Proverbs 18:14

 The book of Proverbs gives us a lot of instruction on a lot of different subjects. One subject that can keep us in God’s wisdom is Godly Follower-ship. Who we follow; where we follow; how we follow are all spoken about in Proverbs. Here is one of them about a broken spirit:

Proverbs 18:14

The spirit of a man can endure his sickness,

But as for a broken spirit who can bear it?

There is one thing to be sick and there is another to be depressed.   Solomon had some insight into depression.  You might read Ecclsiastes and see some signs of a man who found all of life vanity ... emptiness.  What he tells us in this proverb is that a normal sickness can be tolerated by the one who is sick.  However, he is speaking in the first line of physical health.   In the second line he changes the focus to sickness in regard to the spirit, the mental, and/or the psychological.  He doesn't really tell us, but the best interpretation is that he is speaking in regard to the psychology of someone.  Solomon is speaking here about someone who is in deep depression.  He is telling us that we might be able to handle physical aliments but when our spirit is lost we too are lost.   Think here about Job.   Job had physical aliments.   He was working on how to handle the physical issues.  However, the physical issues caused a problem with his theology.   Job could endure sickness, but couldn't bear it when the sickness broke his spirit.   Solomon simply warns us to be aware.  When we get into this situation in life we have only one course of action: Faith in Christ.  When we find ourselves with a broken spirit God is the only One to rescue us.  We must find solace in Him only.