Depression vs. Delight: 12 Meditations

Scripture (Philippians 4:4-9)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 ⁸Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Observation

Peace and joy. You’d think we would be more willing to experience these regularly. Those are the side benefits of hanging out regularly with Christ. Here are just four the benefits picked up from just this Scriptural passage:

·        Rejoicing is always reasonable.

·        The Lord is always near.

·        Anxiety is never necessary.

·        Peace is a side benefit of prayer, gratefulness, reality-based thinking—and peace isn’t even the main delight.

Application (Personal)

Proverbs 18:14--A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

1.        On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being crushed, how healthy is my spirit?

Proverbs 12:25--Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

2.        What am I most anxious about?

3.        What might God's still, small voice saying to me?

Proverbs 15:13--A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed.

4.        What's sad to think of?

5.        What's gratifying to think of?

6.        Why am I choosing one way of thinking more than the other?

Proverbs 15:15--All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast.

7.        What's dark about the future?

8.        What's bright about the present?

9.        Why am I choosing one way of thinking more than the other?

Proverbs 17:22--A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

10.     Which direction will I choose?

11.     Which lifestyle will I resist?

12.     Which lifestyle will I fight to win for myself (and to have leak out into my relationships with others)?

Application (Psychological)

New scientific studies about the importance of positivity (which is not the superficiality that has been based on such wishful axioms as “Grin and bear it” or “Don’t worry, be happy.” Instead, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson defines it as consisting of “the whole range of emotions—from appreciation to love, from amusement to joy, from hope to gratitude, and then some. It includes positive meanings and optimistic attitudes that trigger positive emotions as well as the open minds, tender hearts, relaxed limbs, and soft faces they usher in. It even includes the long-term impact that positive emotions have on your character, relationships, communities, and environment.” Based on extensive research, she asserts that “positivity opens us. The first core truth about positive emotions is that they open our hearts and our minds, making us more receptive and more creative.” (Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. 2009. Crown Publishing Group. pp. 6, 21). Finally, I have a reasonable foundation for seeking positivity in the midst of difficulty: enjoying the rigors and delights of God’s presence gives me a perfect excuse for smiling and even laughing more often. It’s nice that science is catching up with Scripture.

Prayer

O Lord, You have searched me and known me …. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:1,24,25).

Beautiful Arrogance: Disdaining the Pain

Scripture
(Romans 5:2-4) ... And we rejoice [literally, its meaning includes boast] in the hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice [boast] in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope....

Observation
Trapped and crushed at the bottom of all human experience is suffering--and no human has a pass to escape that sort of experience. From this universally dreaded low is also a universally accessible route of escape. This Scripture describes a sequence of perceptual shifts that--for the person who decides to travel that route--will unblock an ability to defiantly, arrogantly, mock the pain. Despite the temporary, present pain, people with this hope in Christ can confidently expect to someday stand triumphant with Christ above and apart from that suffering--and even in the midst of suffering His people can rightfully take that posture of boasting.

Application (Personal)

How can I know my present pain has purpose or value? How can I trust that it will produce that strength of endurance and beauty of Christ-like character within my own personality? Paul's paragraph explains: If I want immovable rejoicing, I must have steadfast hope in God's glory (5:2b); if I want that hope, I must have access to His grace (5:2a); if I want that grace, I must have peace with God (5:1b); if I want that peace, I must be justified by having my guilt and condemnation removed (5:1a); if I want that removed, Jesus Christ must remove it; and finally, if I want to experience the removal of that from my life, I must have faith in Him (5:1a).

Application (Psychological)

I agree with Paul that apart from the revelation of Jesus Christ there is no intellectual system that is comprehensive or psychologically-sociologically satisfactory (albeit that is my language, not his). Yet without any references to this biblical perspective, Barbara Fredrickson, a psychologist who researches resiliency and positivity, wrote of hope in a way that is consistent with this Christian experience (Positivity, 2009, pp. 117-119): "Because negative emotions narrow your range of vision, a downward spiral cuts a dark and lonely path that insulates you further and further from the healing touch of community. Upward spirals are altogether different. Because positive emotions expand your range of vision, upward spirals ... clear your path, your mind and heart become more fully open to connect with caring others....

As I see it, there are two basic responses to hardship. Despair or hope. In despair, you multiply your negativity. Your fear and uncertainty can turn into stress. Your stress can morph into hopeless sadness, which in turn can breed shame. Worse than this mushrooming negativity, despair smothers and snuffs out all forms of positivity. With positivity extinguished, all possibilities for genuine connection with others are lost. Despair opens the gate to a downward spiral that may well lead you to rock bottom. Hope different. It's not a mirror reflection of despair. Your hope, in fact, acknowledges negativity with clear eyes. More important though, your hope kindles further positivity within you. Even more subtle shades of hope can be a springboard for you to feel love, gratitude, inspiration, and more.... So hope opens the gate to an upward spiral that empowers you to bounce back from hardship and emerge even stronger and more resourceful than before."

Prayer

Lord, I am so thankful that the plot of my life has had relatively little suffering when I compare my troubles with what others have experienced. I can't explain or justify it, but I'm still glad. Nonetheless, I ask You to make me increasingly more faithful, steadfast, hopeful, merciful, and patient--and these qualities seem forged best in difficult circumstances. I can't boast in my ability to manage pain, but I can boast in Your unfailing love as I ask this of You.