Seattle Christian Counseling Logo

  • ServicesRead about the expertise available
    • Individual ServicesAddress your personal concerns confidentially
      • ADHD
      • Abandonment and Neglect
      • Aging and Geriatric Issues
      • Anger Management
      • Anxiety
      • Bipolar Disorder
      • Chemical Dependency
      • Coaching
      • Counseling for Children
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Codependency
      • Depression
      • Eating Disorders
      • EMDR
      • Grief and Loss
      • Individual Counseling
      • Infidelity and Affairs
      • Men’s Issues
      • OCD
      • Personal Development
      • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
      • Professional Development
      • Psychological Testing
      • Relationship Issues
      • Sex And Porn Addiction
      • Sexual Abuse
      • Spiritual Development
      • Trauma
      • Weight Loss
      • Women’s Issues
    • Christian Couples CounselingWork through challenges together
      • Couples Counseling
      • Premarital Counseling
      • Marriage Counseling
      • Marriage Intensive
    • Family CounselingEstablish the peaceful home you desire
      • Couples Counseling
      • Counseling for Teens
      • Counseling for Children
      • Family Counseling
    • Group CounselingBenefit from the support of others
      • Men’s Sexual Addiction Recovery
        Group – Chris Chandler
      • Anxiety and Depression Counseling
        Group for Teens and Adolescents
      • All Counseling Groups
    • Online Counseling
    • Anxiety
    • Depression
    • Marriage Counseling
    • Sexual Addiction
  • LocationsChoose from our variety of office locations
    • Bellevue
    • 1Bothell
    • Edmonds
    • 1Everett
    • 1Federal Way
    • kentKent
    • Kirkland Christian CounselingKirkland
    • Lacey Christian CounselingLacey
    • 1Mill Creek
    • Oak Harbor Office OutsideOak Harbor
    • Poulsbo
    • 1Puyallup
    • 1Redmond
    • 1Seattle Ballard
    • 1Seattle Downtown
    • Seattle Greenlake
    • Silverdale Office FrontSilverdale
    • 1Spokane
    • 1Spokane Valley
    • 1Tacoma
    • 1Online Counseling
  • CounselorsFind the best counselor for your needs
  • CareersBecome an affiliated Christian counselor
  • (206) 388-3929Please give us a call, we are here to help
header-image

Five Bible Passages for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seattle Christian Counseling
https://seattlechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/five-bible-passages-for-seasonal-affective-disorder-3.jpg 1920 2560
https://seattlechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/seattle-greenlake-6-scaled.jpg
https://seattlechristiancounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/cropped-cropped-seattle-logo.png
6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B
SEATTLE, WA 98115
United States
6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B
SEATTLE, WA 98115
United States
Seattle Christian Counseling
Nov
2021
17

Five Bible Passages for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Alexandra Schmidt

DepressionIndividual CounselingMen's IssuesWomen's Issues

Do you dread the season of winter? Do you find yourself struggling to get through the short hours of daylight? Does your motivation for work decrease in the months of cold? If so, you may be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Five Bible Passages for Seasonal Affective DisorderHere are five Scripture passages that may be helpful if you’re dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

For to the snow he says, ‘Fall to earth,’ and to the torrential rains, ‘Pour down.’ He causes everyone to stop working so that all people may know his work. The wild animals go to their lairs, and in their dens, they remain. A tempest blows out from its chamber, icy cold from the driving winds. The breath of God produces ice, and the breadth of the waters freeze solid. – Job 37:6-10

In a world run by clocks and calendars, the pressure to constantly work has become more normal. But all human beings need a season of rest. If you are not a farmer, then taking a season of rest during the winter may seem unrealistic. You may find yourself struggling with depression in a way that just doesn’t happen the rest of the year.

Like us if you are enjoying this content.

When the winter blues seem to be getting the best of you, you will need to be more creative about finding the time to rest. The passage above says, “He causes everyone to stop working, so that all people may know his work.”

You may not have the financial means to stop working altogether, but there are other ways of practicing rest. This will take being intentional on your part. You also need to understand what gives you comfort and rest. It may not be about getting more sleep. It could be planning to meet with friends, having a project outside of work to complete, or simply having an alarm that starts the morning coffee for you. The cold and the darkness don’t have to overcome you.

A helpful practice for those struggling with depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder is to practice gratitude. What are you grateful for in the winter? Blankets? A good heating system? Maybe a treat such as hot cocoa with marshmallows. Do you enjoy candlelight and wood-burning fires? Perhaps you have a sweater collection that brings you joy.

Five Bible Passages for Seasonal Affective Disorder 1This would be a suitable time to think about the ways that God has shown Himself good to you in the past seasons. In times of darkness, you can remember the light. Did God provide a fun summer for you? Don’t mourn that time; remember it with joy and anticipate its return. Spending time reflecting on the ways you have seen God be good in the past is an excellent practice to combat depression.

While the earth continues to exist, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease. – Genesis 8:22

Sometimes winter is hard because you don’t have an idea when it will end. You know it is temporary, but there is no fixed expiration date. In a world dictated by calendars, your depression can make you feel like you are not meeting expectations. Feeling helpless about when it will end could make your depression worse.

Learn how to hold fast the promise of seasons ebbing and flowing. Watch the sunrises and sunsets to remind you that the days are moving along. Make plans for spring and winter. God has given beauty to each season. Find the things that make even the barren parts of winter beautiful. Even trees stripped of their leaves give praise to the glory of God.

The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. – Isaiah 55:10

Just as winter is necessary for food to grow, rest is necessary for the Christian to grow as well. You cannot always be running around doing things. There needs to be time for rest and stillness. Animals take the time to rest. Plants take time to rest. Human beings also need rest. This could be a good time to get a massage, find comforting books to read, or a hobby to indulge in. Save a good show to watch, plan a game night, do home spa activities.

Five Bible Passages for Seasonal Affective Disorder 2This time to build your faith will look much different from the height of summer busyness. This could be the time you learn to pray for people, to listen to music that lifts your soul. You do not always have to be engaged in outreach to have a fruitful life in Christ. Find a few trusted companions to tell about the struggle with depression and ask them to help you cope with it by checking in on you and meeting for fun fellowship.

I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God. – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

If you are familiar with the book of Ecclesiastes, you will have heard the passage about how there is a time for everything. This passage comes right after it. After acknowledging the times and seasons you can be encouraged to find joy in your work and life. The practices of gratitude, learning to rest, finding beauty in winter, all of these are ways to find joy even amid depression.

Gather with your people. Plan coffee dates and movie outings and book clubs. Create beautiful things that give you joy. The clouds may cause you to feel gloomy, but you can create sunshine within the walls of your home. Buy a light that mimics the sun’s rays to get a dose of vitamin D. Take vitamin D, or better yet have citrus to brighten your day.

If gathering with people helps, plan a game night with snacks. If being alone helps, plan time to be by yourself. Sometimes seasonal depression means you simply need to get out of the house. Bundle up and take a walk, letting the fresh air fill your lungs. Sign up for a yoga class or join a gym that has a pool. Moving your body around can boost your mood and having someplace to go can motivate you to get out of the house.

Five Bible Passages for Seasonal Affective Disorder 3You set up all the boundaries of the earth; you created the cycle of summer and winter. – Psalm 74:17

God is faithful to His people. Summer and winter are proof of God’s goodness and faithfulness. You don’t have to like them equally, but they are both a part of the plan that God has for all humankind. Growing and resting are both from Him.

If you struggle with seasonal depression God is doing a good thing for you. It is your body’s way of telling you to slow down – a call to be still and know that he is God. Stillness is an important gift and so is retreat. Jesus regularly retreated from the crowds and his own disciples to be still. Your faith grows more than you think in such times. Being a good Christian is not about showing up to church every time the doors are open. It is about building your relationship with Him.

Amid Seasonal Affective Disorder, you can learn to trust God and see the good gifts that He has put in your life. Darkness and cold can enhance your gratitude for the goodness of God.

A Short List of Ideas

  • Move your body
  • Have a hot beverage you love, daily
  • Plan to get together with friends
  • Keep a gratitude journal
  • Keep a prayer journal
  • Make your favorite foods
  • Get Vitamin D
  • Home spa: bath with Epsom salts, candles, music
  • Savor the beauty of frost and snowflakes
  • Pick up a book
  • Have a game night with the family

Christian Counseling for Seasonal Affective Disorder

If you think you’re struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder, we would be happy to help. Feel free to contact our office to schedule an appointment with me or one of the other counselors listed in the counselor directory.

Photos:
“Hot Coffee”, Courtesy of Alex Padurariu, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Winter Forest”, Courtesy of Christian Grab, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Intellectual Dog”, Courtesy of Jamie Street, Unsplash.com, CC0 License; “Blank Journal”, Courtesy of Jan Kahanek, Unsplash.com, CC0 License

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please contact one of our counselors for further information.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Tweet it
  • ↑ Back to top

Other articles that might interest you...

How to Alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder
Photo of Dr. Maria D. Reyes

Dr. Maria D. Reyes

How to Alleviate Seasonal Affective ...

Are you feeling blue since the time changed this fall? You may have a common problem known as Seasonal Affective...

continue reading »
PODCAST - A Glimpse into Life with Bipolar Disorder
Photo of Dr. Gary Bell

Dr. Gary Bell

A Glimpse into Life with Bipolar ...

Bipolar disorders, or manic-depressive illness, is a group of disorders characterized by the presence of pronounced high-energy phases known as...

continue reading »
Why Should Counseling Be Part Of Your Binge Eating Disorder Treatment?
Photo of Missy Neill

Missy Neill

Why Should Counseling Be Part Of Your ...

It’s natural for us to want to grab something sweet or salty every once in a while or on holidays,...

continue reading »

Related Services

  • Depression
  • Individual Counseling
  • Men's Issues
  • Women's Issues

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Seattle Christian Counseling Logo
Seattle Christian Counseling
Professional help with faith-based values
Welcome to Seattle Christian Counseling. We are an association of professional, independently licensed Christian counselors with more than 20 office locations throughout Washington state for your convenience, including the Seattle neighborhoods of Greenlake, Ballard, and Downtown Lower Queen Anne. We look forward to meeting you soon.
© 2022 Seattle Christian Counseling. All rights reserved.
6827 Oswego Place NE, Suite B, Seattle, WA 98115. Tel (206) 388-3929.
Facebook Twitter Online Counseling About Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use Feel free to contact us!
COVID-19 Service Update: We are still open for business. In office and online counseling is available if needed.