Why, God?

Seriously. It does rather beg the question, does it not? I struggle/live with depression; have all my life. Doctors, psychologists, and psychiatrists have confirmed it. It is not a choice; it is a scientific, medical "challenge." (Hey, where are my reserved parking spaces?) Anyway....

So, despite being a man who truly loves and walks with God, I have this...condition.  At the very least, God has allowed it; or, God may have deliberately created me like this (1 Corinthians 11:12). The fact that every single day is a battle to not descend into the darkest depths is according to God's will. So...why, God? I mean seriously, what's up with that?!

(I want to take a moment here to recognize that many people have challenges with which they live every day; and, if depression is not yours, you probably still struggle with some of the same questions.)

While I can't say for sure (Isaiah 55:8-9), here are some of the things I've found to help me with this question:

I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
 - 2 Corinthians 12:5-10

   As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
   “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him....
  After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
 - John 9:1-3,6-7

Now, I'd be lying if I said I just always naturally love delighting in my struggles for Christ's sake; but, it is pretty cool to think that God can be glorified through my life. Plus, the times I get to see how sufficient God's grace is for me are pretty awesome.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
 - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I am obviously not the only one who lives with this burden; so, it is pretty cool to think I can actually help someone else with the help I receive.

The Bible is literally chock-full of these kinds of truths for our encouragement and benefit (the Psalms are excellent in this arena!). These three passages come immediately to mind, maybe because they impact me the most.

So that's it. Why did God cause or allow me to live with depression? Among other things, I get to experience his grace first hand; I get to see his power in my life; and, I get to comfort others with the comfort I have received. I think I can handle that.