Thursday, November 20, 2003
I think depression itself is a normal emotion. I can't cite Bible verses to support that, but I can't prove that sadness is just a normal emotion, either. It is worth noting that when Elijah was depressed, God did not rebuke him for sinning.
I'm not against medication. (I take an anti-depressant.) But I also know something about dealing with depression from a non-medical perspective. Medicine doesn't take away the problem.
So what have I learned through years of battling depression: #1 Don't give up.
As for some more [possibly] insightful comments...I have heard depression described as the sense of loss. The example the speaker gave was when he had a brand new expensive car (Can you tell I'm a girl? I don't remember what kind!), and it got scratched. Now, it was possible to fully repair the damage, but he was depressed. Finally, someone suggested that in a sense the car would never be the same (in his mind), it would be repaired. He had lost a sort of "auto innocense." Once the loss is identified, one can mourn the lost item and get on. It's sort of a grieving process.
The other thought I have comes from Joshua Harris through my sister Jennifer. He makes a point that emotions are the result of how we perceive the things that we value. The example was two people see a cat hit by a car. The first loves cats and perceives that this one is hurt/killed. He is, therefore, sad. The second hates cats. He doesn't feel badly at all. If we may add a third person--one who loves cats but was standing on the other side of the road and saw that the cat was safe, he would feel relieved. Their emotions reflected both what they valued and what they thought happened.
How can we apply that to depression? If we are depressed when we shouldn't be, it may be because we (1)value the wrong things or (2)don't have the right view of reality.
How did God deal with Elijah? Elijah complained, "I'm the only one left serving You, and they're trying to kill me!"
God said, "I have 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal." God corrected Elijah's point of view. He showed him reality.
So we must ask ourselves, are we seeing life the way it really is? And if so, what are we valuing? Is it what God values? Or are we trying to find happiness in success, other's approval, relationships, money, hmmmm am I forgetting anything?
Ahhhh, I'd better stop here. Otherwise, you'll all get depressed when you see this post because you perceive it to be too long and you value your time!
Rebecca
I'm not against medication. (I take an anti-depressant.) But I also know something about dealing with depression from a non-medical perspective. Medicine doesn't take away the problem.
So what have I learned through years of battling depression: #1 Don't give up.
As for some more [possibly] insightful comments...I have heard depression described as the sense of loss. The example the speaker gave was when he had a brand new expensive car (Can you tell I'm a girl? I don't remember what kind!), and it got scratched. Now, it was possible to fully repair the damage, but he was depressed. Finally, someone suggested that in a sense the car would never be the same (in his mind), it would be repaired. He had lost a sort of "auto innocense." Once the loss is identified, one can mourn the lost item and get on. It's sort of a grieving process.
The other thought I have comes from Joshua Harris through my sister Jennifer. He makes a point that emotions are the result of how we perceive the things that we value. The example was two people see a cat hit by a car. The first loves cats and perceives that this one is hurt/killed. He is, therefore, sad. The second hates cats. He doesn't feel badly at all. If we may add a third person--one who loves cats but was standing on the other side of the road and saw that the cat was safe, he would feel relieved. Their emotions reflected both what they valued and what they thought happened.
How can we apply that to depression? If we are depressed when we shouldn't be, it may be because we (1)value the wrong things or (2)don't have the right view of reality.
How did God deal with Elijah? Elijah complained, "I'm the only one left serving You, and they're trying to kill me!"
God said, "I have 7,000 who have not bowed to Baal." God corrected Elijah's point of view. He showed him reality.
So we must ask ourselves, are we seeing life the way it really is? And if so, what are we valuing? Is it what God values? Or are we trying to find happiness in success, other's approval, relationships, money, hmmmm am I forgetting anything?
Ahhhh, I'd better stop here. Otherwise, you'll all get depressed when you see this post because you perceive it to be too long and you value your time!
Rebecca
Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Is depression sin? What a question! Nora, try asking an easy one sometime. =)
I'm no great scientist, but I believe depression is sometimes clinical. Face it. We're all girls. Every month our hormones go out of whack. We may feel like the world is ending. We haven't suddenly started sinning more. We haven't taken a spiritual nosedive. It's not a sin. We're just depressed.
Now it is possible to work ourselves into depression by being selfish and relying on earthly things to make us happy. So depression could be a sin.
How do you know if depression is clinical or if it's a sin? Good question. When I'm having down days, I don't generally know why. Maybe it's because of the chemicals in my brain. Maybe it's from fatigue. Maybe it's from the hot tamales I ate the night before. Okay, I don't eat hot tamales. But you get the picture.
I think our first course of action should be to focus on building our relationship with God and on serving others. Often that'll pull us through, and we start feeling better. Why do you think I was baking cookies for so many people recently?
But sometimes that doesn't pull us through. Sometimes the depression keeps getting worse. In that case, I'm not against seeing a doctor and taking medication.
Oh, and cutting out the hot tamales would be a good idea, too…
I'm no great scientist, but I believe depression is sometimes clinical. Face it. We're all girls. Every month our hormones go out of whack. We may feel like the world is ending. We haven't suddenly started sinning more. We haven't taken a spiritual nosedive. It's not a sin. We're just depressed.
Now it is possible to work ourselves into depression by being selfish and relying on earthly things to make us happy. So depression could be a sin.
How do you know if depression is clinical or if it's a sin? Good question. When I'm having down days, I don't generally know why. Maybe it's because of the chemicals in my brain. Maybe it's from fatigue. Maybe it's from the hot tamales I ate the night before. Okay, I don't eat hot tamales. But you get the picture.
I think our first course of action should be to focus on building our relationship with God and on serving others. Often that'll pull us through, and we start feeling better. Why do you think I was baking cookies for so many people recently?
But sometimes that doesn't pull us through. Sometimes the depression keeps getting worse. In that case, I'm not against seeing a doctor and taking medication.
Oh, and cutting out the hot tamales would be a good idea, too…
Monday, November 17, 2003
Rebeccah, I've made you an administrator, so you can invite Beth and Terry and Marianna. When I do it, it doesn't seem to work! Hopefully, someone else doing it will make it work.
now, on to a topic I'd love to find more out about. What do you guys think about Depression? Is it clinical? Or is it a sin? I've struggled with it most of my life; if its something you can overcome, why can't I?
Some people say that Christinas should never be depressed, its a sign of sin in your life or not having faith, etc. Okay, that's how I was raised.
but is it? Or is it really something medical, that people can't totally help? And is taking meds for depression not trusting in God? is it wrong?
thought you guys might have some input on it.
now, on to a topic I'd love to find more out about. What do you guys think about Depression? Is it clinical? Or is it a sin? I've struggled with it most of my life; if its something you can overcome, why can't I?
Some people say that Christinas should never be depressed, its a sign of sin in your life or not having faith, etc. Okay, that's how I was raised.
but is it? Or is it really something medical, that people can't totally help? And is taking meds for depression not trusting in God? is it wrong?
thought you guys might have some input on it.
Saturday, November 15, 2003
Summary of Bible Study--November 14, 2003
As usual we didn't get too far. lol We started on page 55 with "Man's Disobedience." The important point of the section has to do with the start of the New Covenant/Testament. While our Bibles start the "New Testament" with the gospels, we can see from Scripture that it could not be begun until Christ died.1 Corinthians 11:25 After the same manner also [he took] the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink [it], in remembrance of me.
Hebrews 9:16-17 For where a testament [is], there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament [is] of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.It was also brought up that a covenant is a contract. While God signed His name to the contract with the death of Christ, when He offered it to Israel at Pentacost, they rejected it. Therefore, it has not yet gone into effect. That is why we do not yet see what was prophesied in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.We continued through the resurrection of Christ and "God's Dual Purpose in the Cross." Here we discussed the concept of the "mystery" in the Bible. In Scripture, the word mystery means secret. So what is the secret?
Ephesians 3:3, 6 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery... That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
We did not discuss next week's location. Jen, Terry, and I have plans with Jenny and Nadine for 6:00 pm that day. At first, we thought we should have study at our place for that reason, but we won't be able to host supper since we're eating later with them. Thoughts, anyone? I don't think Staci's will work for us, but anything else is probably doable. You are welcome to come here. We just have to actually finish "on time." lol
