There seems to be quite a few worship songs at the moment which pick up on the theme of healing and declare it specifically in relation to depression. Quite why this is happening I’m not too sure. Why the focus on depression and anxiety but not on other illnesses? Perhaps it’s just that people are unlikely to stomach declaring victory over gout and dysentery in song. More likely, I think it reflects the real experience of those writing and those singing the songs.
If real life experience of suffering is finding its way into worship and if that makes it more acceptable to talk about depression, then that’s got to be a good thing. However, there are risks and I’d like to pick up on them with reference to one song. It includes the lines:
I just wanna speak the name of Jesus
Over fear and all anxiety
To every soul held captive by depression
I speak Jesus[1]
The first risk is that we can hear such lyrics as suggesting that saying the name of Jesus and exercising enough faith guarantees that you will be free of depression and anxiety. If so, we are simply transporting prosperity teaching from physical ailments and applying it to emotional health. I happen to believe that God does heal. I’m part of a church where we regularly pray for people to be healed. However, I don’t find Scripture promising that everyone is going to be healed in this life. Yes, as a foretaste of the new creation, sometimes we see people healed from physical sickness and from emotional illness too including depression. However, sometimes, often in fact, God gives us perseverance to live with suffering and/or he works through natural means as he gives medics the skill to treat patients effectively.
The second danger, especially given that the song has talked about strongholds is that the language of “captive minds” may give the impression that there is something demonic going on or at least that there is a spiritual cause. Would we talk about being held captive to asthma, cancer or hay fever?
Now, I believe that there can be one or more of a number of different causes for depression and anxiety. Yes, this means that we cannot ignore the spiritual element including sin. However, godly believers suffer from depression too. So, if by the words, we mean that anyone who is suffering from depression is held captive to spiritual forces and therefore requires deliverance ministry then we are going down a dangerous rabbit hole.
Now, I can’t get into the head of the songwriter or of the many people using the song in worship or the many still more singing it with great gusto. However, I do think that it is possible to talk about depression as something that can hold us captive in a correct and helpful way. That is providing that we talk about any illness or struggle in the same way.
When we are suffering, it is possible for the suffering, whether mental or physical to so overwhelm us that we are unable to see hope, we are unable to properly experience the love and care of others, we cannot see Jesus. I think it is right to talk about that kind of situation as being like a form of captivity. If so, then yes, we want people to experience release from that.
Sometimes, God says yes to healing, sometimes he tells us to wait. Sometimes the answer is that we are going to experience full hearing only when we see Jesus face to face. And this means that sometimes, what God does is to enable us to continue in suffering by releasing the captive hold the suffering has on us so that we can finally experience joy even in the midst of tears and that we can see hope again.
[1] I speak Jesus, Charity Gayle
Faithroots 