Overcoming Depression with a Child’s Heart

“With a child's heart
Go face the worries of the day
With a child's heart
Turn each problem into play
No need to worry no need to fear
Just being alive makes it all so very clear”

Although this is no way is a pro-Jackson article, this is actually an excerpt from a personal Jackson 5 favorite entitled ‘With a Child’s Heart’
Sung by a pre-adolescent Michael Jackson, the words of this song made such an impact on me most recently when I played the CD a few days back.
The lyrics of the song reminded me of what the renowned psychologist: Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, once stated in his book- that children are indeed the group of humans who ironically are most gifted in the art of faith and positive thinking.
These are two essentials for overcoming depression, and it is no co-incidence that they are abundant in a child’s heart.
Children are more expert in happiness and faith than adults and indeed the adult who can carry the spirit of a child into middle and old age is truly a genius. Why?
Well this is quite simply because such an adult will preserve the happy and carefree spirit that only the young seem to be endowed with and this of course will be vital and necessary for dealing with depression and problems and keeping their effects on us minimized.
The subtlety and wisdom of Jesus Christ is truly remarkable.
When it comes to dealing with depression (or dealing with life, period-the good and the bad of it), He suggests that one should have a childlike heart and mind.
In other words, have you ever noticed how a kid believes mom’s kiss actually made the pain of a bicycle fall go away, well that same childlike faith is actually what God requires of us in believing that what He says He’ll do for us will come to pass.
Now, in regards to overcoming depression, it is clear to see that approaching our problems with a childlike yet powerful faith that things will be better would make a huge difference in our situations and circumstances.
This doesn’t mean that no work will be required of us on our part, remember
“faith without works is dead," (James 2:26). However, it is the believing that what we are doing to make things better in addition to trusting what God says about our situations and challenges that would make the difference.
Just like a child will ask a parent for help on how to do something and totally rely on the parent’s instruction to get it done, it is very much the same way that we have to accept and follow God’s advice and help in order to deal with our problems and challenges in life.
A young Jackson ends the song above soulfully stating that
“With a child’s heart, nothing is gonna get me down!”
Indeed with the childlike faith in God and His promises and a childlike obedience to do as instructed by a wiser Being, nothing: not depression, not life’s problems can get us down.