Postby Aka-chan » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:55 am
Maybe rather than worrying about finding someone, focus on preparing yourself for when God brings the right person along. If the perfect girl is out there, don't you want to be the best guy possible for her? I know it's hard being single sometimes, but the Bible clearly states that there's nothing wrong with it. In no way does it make you a loser, and I think it's great you haven't just jumped at something that won't necessarily be what's best.
The other thing to remember: you're not alone in any of this. There are lots of other people with issues similar to yours, and the Bible most certainly advocates fellowship. It's good that you're trying to get out with your friends, but maybe you should also look into talking to your pastor or youth leader; they are equipped to give you the spiritual guidance that your peers may not be able to. Having someone like that will also keep you accountable for your actions, which is also a big help. (But definitely keep up activities with your friends. Sometimes the battle is half won just by getting out of bed--I know how tremendously hard that can be.)
As for the depression and feeling distance from God, I've definitely gone through something similar. I know you can't just have someone tell you "be happy" and have it taken care of. As mentioned above, talking to someone about this is definitely helpful (you don't have to tell everyone, just tell someone), and sometimes medical help is the best thing for depression.
Also, even if you don't feel like it, try praying. It doesn't have to be pretty, formal prayer; God says to "cast your cares on Me," meaning he'll take whatever you have and still love you. Really. It's fine to be honest and just tell him what you're feeling--there's loads of that in the psalms. If focusing is hard, try writing your prayers, or even just reading a Bible passage and thinking about it. There's some pretty heavy-duty dealings with depression in there, but there is hope in all of them. It may not seem to do anything right away, but it'll definitely help.
Some related passages:
Psalm 32
Psalm 38
Psalm 119:25-32, 81-88
Psalm 143
1 Kings 19:1-18 (here the great prophet Elijah exhibits classic signs of depression, and God personally deals with it. Kind of amazing.)
Hope this is useful to you.