself. The depressed person thinks of themselves too much. It’s the problem. To train the inside you to see the world as an opportunity to thank God is a wonderful thing. To be able to thank God for his blessings even as you struggle is a game changer. You will then look for them. You will write them down in your notebook before bed. You will read them in the morning and look for more. Always be on the lookout for ways to thank God. This has helped me.
2. I WILL RECOUNT ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL DEEDS. I’ll share with you a secret. You have the power to change how you feel. It starts with changing how you think. You can replace your stinking thinking with healthier thinking. These thoughts direct your feelings. Your mind changes your heart. It takes much discipline and intentionality, but it can be done. This second hack has been the greatest for me. Recounting is telling yourself. THIS IS SELF-TALK. THE GREATEST WAY TO ATTACK DEPRESSION. Recount great and encouraging things from the Bible and tell them to yourself. What you tell yourself most keeps you in depression. Changing self-talk to truths from the Bible has been a major development in my war.
3. I WILL BE GLAD AND EXULT IN YOU. Gladness is satisfaction. Depression doesn’t focus on satisfaction, it focuses on the fact that it isn’t satisfied, no matter how hard you try. To exult is to feel triumphant in something. I exulted after I finished my outdoor 5K races. Here the triumph is away from the self and on God. We find our greatest triumph in God. We see our stories as aligned with his and now seek to see them used for his glory. That perspective is another game-changer in your inner battle.
4. I WILL SING PRAISE TO YOUR NAME, O MOST HIGH. You’ve already learned to thank God. You’ve changed your self-talk to reflect encouraging Biblical truths. You’ve found your satisfaction and purpose in God. What’s left? Praise. The ultimate ‘stop focusing on yourself’ moment. The person in depression needs a church family. Corporate worship is a wonderful thing. To raise hands in the midst of your depression and to sing with all your heart from the pit of your despair. The only hope you have is this Most High God.

Easter Saturday would have been a depressing day. Jesus in the tomb. What hope was left? Depression feels like this many days. Use these four principles to start the change process from within using the Bible. It has changed my story and given me hope. It can do the same for you. Start with these 4.–JMB