As I’ve said before, I like Tim Keller. The guy just speaks to me.
In one of his sermons, Keller speaks of the wounded or crushed spirit — what causes it. His answer: “it’s complicated.” It can have one of four causes, or combinations of any the four.
The first cause is medical/physical. The “we’re just a body” crowd tends to focus on this one. The most obvious example of this is biochemical depression, but it could also be a bad thyroid, physical exhaustion, or whatever.
The second cause is emotional or relational. People into self esteem focus here. If you buy in to the lie that above all else you must “believe in yourself,” you’re in for some bitter disappointment: You will fail you.
The third cause is conscience/moral. Many Christians tend to focus here. God implants in every human being a moral code. Ignore that code, as we all do as broken beings, and you’ll be haunted by a guilty conscience.
The fourth is existential/philosophical. If you are honest with yourself and think — really think — you’ll come to realize (with Nietzsche and others) that there exists in this world a “ground note of sadness” that cannot be overcome. All joy ends in grief: It is a fact that if you think about the people whom you love the most, there will be one of you in that group who lives long enough to see every one else die.
So what’s one to do about all this? Well, if it’s medical, get help. If it’s emotional or relational, do not put any person in a place that only God should be. For issues of conscience, you’ll do well to understand that we’re all deeply broken, confess your trespasses to God, and ask for forgiveness and strength not to repeat what you’ve done. (Also, remember: “There, but by the grace of God, go I.”)
Regarding the fourth, the Bible speaks of the Tree of Life, which represents the fullness of life, absolute satiation. Problem is, post expulsion from Eden, we are barred from it by an angel with a flaming sword.
Now is an in-between time. The good news is that we are saved by Christ, none of our sins are held against us, the price of justice has been paid in full. Yet still we weep. We must be content for now in the knowledge that soon enough the world we be set to rights. And God will dry every tear.
Source: Tim Keller’s sermon at https://youtu.be/pkL3R27ZV1o