I’m Just a Guy: Fighting Depressionნიმუში

Fighting the Numbness

Some things are worth fighting for, and I’ve found it’s often easier to get stirred up defending others than it is to stand up and fight for myself.

I think about the moment I became a father. There was no doubt in my mind that the child God placed under my care would receive my ultimate protection. I would willingly lay down my life for each of them without a second thought. That instinct was like a switch flipped on, one that can never be turned off.

In fact, I sometimes catch myself looking for ways to protect or defend them even when my intervention isn’t required. That realization hit me hard—could it be that my eagerness to defend others is, in part, a way of avoiding my own battle with numbness?

When I’m honest, that same resolve I have for protecting others pales when it comes to confronting my internal struggles. Too often, I accept numbness as “just the way it is.” But that resignation only makes sense when I see it for what it really is: an attack from the evil one. If I were the enemy, how would I take myself out? By convincing me—and men in general—that numbness is acceptable, that it’s normal, that it’s permanent. If he can get us to embrace that lie, he renders us obsolete.

That realization was enough to awaken me. Numbness is not from God. Ezekiel declares that God will give us a new heart and a new spirit—and His Spirit is anything but numb. The Spirit of God brings renewal, conviction, and holy resolve.

Yes, numbness can sideline us temporarily. But God delights in doing His greatest work when we feel weakest. That means numbness doesn’t have to be the end of your story.

If you find yourself in a season of depression or emotional emptiness, my encouragement is simple: fight back. You were not designed to shuffle through life as a numb shadow of yourself. Just as you’d lay down your life for your spouse or children, you must also be willing to fight for your own heart.

Never forget this: the God who breathes life into dead places can breathe life into you. And when He does, your renewed heart doesn’t just resist numbness—it becomes a weapon that terrifies the enemy.

Reflection Questions:

1. Where do you feel emotionally numb right now?
2. How can you invite God to breathe new life into that area?