QUESTION:
I recently heard someone say in a sermon that 
depression was nothing more than a lack of faith. 
Is this true, or can depression be related to a 
physiological malfunction?  

ANSWER:
 There are many problems that can arise as a result of a lack of faith. When people 
lose their faith or when their faith grows weak they leave themselves open to sin 
and all kinds of difficulties. Depression is defined as “ a feeling of sadness, 
gloom, or dejection.” It is possible for people who sin, when they know better, to 
feel sad about what they have done. (Judas brought back the thirty pieces of silver 
Matthew 27:3-10) They may even experience symptoms of withdrawal because of the 
shame they feel. (he went out and hanged himself) However, to make a blanket 
statement, that “depression is nothing more than a lack of faith,” is very 
misleading and inaccurate. The Random House dictionary under Psychiatric depression 
says “a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and 
more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason.” According to the 
querist a person in the audience, who had been on medication for depression for a 
long time, began to question her faith and went home after hearing the preacher say 
this and stopped all medication. This was, of course, extremely dangerous. One must 
be weaned off all such medications by a doctor. Before long she was in terrible 
shape and had a long road back to recovery. Modern psychiatric doctors have 
determined that depression may occur as a result of conflict or frustration or 
possibly be influenced by chemical imbalances in the brain. They tell us that our 
brain is divided into two hemispheres (right brain/left brain). These hemispheres 
are connected by a thick cable of interconnecting neurons. Anything affecting the 
amount of effectiveness of neurotransmitters in the brain is likely to have an 
effect on our thinking and mood. When the neurotransmitters have been blocked the 
brain does not function as it should. The mind-altering medications given by doctors 
allow many people to live a normal life who otherwise would not be able to do so. 
From this we can conclude that one may suffer from depression because of a 
physiological reason not related to their faith or religious dedication or a lack 
thereof. It seems to me that preachers need to preach the gospel and not become 
involved in areas where we don’t belong. To make a blanket statement such as the one 
made by this preacher was careless at best. In almost every audience there are all 
kinds of people with various problems, limitations, and difficulties. We preach an 
eternal message with the power to change the lives of those who hear (Romans 1:16). 
We are not doctors, psychologists, or sociologists. We fill the pulpit to warn men 
of the impending doom of those who reject God and His word. We are to point men to 
the Savior of the world and may God help us to do that job well