Photocred: Healthy Place.com

Have you ever wondered why depression and suicide tend to go hand in hand in this millennial?   

Has it ever occurred to you that we are more concerned about our phones, social media posts, how many likes and comment we get from people that don’t even really care about us, than we are concerned about the real people and important relationships in our lives?  

If you are nodding your head right now, it means I am correct and that might just be the cause of our problems.  

Depression is not just a few bad days and a few minutes of sadness, it’s a thing of the mind that affects the body and the spirit if not dealt with in due time.  

The bible says in 3 John 2:  

“I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers”  

You see our soul which is the mind of the body is a part of our being that cannot in anyway afford to be misinformed because it functions based on the information it is fed with.  

We must intentionally protect it.  

Why you may want to ask me? 

It is because the moment an information is fed to the mind and the right approach is not taken to either retract or delete it, if it’s a wrong information and vice versa, that information germinates, grows and keeps growing until it either becomes productive or disastrous. 

Some few weeks back, I read about a young pastor who lost his battle with depression and it saddened my heart not just because he died more because of how he died, He committed suicide. I did a little research of my own, He had a beautiful family who genuinely loved and cared for him. 

What then happened? 

I really don’t have the answers but here is my submission to you? 

How well do you really look out for the people around you, the people who God has placed in your life to mentor and guide you, the people whom you look up to, how well do you cover them spiritually? e.t.c. 

The pastor had been struggling with depression for the past couple of years and recently took a voluntary leave of absence from the church just to sort himself out, and when he couldn’t keep up He succumbed to suicide in the end. He is not the first Pastor to have committed suicide due to depression, in recent times there has been a lot of others.  

They are pastors, They are shepherds. But they are human beings like you and I, and yes, these people have to deal with the realities of life, they have struggles too, even though it appears like they are more in touch with the Spiritual than the rest of us.  

The pressures that is placed on these group of people to be flawless, without fault or wrinkle and the high expectation of them by society can push them to the wall if care is not taken. Being Pastors doesn’t make them less human than they really are neither are they immune to the vices of the enemy.  

I have a friend who is a Purpose Coach, Spirit filled, tongue talking, and literally appears to have all the answers (not in a bad way though, she is one of the most down to earth humble people that I know she is always ready to learn as well) lol!  

Back to my gist. 

She manages her time well, manages her family well name it! She seems to be on top of it all. Some of the things she has been through and came out of it shinning like gold would literally break many others. Just taking a look at her you would believe she have everything under control and kicking life’s butt (pardon my French) .  

However, there was a particular day we got an SOS call from her. She reached out to some of her friends to cover her in prayers, she said and I quote “please pray for me I am struggling”  Coincidentally, one of our mutual friends had a nudge earlier in the week to actually pray for her but she just shrugged it off saying oh she’s fine, she’s got things all under control. 

Later when we spoke she said at that period She was doing so much good but felt so little and it was a cold place to be. Luckily she spoke out and thank God she did at the right time,  it might have been a different story today.  

That is actually 1 in like 5 people who finds the courage to actually say something before it’s too late. Most people that I know will not say anything, they will just drown and burn and crash. 

Most people who are depressed do not appear so….  

Photocred:- Healthyplace.com

So I am left to ask is it because people don’t care anymore or more people have lost confidence in humanity? Has it gotten so bad that we are no longer afraid of being judgmental or selfish or like some of my friends would say trading misery to make the situation about ourselves instead of really helping the person that needs it.  

You see, we already got it wrong, all that glitters is not gold. We need to restore our faith in humanity, be more open minded and change our perspectives about the elephant in the room. Know this, as long as we don’t live under the same roof with someone we should never assume they have their lives locked down. Most Pastor’s who live with depression will still come out and preach a storm on a Sunday morning when they actually feel so empty on the inside. 

Sometimes life gets so busy, I know that and we all get so engrossed in work , life and family. We get caught up in the balance and how to get through and that’s okay… But once in a while we need to learn to step back from ourselves so we can see others who might be hurting and genuinely need our help. 

I mean, do we have a list of friends that we pray for on a daily basis? 

Do we pray for the people who lead us and people in places of authorities? 

Do we pray for the people who look after our children? i.e their teachers or baby sitters or nannies. 

How often do we pray for our work colleagues? 

How often do we pray for the guy who drives the bus/ train we take to work everyday? 

How often do we pray for our domestic staffs? Or the friends that our children keep? 

How often do we pray for the parents of these children? 

This is a lot to ponder but it’s the truth. Look around you, some people are struggling, very lonely and slowly dying inside. Some people feel so empty that they don’t have a reason to wake up the next day. They are so afraid of our judging looks and attitude that they would rather die than speak out.  

Depression is real, we should never shrug off a feeling because 99% of the time we might be right.  

Let’s take responsibility for someone else, If we can’t reach out to them, let’s genuinely pray for them. Do not just say it, mean it. Extend a hand of fellowship, show you care, show concern.  You will be amazed how much people open up when they realize you truly care. Let’s go the extra mile. 

I totally believe in the power of prayers and I know that my faith can heal a grieving heart, my faith can redeem a broken spirit, my faith can restore a lonely mind but beyond all that I need to extend a helping hand. 

So I implore you today, reach out to people more, 

• Extend love 
• Be graceful 
• Be kind 
• Be accommodating 

• Be cheerful 
• Give love even when you don’t get it back! 
• Laugh out loud 
• Lastly be your brother’s keeper. 
• Don’t ever give up on people.  

• Give humanity your best shot. 

All these things cost nothing! 

To every Man or Woman, Boy or Girl battling with depression first thing to know is the root cause and then you can speak to a professional about it. 

I pray for you that your faith will not fail, 

I pray for healing in your body, soul and spirit 

I pray your heart will experience pure calmness and peace 

I pray that the love of God will fill up those oppressed hearts and minds 

I pray for God’s unspeakable peace to fill those spaces. 

To anyone reading this who isn’t depressed, I rejoice with you, please protect your mental health, Love God, Love People, Walk out of that abusive relationship, Walk out of that toxic friendship, Live an Authentic life, Don’t spend money that you don’t have it’s not always worth it, Live a healthy life, Exercise as much as you can tolerate, Laugh, Live, Love Hard, Learn new skills, Go on a Horse ride, Make a bucket list, Live Life Live Life! Live……… 

Breathe, tomorrow is another day! Sleep soundly tonight, design a new strategy for tomorrow…Live! 

If you want to talk to someone, Email me ifeoluwa@hiddeninhisstrength.com 

I am committed to praying for and with you. I also have a listening ear. 

Don’t go through life alone. 

Help is available. 

IfeOluwa.