Depression

I suppose many people are blogging about the death of comedian Robin Williams. Are they blogging about suicide or depression? What can I add to the conversation?

Well, for one thing, I have experienced depression firsthand. As a follower of Christ, I believe there is another whole dimension of depression. In addition to the typical symptoms, you often experience a crisis of faith or "a dark night of the soul" as many refer to it. The book Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light reveals that this saint experienced her own dark night. During it, God is silent, leaving you to feel as if He has abandoned you. It is not a fun place to be, trust me. My own dark night (which lasted years) began as grief after the death of two of my children. No one understood my pain. Some scriptures helped me to understand that I was not alone (see Psalm 13:1-4), others horrified me (see Lamentations 3:1-20). The whole time God refused to answer any of my questions.

The turning point came when I gave up trying to understand and I surrendered myself to His plan, no matter what. It was then that I began to move back into the light. Later I found this poem written by Amy Carmichael that I now refer to over and over again, especially when I am tempted to despair again. I hope it brings someone help.

In Acceptance Lieth Peace by Amy Carmichael

He said, “I will forget the dying faces;
The empty places—
They shall be filled again;
O voices mourning deep within me, cease.”
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in forgetting lieth peace.

He said, “I will crowd action upon action,
The strife of faction
Shall stir my spirit to flame;
O tears that drown the fire of manhood, cease.”
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in endeavour lieth peace.

He said, “I will withdraw me and be quiet,
Why meddle in life’s riot?
Shut be my door to pain.
Desire, thou dost befool me, thou shalt cease.”
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in aloofness lieth peace.

He said, “I will submit; I am defeated;
God hath depleted
My life of its rich gain.
O futile murmurings; why will ye not cease?”
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in submission lieth peace.

He said, “I will accept the breaking sorrow
Which God to-morrow
Will to His son explain.”
Then did the turmoil deep within him cease.
Not vain the word, not vain;
For in acceptance lieth peace.

No fear

This is a quote by Albert Barnes, theologian (December 1, 1798 – December 24, 1870)

"If a man had perfect love to God, he would have no fear of anything - for what would he have to dread? He would have no fear of death, for he would have nothing to dread beyond the grave. It is guilt that makes people fear what is to come; but he whose sins are pardoned, and whose heart is filled with the love of God, has nothing to dread in this world or the world to come."

Rebuilding is possible.

I am currently reading through Ezra and Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Much of it centers around the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the 70 year exile in Babylon. This topic of rebuilding is especially interesting to me as I navigate a season of rebuilding in many different areas of my own life. One of those areas is the rebuilding of a lost relationship. As with the Israelites, I was responsible for the break in the relationship. Therefore, although the separation was difficult, it was not a surprise. But what is more surprising is the methodical, merciful way God orchestrates rebuilding.

Here is what I am learning.

1. God usually gives you a promise regarding the restoration. (Jeremiah 29:10)
2. Well meaning family & friends will want to see your relationship repaired quickly so they might make suggestions that you must ignore. (Jeremiah 28) Stay focused in prayer and wait on God!
3. God will move the heart of the one you've offended toward you! (This happened to me!)
4. The enemy will not be happy about the rebuilding. (Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4) He uses fear and lies to weaken and intimidate us. (Nehemiah 6)
5. The relationship will not be the same (the temple was never the same as when Solomon built it), but it will still be a blessing to God.
6. Give thanks!

Sabbath

A few months ago, our leadership decided that it was time for our church to put into action the second half of our motto, "Out to love." They decided that we would do a service project on the last Sunday of every month that has 5 Sundays. June 29th was our first such Sunday. 50 people showed up at an elementary school in the city of Reading. Our mission? To show God's love by helping to make this a clean place for the children of that neighborhood.

The principal of that school anticipated some push-back from her superiors, but it did not come from them. Instead, it came from some of the people who attend our church! They refused to come because we were working on the Sabbath. In Matthew 12:11-12 Jesus makes Himself very clear when He said to the Pharisees:

"If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

And in Mark 2:27 Jesus says:

 "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."

Perhaps we have not taught these people that The Sabbath was a sign of the Mosaic Covenant, whereas Christians are under the New Covenant (2 Cor. 3; Heb. 8). Perhaps they don't realize that there is no New Testament command to keep the Sabbath. Or do they not realize that neither the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) nor Paul cautioned Christians about breaking the Sabbath. Finally, perhaps they missed Colossians 2:16:

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however is found in Christ."

So, we don't find Christ just by going to church on Sunday, we find Him by doing His will too! The next "fifth Sunday" falls on Labor Day weekend so we may go out at a different time. We'll keep you posted.

Authority

In Acts 19:15 there is a fascinating account of some Jewish itinerant exorcists who were trying to drive out evil spirits using the name of Jesus. The evil spirits recognized that they had no authority to do this. One evil spirit actually spoke out and said to the exorcist:

"Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?"

This is powerful and sobering. In Titus 2: 15, Paul says to Titus:

"These, then are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you."

Only true believers in Christ have the right to encourage and rebuke with authority. One way to exercise that right is in the home. I often said to our son while he was growing up that if he learned to obey us while under our authority, then, when he left our home, he would be more likely to obey God's authority. There is also a lot more weight using the authority of God's Word to rebuke a child for lying than just telling him that you don't like him doing it or worse "because you said so!"

As a child gets older, it is preferable to lead him to the Word of God and have him discover himself what God says about lying. Of course this is only effective if, as parents, you have already established the authority of God's Word in your own lives and in your home. If your child sees you lying, with no fear of God's discipline, why would he fear yours? If you delay obedience to a command, don't be surprised when your child does not pay attention to you the first time.

Two ways to deal with fear

I am in 2 Chronicles this week. I love to study the lives of the kings of Israel and Judah because their lives are such great examples to me of what I should or shouldn't do. They deal with some of the very same things I deal with. Take fear. It is very real, but how we respond to it is what God looks at.

Asa, king of Judah, had a heart that was loyal to God (2 Chron. 15:17). When Zerah the Ethiopian came out against him and he cried out to God, he was victorious. (2 Chron. 14:11-15) God blessed Asa with peace and rest until his 36th year as king. But then, when Baasha, king of Israel came up against him, Asa turned to another king for help instead of calling on God. God, through the seer Hanani, rebuked Asa and told him that from then on he would have wars. (16:9). What not to do? Rely on man. What to do? Cry out to God! Look at Asa's prayer of faith before his victory in Chapter 14:

"LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your Name we go against the multitude. O LORD, You are God; do not let man prevail against You!" 2 Chron. 14:11

King Jehosophat, the son of Asa, had similar problems to his father. Even though he "took delight in the ways of the LORD" (17: 6) Jehosophat aligned himself with Ahab, the wicked king of Israel. He too was rebuked by a seer (19:2). However, in 2 Chron. 20, he had learned his lesson. Instead of turning to man for help, Jehosophat "set himeself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So all Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD." (2 Chron 20:3-4) Read Jehosophat's incredible prayer in verses 5-12 of Chapter 20. My favorite line from that prayer is in verse 12:

"For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."

Dead men don't struggle

The above title is said to be a saying of D.L. Moody. I've thought about it a lot this past week because I am in the middle of a struggle. Most often we perceive struggle as a negative thing, but in reality it is not negative at all. It shows that we are alive! If I were not alive in Christ, I would not care about temptation. I would not even give a thought to leaving my past behind and fighting to enter a new "Life Gate*."

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to yet taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

*"Life Gate" is a term used by Tom Paterson in his extremely powerful, inspired book Living the Life You Were Meant to Live