Besetting Sins: the Root Cause of Depression and Anxiety
"The most powerful incentive for
change in our lives is discomfort."
I plan to post suggestions for getting rid of besetting sins, but first I want to talk some more about the most important, and the most difficult beginning step in that direction.
I want to talk about putting Christ at the center of our lives.
Depression and anxiety are rampant in our
society. The signs of this discomfort are all around us. We spend billions of
dollars on sedatives--both legal and illegal--in an attempt to ease our
pain. We charge headlong into
distracting activities--from pornography, to internet gambling, to obsession
with physical fitness and recreation--all in an attempt to escape our
unhappiness.
This is not a new development. Depression and anxiety have been around for a
long time.
In 600 BCE, the prophet Jeremiah suffered
this ailment on behalf of his people, the Israelites. They had turned away from
Yahweh, their Creator, to worship the idols of the nations around them and they
were miserable.
Jeremiah blames God for this unhappiness,
but he also recognizes that his sins (and theirs) are the root cause. In Lamentations 1:14, he says,
My
[our] sins have been bound into a yoke;
by [God's] hands they were woven
together.
They
have come upon my [our] neck
and the Lord has sapped my [our] strength.
He
has handed me [us] over to those I [we] cannot withstand.
Like the writer of the song, Amazing Grace, Jeremiah sees God's grace
in allowing the pain. "Twas grace
that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved," says John Newton.
Both Jeremiah and John Newton recognized
that only pain, coming as a consequence of our waywardness, will lead us back
to a place of peace and joy in fellowship with God.
The truth is, anxiety and depression are
symptoms of a heart problem. They come into our lives when we have allowed the
wrong things to become the center of our focus and our worship.
St. Augustine says, "You have made us
for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you."
So here is both the cause and the cure for
depression and anxiety:
Jesus says, "You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart and mind and soul."
And then he tells us how to do that:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls."
When we feel the pain of restlessness and anxiety in our hearts, it's a
sign that we need to turn to the only One worthy of our love and worship.
We need to make sure that Christ is at the center of our lives.
This first step is essential. No human heart will feel release from the pain of anxiety and depression until it is centered properly. Once this matter has been settled, besetting sins will lose their power and we will experience an unbelievable peace and joy at a deep, deep level that cannot be disturbed by any circumstances in our lives.
Next post will talk about the mopping up process of getting rid of those pesky besetting sins.
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