Samuel, the Depressed, Hurting Judge
We are introduced to Samuel in 1 Samuel 1:20. His mother is Hannah, whom we will meet later. Samuel is the longed for child of Hannah, ending her years of infertility. She dedicated her son to the Lord to show her gratitude for what God had done for her. He was raised in the Temple by the prophet Eli.
Samuel grew up serving in the Temple and learning to listen to the voice of God. When Eli died, Samuel took his place as the prophet and judge for Israel. Unfortunately, Samuel followed in Eli's shoes of not training his own sons. Eli's sons did not have a heart for God and ultimately lost their lives in a a battle with the Philistines. Samuel's sons were appointed judges to ease the burden on their aging father, but they too did ot have a heart for God. They were greedy, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. Finally, the elders of the people got so tired of the abuse that they went to Samuel and told him his boys were ungodly and they didn't want them as judges. Instead, they wanted Samuel to appoint them a king like all the other nations. The person appointed as king was a man named Saul.
Saul was described as "the most handsome man in Israel - head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land" (1 Samuel 9:2). he looked like a king. But like Eli's and Samuel's sons, Saul did not have a heart for God. He started his kingship being afraid. Instead of standing before Samuel to be appointed the first king, Saul was h iding in the baggage. Not a promising start for a new king.
When God finally rejected Saul as king over Israel because of his disobedience, Samuel "mourned constantly for him" (1 Samuel 15:35). We don't know how long Samuel mourned, but it go to the point where God told Samuel, "You have mourned long enough for Saul" (1 Samuel 16:1). Samuel was told to get up and get busy again.
While Samuel was constantly mourning for Saul, he was not carrying out the duties of his office. That is a trap our depression can lock us into - sadness, inactivity, continually wishing that bad things had never happened. It is a constant, negative cycle that keeps strengthening our depression.
We break the cycle by focusing on God and others and getting busy. There will be a time for mourning, but a time of dancing must follow (Ecclesiastes 3:4). We are not to live in a perpetual mourning state. It is harmful to our spirit as well as our bodies.
Spiritually we become less effective because we focus more on our pain than on serving others. Things begin to slip through our fingers because we are not paying attention to details.
Physically, long-term depression can lead to insomnia, headaches, fatigue, chronic pain, increased risk of heart disease, diarrhea, constipation, weight loss or gain, nausea, loss of libido, and inflammation.*
In the counseling world, we are always looking for symptoms of self-harm like cutting, food binging or purging, or addictions. But long-term depression can fit right in with these self-harming behaviors because it does harm our bodies.
Follow Samuel's example of getting up and getting busy. You can break the cycle. Take the focus off yourself and place it upon God.
KEY THOUGHTS
Long-term depression is a form of self-harm.
Break the cycle. Look to God. Get busy!
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