Happy Mental Health Monday 😊

Depression Series – Episode 3: Hope Is a Muscle

Start your week off with confidence.

Depression often steals one thing first: hope. When everything feels gray, it can feel impossible to imagine things getting better. But hope isn’t just a feeling that appears when life improves. Hope is something we practice and strengthen.

Psalm 42:5 says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him.”


Notice that word “yet.” The psalmist acknowledges the pain but still chooses to anchor himself in God.

Depression can dampen the brain’s reward system, which is why things that once brought joy can feel flat. Practicing gratitude, focusing on God’s promises, and taking small steps forward can slowly begin to reignite hope.

Sometimes we also borrow hope from others. Community matters. When your faith feels weak, the people around you can remind you of God’s goodness and help carry you through the darkness.

Reflection Exercise: The “Yet” Practice

Draw a line down the middle of a page.

On the left side, write an honest struggle:
“I feel anxious.”
“I don’t see change.”

On the right side, respond with a faith-based “yet”:
“Yet I trust God is with me.”
“Yet I will take one healthy step today.”

You’re not denying the struggle. You’re anchoring it to truth.

Sometimes the smallest word in the room, “yet,” becomes the strongest.

For more resources on faith and mental health, visit lukemerrill.me.