WHEN JOY IS LOST
June 4th, 2009 by Todd JohnsonThis week we began our Wednesday night series on Depression. The house was packed which is either wonderfully encouraging or terribly depressing. Our first consideration was to simply establish the fact that depression is a very real thing and affects a great many people in many different ways.
I took the opportunity to look at examples:
- Biblically (Asaph in Psalm 73, Jeremiah in Lamentations 3, the Psalmist in Psalm 42)
- Historically (Luther, Spurgeon, Cowper, Bunyan)
- Pastorally
- Personally
My only point this week was to agree with John Stott when he said, “The Christian’s chief occupational hazards are depression & discouragement.”
I’d ike to maintain a post here each week to allow any that attended the opportunity to correspond, think out loud, agree, disagree, ask questions, etc.
So.. were you there? Do you want to listen? (do so here)
I am so excited that you’re covering this – and clearly I’m not the only one. How exciting to see such a great turnout last night. It underscores what you said – so many wrestle with this and so few are willing to take it on.
Particularly liked starting with establishing the reality and the fact that you emphasized that there’s no easy answers. Great stuff.
Also, I hate to disagree with your mom – but my guess is that you’re actually a melancholy choleric. Someone taught on those at a Bible study we attended 10+ years ago and I haven’t been able to get the categories out of my head since, even though I find the whole thing kind of annoying.
Chris – I think I’ve also heard her call me melancholy choleric as well. I’ll check with her in a couple days to see if I have it right. I think you are correct though.. you’ve got me pegged.
And yes, the whole thing is very annoying.
I think I come up phlegmatic sanguine. Which means I’m laid back, happy, and almost completely useless.
Again, my age is telling. Tim LaHaye had initially written the book, “Spirit-Controlled Temperament” in 1966 and I have his reprinted version of 1977.
This is going to be an encouraging series for me as I work through times of depression myself. There are no “simple” solutions to be said at the time but the bottom line, as in any other trial, is trusting God and what does that “look” like.
I read a book a few years ago written by Don Baker – Finding Hope in Times of Crisis, which is probably out of print now, in which both he and his doctor were suffering from depression at the same time! The greatest message he received from his doctor was that there was light at the end of the tunnel. Don was pastor of Henson Memorial Baptist church in Portland Oregon which was an active and relatively large church at the time (in the early ’80′s at around 2000). Don writes in the first half and his doctor writes in the second half. I found it encouraging because he knew the truth but also realized that hearing it as he went through it may not have been the best way to communicate it. As you so well explained in your sermon by that man pulling you over to tell you to smile…Solomon said, “There is a time to shut-up…” Well…that’s my paraphrase and obviously there is a little more to it than that.
I am praying for you as you teach through this. There is no mistake that you are scratching where it itches if you had a full house on Wednesday.
Hi Todd,
Is something wrong with the download of this message? I’ve tried to download it and then to listen to it on-line, and it only seems to be 4 minutes long…?
Jennica – it’s working on our end & it has been downloaded successfully from the podcast on itunes.
sorry.
Weird. I’ll try again. Thanks!
Todd – I haven’t been able to download the file as well. It comes up with “Error in opening file”.
We had a problem with the file as of last Thursday, but if you’ve tried to download it since Friday it should be fine.
I’m assuming you haven’t tried since last week? If so.. try again and you should be successful.
Todd – I guess I am not to listen to your Sunday sermon! I can listen to any other message in the files including last Wednesday but I can’t open or download last Sunday’s. That is highly unusual as if I was having a system problem it shouldn’t be able to listen or download any of your message’s and if it a posting error on Crossroad’s site then you should be having more notices than mine. I only post this in case there are others out there having problems who haven’t reported in yet.
OH… from Sunday!! I just checked and you’re right, and we’re looking into it.
Thanks for the heads up.
I am glad that you are teaching on such a “hush-hush” subject. As I battle, daily, I get tired of the implying of “you just need to dig deeper into your relationship with Jesus” and things will get better. There are times when, no matter how much I rely on Him, I don’t know if I can get out of bed. I know that some of us need medication to make it. The best analogy I have heard is that if someone has high blood pressure, no one would look down on him/her for taking medication. Depression is a medical, spiritual, emotional and physical problem. Don’t get me wrong, Jesus is the rock that I cling to in dark and lonely times. But sometimes I need a little more help.
I am glad to know that I am not the only one who battles. There is help and I am thankful that this church is willing to publicly give it.
Quite a random post, but I hope that my point gets across clearly. Again, thank you.
Daniel 4:28-37 gives me hope! If Nebuchadnezzar can make it though to the other side praising God, so can I!
Your honesty touches my heart!!
What a relief to know great men of the faith have suffered depression. It gives me hope. Hey Chelsea – it even helped me out of bed on Monday morning – for reals. I’m right there with you!
Todd – I can listen and download last Sunday’s sermon now. Thank you. My apologies for the poor post I made. I just reread and am amazed that you were able to comprehend my meaning! That must comes from years of exegesis practice…
Chelsea – Todd had previously recommended “The Hidden Smile of God” by John Piper as a brief biographical overview of 3 Christians who suffered deeply from depression. Also, if you have the strength to read, “Suffering and the Sovereignty of God” ,with Piper and Taylor serving as editors, deals with the theology behind suffering. It is excellent and argues against those who say it shouldn’t happen to a Christian or that it is your spiritual fault that you are suffering.
relieved to know that Christians struggle with depression. I seem to be a lot like my dad. I have been on medications for abt 4 years. It was that or get seriously ill physically also. I think life just hammered away at mental sobriety till it was too thin to handle on my own. Good to know also that it is not my lack of faith, perhaps is a case of being human. God has always been there and always blessings along the way. Debbie