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抑郁症是新加坡最常见的精神问题。在这里，每十六个人当中，就有一个人一生中会被诊断出抑郁症，而十八到二十九岁的年轻人，比例更高。我猜，你身边一定有人正在跟抑郁症搏斗。也许，你自己就正在经历。

我想以此鼓励你：圣经为抑郁症患者带来极大的盼望和帮助。抑郁症并没有从圣经讲述的经理范围“超纲”。福音能够为那些活在抑郁阴影下的人，带来真实的光明和安慰。

什么是抑郁症？

有人这样形容抑郁症：”一团沉重的乌云，散不开，也看不透”，”怎么爬也爬不出来的深坑”，或是”一条看不到尽头亮光的隧道”。抑郁症患者常常长期处于灰心丧气的状态：对从前热衷的事情提不起兴趣；会觉得自己毫无价值，或者为生活中的种种不如意而深深愧疚。简单来说，就是深深的忧伤，加上强烈的痛苦。

你的抑郁，正在为你成就荣耀

不过，从圣经的角度来看，苦难并不是人生里偶然发生的事，而是出于神的美意，有祂圣洁和智慧的旨意。

” 因为我们短暂轻微的患难，是要为我们成就极大无比、永远的荣耀。” (哥林多后书 4:17)

这节经文让我们对苦难有了充满盼望的看法。保罗形容我们的苦难是”轻微”又”短暂”的。患有抑郁症的人，大概很难用这样的词来形容自己那种沉重低落的感受。但这里的重点是：跟将要为我们成就的永恒荣耀相比，这些苦难才是”轻微”和”短暂”的。其实，”荣耀”在希伯来文里是”kavod”，字面的意思是”重量”或”分量”，说的是一种沉甸甸、实实在在的真实。

亚当斯（Jay Adams）在《基督教辅导神学》（A Theology of Christian Counseling）里写道：”跟在荣耀里与基督同在、再没有痛苦的永恒生命相比，十二年（甚至五十年）算得了什么呢？……苦难是暂时的，总有结束的一天……比起基督为爱祂的人所预备的那份沉重的荣耀，人所能经历的任何痛苦，都只能算是轻的。这并不是说不用认真看待痛苦，而是一个简单、却极其重要的事实。”

看见苦难背后的意义

所以，抑郁症患者要走出长期的灰心沮丧，第一步就是看见：自己的苦难背后是有意义的。与其浪费苦难、害怕苦难、憎恨苦难，不如认出它是神手中的工具，要把你雕塑成有基督样式的、荣美的人。

圣经里有很多经文，都见证了神在人的苦难背后有使人成圣的美意。罗马书 8:28-30 提醒我们，没有任何经历是在神的主权和护理之外的，万事都要用来使我们更像基督。彼得前书 1:3-9 说，我们所受的试炼，就像火炼金子一样，是为了试验我们信心的真假，也指向天上的盼望。哥林多后书 1:3-7 则邀请我们，把苦难看作是从神而来的，好让我们经历祂的安慰，也成为安慰的管道，去安慰其他受苦的人。

不妨安静下来，好好默想这几段经文，慢慢学习用以神为中心的眼光，来看待抑郁症带来的煎熬。

Light in the Darkness: A Biblical Response to Depression (Part 1)

Depression is the most common mental disorder experienced in Singapore. One in sixteen people here is diagnosed with it at some point in their lifetime, and that number is especially higher among young adults between 18-29 years old. My guess is that you know someone personally who struggle with depression. Maybe you are struggling with depression.

I want to encourage you with this: the Bible holds out great hope and help for depression sufferers. Depression does not fall outside of the realm of experience addressed by Scripture, and the gospel offers real light and comfort to those struggling in its shadow.

What is Depression?

Depression has been described as “a heavy cloud that is difficult to lift or see through”, “a deep pit unable to climb out of”, or “a tunnel with no light at the end”. Depression sufferers often experience a persistent discouragement. They lose interest in things that they used be enthusiastic about. They feel deeply worthless or guilty for the negative things in their life. In essence, it is deep sadness paired with intense suffering.

Your Depression is Achieving Your Glory

Viewed through the lens of Scripture, however, suffering is not just an arbitrary fact of life, but is divinely intentioned for His holy and wise purposes.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

This verse gives us a hope-filled perspective on suffering. Paul describes our troubles with words like “light” and “momentary”. Depression sufferers probably would not use these adjectives on their intense sense of being downcast. But the point is to notice that they are “light” and “momentary” compared to the eternal glory they are achieving for us. In fact, the Hebrew word for “glory” – “kavod” – literally means “heaviness” or “burden”. It’s a word that suggests a weighty, substantial reality.

Jay Adams writes in A Theology of Christian Counseling, “In comparison to an eternal pain-free existence in glory with Christ, what is 12 (or, for that matter, 50) years? …the suffering is temporary in that it will end… in contrast to the heavy weight of glory Christ has prepared for those who love Him, any pain one can experience can only be considered light. This is not a matter of not treating pain seriously; it is a simple (but profoundly important) fact.”

See Meaning in Your Suffering

So the first step for depression sufferers to break out of their perpetual discouragement is to see that there is meaning behind their suffering. Rather than wasting, dreading, hating suffering, recognize it as God’s tool for sculpting you into a glorious Christlike being.

A whole host of passages in Scripture witness to God’s sanctifying purpose behind human suffering. Romans 8:28-30 remind us that no experience falls outside God’s sovereignty and providence; all things are used to conform us to Christlikeness. 1 Peter 1:3-9 explains that our distress serves to test the genuineness of our faith like fire tests gold, and points us to the hope of heaven. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 challenges us to see our suffering as from God, in order that we may experience His comfort and become channels of comfort to others similarly afflicted. Meditate on these to develop a God-centered lens for viewing the affliction of depression.