tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347770042023-06-20T21:24:31.248-07:00MelanChristianChronicles of a Depressed ChristianDepressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-12044239338469128622013-12-30T12:41:00.002-08:002013-12-30T12:41:59.228-08:00A Conversation I'd Probably HaveImaginary Minister: “In order to disciple, you have to leverage the natural rhythms of your relationships.”Me: “What if I don’t have much in the way of relationships?”Imaginary Minister: “Well, you just have to figure that one out for yourself.”Me: “Seriously? How would I do that?”Imaginary Minister: “Uh, Well. Have you tried asking someone to help you?”Me: “Yes, but no one will help. What about Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-91002451583003843702013-08-13T10:36:00.000-07:002013-08-13T10:36:24.908-07:00What It's Like to Not Be DepressedI’ve been blissfully up lately. Let me tell you what that means for the way I perceive the world.
There are two basic cognitive issues that plague me when I’m down. The first is a perception of worthlessness. The second is the perception of friendlessness. Tangential to both of these is a sense of hopelessness that neither of these will be rectified and an inability to keep from obsessing over Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-75476602737594561342013-07-15T14:01:00.000-07:002013-07-15T14:01:01.552-07:00Being SatisfiedSo I’ve been “up” the past week or so. I like feeling good about myself in general. As I mentioned, I try to find good experiences with people during these times so that I have something to go on when a depressive episode hits. Unfortunately, I don’t have anyone outside the family to hang with really. Nor am I worth much to anyone ministerially.
This depressing fact was emphasized in church Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-41845390384134921672013-07-01T20:59:00.000-07:002013-07-01T20:59:08.447-07:00A Social ConundrumConundrums occur when you are depressed that don’t exist (so much) when you are not depressed. This has led to some thoughts that explain theological tension in a sinful world, but I’ll leave that for my non-anonymous blog.For me, when I’m feeling better about life, I know to look for good experiences to shore up to serve as evidence to use against faulty reasoning when I’m depressed. One area I Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-2087109886149095182013-06-24T13:24:00.002-07:002013-06-24T13:24:56.798-07:00Finding True HappinessI just listened to today's Focus on the Family broadcast entitled Finding the Path to True Happiness. It's worth a listen. It's a testimony to how much I don't have that Dr. Henry Cloud says we need in order to be happy. I am aware that I fall into the category that much of this may not apply to in suffering from clinical depression. However, given that clinical depression can be assuaged Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-40671607338209937732013-06-23T15:28:00.000-07:002013-06-23T15:28:27.347-07:00Good ConversationsI wrote about how rare good conversations are. Well, I had a good conversation a couple of days ago. I ran sound for a wedding yesterday and was there for the rehearsal the night before. Although I’m uncomfortable at such events where I generally don’t know many people, I show up and try to socialize even though I’m not good at it.
The father of the bride goes to my church and he didn’t look Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-77629850649588892392013-06-21T12:49:00.001-07:002013-06-21T12:49:51.353-07:00Individualitis; Stop Paying Attention to Yourself!
Mobilise 2013 - Main Meeting 5 - Andrew Wilson from Mobilise on Vimeo.
First, Andrew Wilson makes a great point about individualitis. The suffix, -itis, indicates the inflammation of something. Hence, tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon or appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix. Individualitis is the figurative inflammation, or undue attention given to, the individual over and Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-60626457204172800842013-06-16T20:41:00.001-07:002013-06-16T20:41:45.464-07:00Friendlessness and FellowshippingFellowship is a significant part of life in the Body of Christ. It’s the natural part of people who enjoy being with each other and the means by which we encourage and exhort each other outside of the sermon and hold each other accountable. It’s the primary method the Holy Spirit uses to work out our sanctification.
So when does a typical church enjoy this necessary fellowship? It doesn’t happenDepressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-3880570204964967842013-06-13T20:16:00.000-07:002013-06-13T20:17:28.424-07:00The Need of a Christian Loner
I love John Piper's admonitions here. We need community. We need fellow Christians. I want to address one thing that he said toward the end of this Ask Pastor John podcast. He first addressed Christians who would rather just be loners. Then he spoke to Christians like me who have trouble developing those deeper relationships. He expressed sorrow over the difficulty that we have. Then he Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-35210734938004837242013-06-11T13:21:00.000-07:002013-06-11T13:21:50.531-07:00Socially AwkwardI’m not saying I’m that type that’s shadowy creepy or the type that’s inappropriately gregarious. Think of the most annoying person you can. That’s not me.
However, I am socially awkward in a nice way. I’m polite almost to a fault and would rather say nothing than to say something wrong. I wouldn’t even be married unless God hooked me up with my wife. I married her precisely because she lets me Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-64952538885869515512013-06-10T11:10:00.000-07:002013-06-10T11:10:20.324-07:00Failure in MinistryI don’t mean to pick on Desiring God. There’s another article I’d like to respond to entitled Fighting the Tyranny of Ministry Success written by Ben Stuart.
I largely agree with what Ben wrote here. Read the article for the details. So Ben organizes a ministry event and only one guy shows up. He confesses that he resented that God didn’t bless his ministry and that he didn’t even love the one Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-65190612675404183492013-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:002013-06-08T21:13:52.658-07:00Pretense
n.
1. The act of pretending; a false appearance or action intended to deceive.
2. A false or studied show; an affectation: a pretense of nonchalance.
3. A professed but feigned reason or excuse; a pretext: under false pretenses.
4. Something imagined or pretended.
5. Mere show without reality; outward appearance.
6. A right asserted with or without Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-87006003941722403552013-06-07T09:21:00.000-07:002013-06-07T09:21:14.609-07:00SluggishnessSo I'm responding to a post on Desiring God entitled "Lay Aside the Weight of Sluggishness" by Jon Bloom.
I like Desiring God and support their message. This post was probably aimed at normal Christians, but I have to respond to some of what was written there.
The passage used as a basis is Hebrews 6:11-12:
“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assuranceDepressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34777004.post-6941792184171418822013-06-07T08:23:00.004-07:002013-06-07T08:23:58.154-07:00What Do I Hope to AccomplishSome Christians might say that some things shouldn't be discussed. Some Christians believe that depression is a sin. Some Christians think that someone with depression should just stop being depressed as though it were that simple.
The Prince of Preachers, Charles Spurgeon, suffered from depression. He also had one of the most significant ministries in the past couple of centuries. People who Depressed Christianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06267206014508487548noreply@blogger.com