The Problem of Helplessness
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harrassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
Human beings, endowed by the Creator with mental and physical powers, have launched satellites into space. They have transplanted hearts, kidneys and livers, allowing people to live longer. They have climbed the highest peaks, descended into the lowest depths, and probed the universe, going where no one has gone before. Athletes keep chopping inches and seconds off world records.
However, there is a limit to what finite humans can do. If we were gods—as the false prophets of the New Age movement would have us believe—there would be no limit to what we could do. But we are not gods, and without God we will eventually find ourselves in a helpless situation. Our finite resources can help us overcome many obstacles for a time, but in the end they cannot save us.
Helplessness is a primary symptom of depression, and often it is learned. Take fleas, for instance. If you put them in a beaker with a glass plate over the top, after a few attempts to fly out, they will remain in the beaker even after you remove the glass plate. If you put a glass divider in an aquarium with a fish on one side and its favorite food on the other, within a few days the fish will remain on its side after you remove the divider. Baby elephants that are chained to a stake in the ground will remain staked to the ground even when they are older and can easily pull up the stake.
This all occurs because they learned to be helpless when they were young. The Israelites suffered from a similar kind of helplessness. They couldn’t believe good news when they heard it! God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that He would bring them out of slavery in Egypt and be their God (see Exodus 6:6-7). When Moses shared this with the Israelites, they didn’t listen to him, “because of their discouragement and harsh labor” (verse 9). Years of conditioning had left them with a sense of helplessness. Even Moses felt helpless to persuade Pharaoh, for he had learned by experience that he could not even persuade his own people. It is not uncommon today to see entire people groups gripped by depression because they feel helpless to change their circumstances.
Scientific experiments show that a real or perceived sense of helplessness affects our neurochemistry. Helping people overcome their sense of helplessness and hopelessness has proven to be as effective as antidepressant medication—without the potentially negative side effects. So, if the precipitating cause for depression is not neurological, should we take medication? Perhaps the question is best answered by an analogy. If we are suffering from acid indigestion, should we take an antacid? Yes, but that is not a complete answer. We should probably consider changing our eating habits and investigate other potential causes for the upset stomach, such as ulcers or cancer.
Why has there been a tenfold increase in depression during the last 50 years? It is doubtful that our brain chemistry or our genes have changed radically. The problem lies more with what we believe and how we live. Our hope has been misplaced, our beliefs have strayed from the truth, and we have failed to learn how we can overcome helplessness by turning to God.
questions to consider:
How is depression a symptom of helplessness? In what ways is it a learned trait?
According to Exodus 6:6-9, why did the Israelites have trouble believing Moses?
What are the many ways that we truly are helpless without God?
Where and when do you feel helpless? How can you change that perception?
Why do you think the whole world is experiencing a “blues” epidemic?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.