A midwestern pastor was cleaning out his garage. He was
planning to haul the rubbish to the dump. His two sons were excited
about this, because they considered the dump the happy hunting
ground. Only those who have ever found an exciting piece of junk
there can fully appreciate their feelings. Unfortunately, the father
got a call that demanded that he go to the hospital. He told the boys
he would have to haul the rubbish away another day. One of the
boys kicked the ground, and in disgust said, "I'll never be a
minister. You don't even have time to go to the dumps."
It would be a blessing if it was true, that pastors and leaders of
the church did not ever have to get down in the dumps of
depression. The facts of history indicate, however, that depression is
no respecter of persons. You do not escape it by being in the
ministry, or by any other profession, however noble. The best of
men and women, and the wisest, and most gifted, and most used of
God, find themselves going to the dumps. If Job could stay on his
ash pile all through history, he could visit with the great of every
age, for sooner or later they all sit where he sat-in the dump of
depression.
Martin Luther was typical of the great men of God who found themselves
in the dumps. Chapter 3 of Job could well have been one
of his own songs of the blues. He sounded so much like Job when he
wrote, "I am sick of life, if this life can be called life. Implacable
hatred and strife amongst the great-no hopes of any improvement-
the age is Satan's own; gladly would I see myself and all my people
quickly snatched from it." He could not see the future and how his
writing would influence millions all over the world.
Many saints have gone through what is called, the dark night of
the soul, where they feel God has left them. Saints do not go to hell,
but hell comes to them. Depression can be so severe that it is a
minor hell-a taste of what it is to be God-forsaken. Some depression
is good, for it keeps us in touch with reality, which is full of evil and
sorrow. It is sometimes easy to forget this, and go our own selfish
way if depression does not bring us down where we feel what is real.
Tim LaHaye has written some of the finest books, and one is, How
To Win Over Depression. He wrote this book because back in 1969
it hit him, and for two and a half years he went through five periods
of depression. The awfulness of it motivated him to seek answers,
and to help others to gain victory. Vance Havner went through
great depression when his wife died, and he wrote, Though I Walk
Through The Valley, to help others who go that same way.
Having great gifts, or excellent character, does not spare you
from depression. Sir Winston Churchill had serious bouts with
depression. Edgar Allen Poe would fall into a pit of depression after
creating a master piece, and Van Gogh cut off his ear in a fit of
despair. A list of the most famous and most talented people in the
world would also be a list of people who have fought depression. It
is a part of life, and is due to the fact that nobody's life is all it was
meant to be. Men cannot help struggling with the meaning of life,
and the purpose of so much that is evil, and this leads to depression.
Many people read Job and get relief from their depression, but
others read it and get more depressed. They see Job suffering as
meaningful, for there is a goal, but their own suffering does not seem
to have any meaning. It is always easy to think the other guy does
not have it as bad as you. The fact is, just because we know Job's
suffering had a meaning, he did not know, and had no clue as to
what was going on. It was totally meaningless to him. He would not
have been able to come out of his depression by mere positive
thinking. He needed that, and after his pessimism was expressed, he
still had some optimism. But Job expressed severe depression where
he felt hopeless.
One of the symptoms of despair is that death looks good. Death is
an enemy to those who love life, but those in deep depression look
upon death as sweet release from life's misery. Job praises death in
verse 13, as the place of quiet rest. He longs for death, and feels it is
unfair to have to go on living, when death is so inviting. Such a love
for, and longing for death, is not the normal attitude of a healthy
man. It is a sign of deep depression. The depressed are pessimistic
about life, and optimist about death. A Christian who spends too
much time longing for heaven, is probably depressed about life on
earth. This poem was found, as an ancient Near Eastern text, and it
reveals just how appealing death can become when one is fed up
with life.
Death is in my sight today,
Like the recovery of a sick man,
Like going out into the open after a confinement.
Death is in my sight today,
Like the odor of myrrh,
Like sitting under an awning on a breezy day.
Job sees death as a place where the weary are at rest, and
everybody is equal, and there is no more oppression. It looks so
good to him, he is sad he has to stay in the land of the living.
Verse21 is the climax of his death wish, for he longs for death, and desires
it like a man digging for treasure. This might sound like a
wonderful view of death, but it is not. It is a sick view, for all Job
wants is escape. Death is just a way out of life's trials. It is no virtue
to be ready to die gracefully if God wants you to live and fight. Paul
did not know which way to go. He did not know if he should die and
be with God, or stay and serve his Lord. But he did not long for
escape. He loved life, and only thought of death as a door to Christ's
presence. Paul was not depressed, but had a healthy view of life and
death. Paul wanted more of life, but Job wanted out of life.
Job's view is that of a pessimist. We know he had good reason,
but still it is not a view of life and death that is healthy for the
believer. It is like the Greek pessimist. Sophocles, the ancient
Greek, sounds just like Job.
Not to be born is the most
to be desired, but having seen the light
the next best is to go whence one came
as soon as may be.
This is pagan thinking, and when a believer gets depressed, he tends
to develop pagan thinking. That is why it is always wise to reject
your thoughts, and your feelings, when you are depressed.
True men of God often develop negative theology because they
are depressed. They lead others to think that way, as if it was
Biblical thinking, but in reality it is pagan thinking from the pit of
depression. Lets look at some of the major causes for depression, for
knowing these can help us understand ourselves, and understanding
ourselves, is the key to coping with depression. One of the primary
causes is-
1. DISAPPOINTMENT.
This is where it all begins. We have so many dreams and hopes
in life that never go as we plan. You don't get depressed when
everything goes your way, but since so often things go the opposite
of what you planned, you get depressed. The more you are
disappointed, the more likely you are to get depressed. If you
favorite plant dies; your cat scratches the leg of your dining room
table, and your son comes home with two F's on his report card, all
in the same day, you may find yourself heading for the dumps. That
is too much disappointment to handle cheerfully. Think of what
Job's mind was handling. He had all his dreams of the future
shattered in one day. No human being alive can take that kind of
disappointment and escape depression.
Tim La Haye, in his book on depression, puts his finger on a
major source that helps us better understand Job. He tells of how
people who seldom express depression have terrible spells when they
face divorce. He quotes one man as saying, "It took me almost a
year to get over it! I had never been depressed in my life until my
wife left me. Suddenly the carpet was jerked out from under my
whole life. For weeks I just wanted to die." This is a common
reaction, and La Haye says, "The root problem with those caught in
despair is almost always the rejection of the person they love most."
Disappointment in those we most love is the quickest way to the
dumps.
If we apply this to Job, it does fit. Back in chapter 2 Job rebuked
his wife for her pessimism. She was being weak, and he was being
strong. That very rebuke of the one person left in his life, his
primary source of love, could have added greatly to his own
depression. Job had every reason there is to be depressed, and to be
badly depressed. We will never have as good a reason as Job had,
but any disappointment is sufficient to produce some degree of
depression.
What can we do to off set it? We can expect to be disappointed.
It is not so hard to take, if we plan for it. If you have a goal to
achieve, and circumstances, or people, fail you, be prepared with a
second goal, or back-up plan. Expect that you may be disappointed,
and be ready to adjust. If you are not flexible, and instead, expect
every plan to go your way, you are planning to be depressed.
Instead, plan to escape the effects of disappointment by being ready
with an alternative. This is superficial counsel to those in grief like
Job, but it fits so many of life's disappointments, and even covers
tragedy if you think about it. If death takes a loved one; if your
house if destroyed; if you are forced to change your profession; if
war should come to our country; all of these possibilities need us to
be prepared. It is wise to give thought to how you would handle
such things, for being prepared to adjust to disappointments,
however tragic or trivial, is the key to winning over depression.
Secondly, consider-
2. LACK OF SELF-ESTEEM.
If you cut yourself down, and think you are unworthy of being
loved, you will struggle with depression. It is not what others think,
but what you think of yourself, that really matters. Job sees himself
as a misfit. He feels it would be better had he never been born.
Abortion would have been a blessing he thinks. His self-image is
poor, and he is depressed.
When his friends begin to accuse him of being a sinner, Job snaps
out of his depression, for he has a good self-image, and he defends
his righteousness. Your self-image can be both the cause and the
cure of your depression. Job went into the dumps because his self-image
began to fade, but he was lifted out of the dumps when his
self-image was attacked, and he had a high enough view of himself to
come to his own defense. A Christian needs to develop a healthy self-image as a child of
God, so that no matter what happens, and how badly he fails, or
how much disappointment he faces, he can say, "Life is still worth
living, for I care, and I can be used to be part of God's answer in this
needy world. This is the key factor in helping yourself get out of the
dumps."
