When
God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear,
he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and
multiply you.” And thus
Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone
greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all
dispute. In the same way,
when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the
unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so
that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would
prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the
hope set before us. We
have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the
inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on
our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever according to the
order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:13
- 20 (NRSV)
The National institute of
Mental Health has a website[1]
dedicated to depression. Its opening
paragraph is:
Everyone
occasionally feels blue or sad. But
these feelings are usually short-lived and pass within a couple of days. When you have depression, it interferes with
daily life and causes pain for both you and those who care about you. Depression is a common but serious illness.
“Common but serious” is an
understatement. From Adam and Eve being
kicked out of the Garden of Eden, to Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s heroin overdose
a few weeks ago, depression has gripped most of mankind at one point or
another.
Today I’d like for us to play
doctor. By that I mean let’s diagnose the problem and
explore solutions for the dreaded thief of joy – depression.
(We
will mostly bypass the results of depression like work loss,
damage to relationships, suicide and the like.)
Diagnosing the Problem of Depression
There are a host of
clinical symptoms that identify that kind of depression which goes beyond “the
blues”.
Physical Characteristics of Depression
Apart from the obvious, sad-looking expression, there is also a loss of
expression in a person’s voice. When
King David lost his firstborn son with Bathsheba, those who spent time with
David were alarmed at how expressionless the king became. Prior to his depression David was an
accomplished musician and singer. With
an engaging personality on hold, David’s companions feared he was already dead
inside.
Appetite also is affected
in depressed people. For some (like me)
appetite increases ten-fold when depression strikes. Some people are prone to eating comfort
food! For others, like Elijah, the
appetite disappears. After his battle
with the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel, Elijah was so afraid Jezebel would
catch up with him, he couldn’t think of eating.
Emotional Characteristics of Depression
When a person is depressed,
feelings, fears and moodiness are all bounced around like a yo-yo on a
string. Some of the more categorized
mood swings:
·
Emptiness – a sense of the total
meaninglessness of life. Kurt Cobain was
the lead singer of the rock band Nirvana.
He left a suicide note which clearly expressed his depressive
state – a cloud of too much success, drugs and lack of passion for
anything. The ancient prophet Jeremiah
shared Cobain’s shame, expressing remorse that he’d ever been born.
·
Worthlessness – when you’ve blown it,
made a fool of yourself, it seems impossible to redeem life’s luster. Jesus’ closest friend and co-laborer, Peter, denied
Christ three times. For Peter, weeping bitterly
when the rooster crowed at dawn to remind him of his unfaithfulness – well,
that simply meant it was all over; Peter’s boast of loyalty was a sham. I would be surprised to learn that Peter
hadn’t considered joining Judas at the end of a rope.
·
Helplessness – In 1987 at the end of a
distinguished political career, depression so grabbed Budd Dwyer (a state
senator from Pennsylvania) over the inability of the government to bring about
substantive change for the good, that he made a statement on a live TV news
broadcast and then pulled out a gun and killed himself in hopes the world would
wake up….and change.
This is not an exhaustive
list, but characterizes depression’s ability to block everything worthwhile
about life; you wind up paralyzed and unable to do anything but breathe (and
sometimes you wonder about that)!
The Hidden Cause of Depression
Clinical psychologist Howard
Clinebell wrote that often depression is caused by …hostility which the individual
turns inward on himself because he is afraid to express it openly toward the
original target of anger.
If this is so, and if that
is really a major cause of most depression apart from (or in concert with)
other factors, then the cause runs toward a judgmental bitter spirit within,
and most external factors only pluck the sore nerve.
For instance, a simple
illustration of depression and financial troubles would say that I hate my
overspending and the debt I incur. When
I judge my inability to control irresponsible use of money it piles up guilt until
I feel worthless, helpless and empty…I feel depressed. The actions were rightly judged as
inappropriate, but I internalized my anger, rather than addressing and
correcting the behavior. (Which, in
Biblical terms would be called “repentance”).
So much for “cause”…what
about…
Exploring Common Solutions
Denial
The most common defense is
to deny a condition exists. But denial
only works for short-term relief (especially if your depression is caused by an
oncoming train, and you’re sitting on the tracks).
A man wandered in the
desert for a month and was finally found.
When asked how he got lost he replied, Well, I’m not really lost…but my
house seems to be somewhat misplaced. Denial!
Denial only serves to make
depression worse. In fact, depression symptoms are understood deep within a
person as being real – that’s why we consciously sense there’s something not
quite right. Denying or ignoring the
symptoms leaves the root cause of depression untreated; like cancer without
surgery and chemotherapy, depression will grow!
Displacement
Displacement is a form of
denial, but perhaps even more deadly.
Instead of trying to ignore the symptoms of despair and emptiness, we
attribute them, inaccurately, to a “lack
of something” in our life; so we set-out to fill that void. The void – a real calling of the inner self
to deal with our life meaningfully – cannot be filled by displacement. We run after things (materialism), toys
(bigger cars, computers, homes, more exciting activities), and all we wind up
with is greater emptiness, self-hatred and more depression. Denial and Displacement don’t work.
Drugs and Dialogue
Prescription drugs that
elevate endorphin levels and help balance hormone production are not
evil. In fact, I can say from personal
experience, that when used appropriately and under a physician’s direction,
such drugs can help a depressed person deal with depressive conditions and find
wholeness in a more healthy manner.
Dialogue is also important
– a depressed person must deal with the issues inside – there is urgent need to
get those issues outside, where they can be seen clearly and addressed honestly. The old Southern Baptist evangelist Vance
Havner used to say…creepy-crawly things thrive in the darkness; when you open a door and
turn on a light, the bugs scatter.
How do you turn on the
light? I’m glad you asked.
Defining Biblical Solutions
Treating the “whole” person
While most depression is
addressed in clinical settings from a chemical and behavioral viewpoint,
Scripture points to a third dimension – spirit. Scientific methodology rarely considers “sin”
as part of the equation; God differs!
Even when God first came to
the fearful Adam and Eve after they sinned, His question, Adam, where are you, was not about location in Eden, it was
the condition of his heart. The first
couple knew they’d gone against God’s will and their self-hatred and judgment
drove them away from God’s presence in fear.
To treat depression
adequately there must be consideration of the root cause – the heart turned in the wrong
direction and afraid to admit it!
Scripture teaches this very
eloquently. When King David sinned by
raping Bathsheba, and the subsequent conspiracy to cover-up his deed with the
murder of her husband, Uriah, the inward guilt and shame David experienced, and
was reluctant to confess just ate him alive on the inside. He was morose and petulant towards
everyone. A psychologist would say he
was projecting his own guilt and anger (depression genes) on others.
Ultimately
the resident Hebrew psychiatrist and prophet, Nathan, orchestrated an intervention;
he said: David, my son – your biggest
problem here is David! This poked
David’s hidden sins so much they flooded in an outward confession. The result was forgiveness from God and a
changed king. See what David wrote about
what brought him out of guilt, anger and depression:
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy
are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and
in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence,
my body wasted away through my
groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Psalms 32:1
- 5 (NRSV)
David was a depressed king
before his confession. Afterward he
could joyfully proclaim “blessedness” or being “happy” because of the
forgiveness he’d received.
Before his confession,
David was drifting in spirit like a paper boat on the high seas during a
typhoon; afterward it was like Nathan had handed him an anchor that got him
through the storm of depression and guilt.
David’s Anchor
What was the anchor? It was the promise God had given to David’s
ancestor, Abraham. One night God had
called Abram to leave the familiar home of his ancestors and strike out on an
adventure with the Almighty. God
promised him there would be a “blessed land” of inheritance for Abram and all
his descendants. The promise is still in
the process of being fulfilled, but God was faithful. Our text calls this anchor “sure and steadfast”.
Anybody’s Anchor
What is it like to “anchor”
the same way David did, and be delivered from depression and guilt and anger
the way David was?
Anchoring is
a definite, irretrievable act of faith in God.
When Elizabeth and I first
joined a church years ago, the pastor came to visit us and spoke of the
dependable family we’d find there – people we could count on in a crunch; got
it, check! He talked about God’s salvation
and how our lives needed Christ; got that too, check! Then the pastor spoke of how our tithe could
be given. He left the “how” to us, but
there was no stuttering about the “how much” – 10%. Russell thought – gulp!
After praying for a few
weeks, and as the day grew closer for us to join, we decided to take an “anchor
step”. We decided to definitely,
irretrievably begin to tithe…because we believed God’s Word. (That’s right – we looked it up after the
pastor left). I’ve never been depressed
about giving since.
When we were summoned by
God to enter ministry we took some baby steps in that direction, but no
calmness came that way. When we finally
decided to anchor our lives in that call, definitely and irretrievably, there
came a day when we packed the U-Haul with every stick of furniture – lock,
stock and three kids – and headed off without job, housing or promise of the
next meal. And God has been faithful…the
anchor still holds.
Nine years ago we left the
familiar nest of our former denomination to become Methodists….talk about a definite, irretrievable act of faith in God’s call! Wow!
Double WOW! We have been blessed
beyond measure.
What is “anchoring” for you?
Have you ever placed total
trust in Him – to the point where you have no other recourse if He doesn’t show
up?
Have you given yourself no
“out clause” in your prayers? Where
you’ll go down in flames if He doesn’t hold you up?
Do you trust Him that way
now, as perhaps you used to?
You can – again – or for
the first time. You can do that now.
No comments:
Post a Comment