you can follow jesus and still struggle with depression
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." — Matthew 11:28
One of the greatest lies many Christians believe is that if we truly follow Jesus, we'll never struggle with depression, anxiety, or overwhelming emotional pain. We assume that faith should erase every difficult feeling and that if we're still struggling, something must be wrong with our relationship with God. But that's simply not what Scripture teaches, and it's certainly not what Amy and I have experienced in our own lives.
This episode is one of the most personal we've ever shared because Amy opens up about her battle with depression. It's not an easy story to tell, but it's one we believe needs to be told. Too many people are silently carrying this burden because they're afraid they'll be judged or misunderstood. We want you to know that following Jesus doesn't mean you'll never struggle. It means you don't have to struggle alone. God doesn't always remove the battle immediately, but He changes the way we walk through it.
For Amy, depression wasn't always what people expect it to look like. It wasn't simply sadness. It was a constant heaviness that followed her everywhere. She could be surrounded by family and friends and still feel completely alone. She wrestled with her identity, questioned her worth, and believed lies for so long that they eventually felt like truth. She carried expectations about what life should look like, and when reality didn't match those expectations, she felt like a failure. She believed she wasn't enough, wasn't lovable, and wasn't worthy of God's love. Looking back now, she can see that God never abandoned her during that season. He was there the entire time. She just couldn't recognize His presence through the darkness.
Depression is much more than difficult circumstances. It's often an internal battle where our thoughts become our greatest enemy. Amy shared that there were days when she couldn't get out of bed and believed our family would be better off without her. As her husband, those were some of the hardest moments I've ever experienced. Like many men, my instinct was to fix the problem. I wanted to say the right thing or do something that would make it all disappear. Instead, I felt completely helpless because there wasn't anything I could do to take the pain away. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer someone battling depression isn't a solution—it's simply our presence. Listening. Sitting with them. Holding them. Letting them know they aren't walking through the darkness alone.
One of the practical steps that helped Amy begin climbing out of that dark place was seeking medical help. Medication became part of her healing journey. It didn't erase the negative thoughts or instantly solve the deeper issues, but it gave her enough stability to begin doing the work that true healing required. There's often unnecessary shame surrounding medication within the church, but we shouldn't be afraid to use the resources God provides. Sometimes He works through physicians, counselors, therapists, and medication just as much as He works through prayer, Scripture, and Christian community. Seeking help is not a lack of faith. It can be an act of wisdom.
The greatest turning point, however, wasn't medication alone. It was learning that every thought doesn't deserve to be believed. For years, Amy accepted every negative thought as truth simply because it entered her mind. She eventually discovered that thoughts have to be tested against God's Word. Jesus said, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Freedom began when she started identifying the lies she had believed and replacing them with God's truth. The lies didn't disappear overnight, but they gradually lost their power once they were exposed to the light.
One of the most powerful lessons we learned is that darkness grows in secrecy. The enemy wants us to keep our struggles hidden because isolation strengthens the lies we believe. Speaking those lies out loud—to God, to yourself, or to a trusted Christian friend—begins to break their grip. Once you hear those lies outside your own head, you often recognize how different they sound compared to God's truth. That's why community is so important. We all need people who will lovingly remind us of what God says when we're too overwhelmed to remember it ourselves.
Something else Amy shared that deeply resonated with me was her honesty about being angry with God. As a child, she experienced sexual abuse. A few years later, her aunt—the woman who first introduced her to Jesus—was murdered. Those experiences left deep wounds and difficult questions about why a loving God allows terrible things to happen. The Bible never ignores those questions. In fact, many of God's most faithful servants wrestled with them. Elijah wanted to die after one of the greatest victories of his ministry. David poured out his despair throughout the Psalms. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. Jonah became angry with God. Even Job questioned his suffering. Scripture doesn't hide these struggles because God isn't afraid of our questions. He invites us to bring them honestly before Him.
One of the biggest changes in Amy's life came when she stopped allowing her feelings to determine what was true. Feelings are real, but they aren't always reliable. Instead of letting her emotions lead, she began speaking God's truth over them. Whenever anxious or depressive thoughts surfaced, she immediately turned them into prayers. Rather than sitting in those thoughts until they spiraled out of control, she brought them directly to God. That daily dependence didn't eliminate every difficult day, but it completely changed how she walked through them.
Healing also required practical habits. Amy learned to recognize the situations that triggered negative thought patterns and intentionally respond differently. She stayed rooted in Scripture, surrounded herself with Christian community, and refused to isolate herself even when isolation felt more comfortable. Sometimes that meant something as simple as sitting in a coffee shop instead of staying home alone. Sometimes it meant buying someone else a cup of coffee or performing a small act of kindness to shift her focus from herself to someone else. She also discovered that physical health matters. Healthy eating, exercise, and taking one day at a time became important pieces of her overall healing. Sometimes the biggest victory wasn't accomplishing something extraordinary—it was simply getting out of bed, taking a shower, and trusting God with one more day.
Perhaps the most meaningful part of Amy's journey has been the promises of God that she now carries with her every day. Verses like Deuteronomy 31:6, reminding her that God will never leave or forsake her. Psalm 34:18, declaring that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted. Isaiah 41:10, promising God's strength and help. Philippians 4:6–8, calling her to replace anxiety with prayer and focus her mind on what is true and praiseworthy. 1 Peter 5:7, inviting her to cast every anxiety on God because He cares for her. And one of her favorites, Psalm 139, reminding her that she is fully known, deeply loved, fearfully and wonderfully made, and never beyond God's presence. Those verses became more than encouraging words—they became anchors for her soul during the darkest seasons of life.
If you're struggling with depression today, I want you to hear this clearly: your struggle does not define your identity. It does not mean your faith is weak. It does not mean God has abandoned you. And it certainly does not mean you're beyond hope. You may still experience difficult days, but those days do not have to control your future. Keep bringing your thoughts to Christ. Keep replacing lies with His truth. Stay connected to other believers. Don't be afraid to ask for professional help when you need it. God often brings healing through both spiritual and practical means.
Most importantly, remember this: Jesus understands suffering. He understands betrayal. He understands loneliness. He understands overwhelming sorrow. He invites every weary and burdened person to come to Him—not because life will instantly become easy, but because His presence is enough to carry us through the hardest valleys.
You can follow Jesus and still struggle with depression.
But because of Jesus, you never have to walk through that struggle alone.
Listen to: You Can Follow Jesus And Still Struggle With Depression
