Do you feel like darkness is your 'closest friend'?
Mitch Chase
Near the end of Book Three in Psalms (which is from Pss. 73–89), things grow dark. In fact, when you enter Psalm 88, you feel like you’re in a room so dark that you can’t see your hand in front of your face.
Suffering can feel like that. Some trials feel so overwhelming, so disorienting, that the language of Psalm 88 fits them. The psalmist embodies the agonies and despair that a believer can experience in a fallen world. Don’t let anyone tell you that a real believer would never feel overwhelmed and despondent. Psalm 88 would beg to differ!
Pastors get depressed, too
Howard Satterthwaite
In recent years, many of us have become more aware of the toll that emotional, spiritual, and mental struggles can take.
Christian leaders, of course, are not immune. In fact, some of us are quietly limping through discouragement, or even depression, while still seeking to lead with strength and clarity.
Finding a counsellor: Do they have to be a Christian?
As a pastor, when I feel that someone is a bit stuck, I often refer people to a friend who has worked as a professional counsellor for several decades.
Where I have been ineffective by listening or offering some Biblical advice, my friend is often able to help them get un-stuck by asking the right questions and guiding them as they navigate the difficult landscape of their life.