When I realize I am in a bad mood, I often have a chat with myself. I say, “What’s your problem? Look at how blessed you are. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get your mind on something that will cheer you up and try doing something nice for someone else.” It is amazing what good results I get just from reasoning with myself; you should also try it!
The psalmist David asked himself a question when he was feeling downcast. He said, “Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectanly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God”. David’s solution for depression was to hope in God and expect something good to happen. He told himself to put on praise while he was waiting for a change in his circumstances.
This is certainly a great example of someone not letting his feelings manage him. David made a decision that had nothing to do with how he felt.
There are other places in Scipture where David describes feeling very low and discouraged, and with good reason. He had many enemies, and God did not always deliver him from them quickly. David was anointed to be king of Israel twenty years before he actually wore the crown. Because of his jealousy and fear, the king in power at the time, Saul, tried multiple times to kill him. David literally hid in caves for many years, waiting for God to do something. No wonder he had to chat with himself often and make a decision not to let his emotions control him. He looked beyond how he felt to the God he knew to be faithful.
You can fight the feelings of depression by reminding yourself of blessings in your life. You can listen to music or sing. Even getting your mind off yourself by doing something kind for someone else will help immensely. Don’t forget that our moods are connected to our thoughts; therefore, I urge you to take notice of what you’re thinking about when you feel depressed. You may find the source of your problem.
Talking about past victories in your life can also be a way to cheer yourself up. Fight the good fight of faith and do everything you can to help yourself. Compared to eternity, our days on earth are short, and we want to enjoy each one of them. Depression and joy simply can’t dwell in the same heart, so I urge you to find so many things to be happy about that there is no room left for depression.
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