The Causes and the Cures

Do you ever watch the lives of your friends, listen to what they say about what is really happening in their worlds and it takes you to a place of introspection where you think deeply about your own life and faith? This is where I have been the last few days. It has been an interesting process of wondering, grieving and being reminded of well, hope, really.

Life is challenging. We become comfortable in what can be referred to as 'the ideal', so much so that at times, I think we forget what is real. Perhaps we wish to please everyone around us. Maybe we wish that things would just go back to the way they were at a happier, or less complicated point along the journey.

Sometimes along the way, we look in the mirror and don't recognize or understand the person that we see. And, we wonder, "If I don't know, who else does?" It's a paradox. We want to be known, but we don't. We are afraid of being seen for what we are. Why? Well, I suppose there are millions of reasons. And yet, faith comes into question as we explore whom or what it is that we have become. What is it that I believe? Why aren't I free? Who am I? What does this mean for me? What does it mean to the world?

My question is: Why hide? How does that benefit you? How does that change the world?

On Sunday, my Pastor, Dr. Stephen Um, gave a tremendous message on spiritual depression. He focused on the text in Psalm 42 & 43 where the writer is distressed and questioning the very things that I have seen a couple friends dealing with in recent time. Perhaps I'll add another post and write out the full text in a moment. What is interesting to me about these two Psalms is the honesty and longing that is clearly portrayed in his words.

Dr. Um talked about causes and cures for spiritual depression and I wanted to write some of what he said here.

Causes for Spiritual Depression:
1. Community Deprivation
- Living life with a "tourist" mentality and not choosing to view oneself as a resident. Determining to be in exile, to refuse to initiate and engage with others by making a choice to live in exile. The question asked is, "Why invest?"

As I thought about this after church, I wondered... Why is this dangerous? We fail to remember the VALUE of community. We forget that we MUST choose to engage with others for our own benefit. When we remove ourselves from others by living in light of the 'ideal' (how I wish things were), rather than the 'real' (what is true and what choice I have to live my life in the midst of present circumstances), we experience loneliness and we aren't known. We're not giving others the opportunity to know us.

2. Lack of Employment
- Ultimately, our identity is not in what we do; however, if we view our lives as, or believe that the contribution we are making is, insignificant, we are prone to be despondent. For instance, if we find ourselves in a position where we didn't expect to find ourselves or do not want to be in for the long haul, we lose heart.

3. External Opposition from Adversaries or the Enemy
- Perhaps we find ourselves in a "season of accusation" where we feel we cannot win. Something is wrong on every side. There is potential to find ourselves asking,
"Why me?"
"Where is God?"
"Why have I been forgotten?"
And, eventually, we will buy into the lies. We will believe that God has forgotten us, that He doesn't care, that we have lost favor or love or any number of things.

Now, onto the cures. These are really insightful.

1. Stop Listening to Yourself and Start Talking to Yourself
- Preach the gospel to your own heart. You cannot let yourself set the agenda for what you will choose to believe (the ideal). Eventually, you will start believing yourself and of course you are going to be spiritually depressed, bitter, and discouraged. Allow the gospel to send the agenda. Ask, "What is in line with the gospel?" Take time to reflect on what is true.

2. Put Your Hope in God
- Jesus received utter loneliness, abandonment and was completely forsaken by taking on our sin and the brokenness of the world. He was ultimately opposed. Yet, He endured this so that we would not be utterly lonely, abandoned, forsaken, opposed or broken. There is hope.

3. Praise Him
- Christ did all of this on our behalf. He loved us that much to endure such suffering.

Dr. Um went on to say this, "This is the moment to engage, to speak to yourself... During spiritual deprivation." I thought this was so powerful in light of the things I'm seeing these friends endure. God has not forsaken them, forgotten them or lost hold of them. He is about the business of freeing them from the ties that bind.

This inspired me to hope this weekend. Knowing that God is big enough and completely faithful to engage in the process He has them in. What's more is that as I reflected on my life and faith I realized that the Lord has often met me in times like these. He has moved me from doubt, insecurity and bondage to freedom. And, with all of my heart, I believe He will do the same for them.