Depression

Do you ever feel like you are not as close to God or that he is not as close to you anymore? In other words are you or have you ever been spiritually depressed? During the infancy stage of our life as a Christian we are overwhelmed by the presence of God, but sometimes it is as if our love of God has grown cold. It is as if all fellowship with God is gone.
This subject is one that has been lost among contemporary evangelical theology. The emphasis on man's part in salvation and Christian living has been thrown so far out of balance that to approach the subject of coldness to the love of God is spiritual suicide. One will be labeled as having sin in his life, being backsliding in some way or another, not having really had a conversion experience, not having enough faith, etc. The truth is that God some times hides his face from us. The old theologians called this stage in a Christian's life a "winter of the soul," the night," "desertion."
It is not your fault! Did you think that spiritual maturity was going to be easy? It is all about growing up. Sometimes the water is choppy on the surface but the current is strong underneath and is taking its vessel in a certain direction.
When God hides himself do not loose heart. Because after the winter comes the spring and summer, after the cold night comes the new day, after the storm comes the calm, after feelings of desertion comes a new time of visitation. When God is away we are learning the lesson of how sweet it is when he is near. (When is the last time you heard a sermon on this topic?)