| Poster | Thread | Spitfire
Member
Joined: 2004/8/3
Posts: 633
| | Re: | | There's one really nice thing about depression. It gives you a point of relativity when joy comes. It's like standing in a deep valley and then climbing to the top of a really high mountain and looking down. The valley looks so beautiful then. It usually has a river curving right through the middle of it with lots of greenery and a lovely mist hanging over the water.
This analagy always makes me think of a girl named Much Afraid in the book by Hannah Hurnard called, [u]Hinds Feet On High Places[/u] . She wanted to go with the Good Shepherd to the High Places, but on the way, she noticed that the water was always casting itself down the mountain into the valley so joyously. Then, the Good Shepherd explained to her that the joy comes from helping those in the valley.
I once had a doctor who was asking me many questions while looking down at his notebook. He was asking, "Do you cry alot? Do you experience insomnia?...I wasn't answering him. I was just waiting to see when he would look up from his notebook. Finally he looked at me and I said, "Well, I haven't slept since I was 14 and I cry every day." He said, "Well, we can give you something to help with that if you want me to." I said, "I like crying." He said, "Well that's not normal." I said, "Well, it may not be normal, but it's normal for me." Love, Dian |
|  2007/7/12 6:56 | Profile | deltadom
Member
Joined: 2005/1/6
Posts: 2359
Hemel Hempstead
| | Re: | | I go through depression and I know it makes you have alot of patience for people who are going through different things in this productive society where everything is run on greed, pride
Eze 16:49 - Show Context
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
Weakness is considered a foolish thing by the world
2Co 13:4 - Show Context
For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
1Co 1:27 - Show Context
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 4:10 - Show Context
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised
if there was one thing that I hate in me is my depressive times. You feel like nothing.
Sometimes it has given me time to be useful like learn scripture.
Fighting with your own soul or your own mind.
I do remember reading that depression is a missionaries worst nightmare.
I do not understand and have not conquered this but I wish to say one day that jesus did conquer it in me.
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Dominic Shiells
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| | 2007/7/12 9:48 | Profile | death2self
Member
Joined: 2006/9/28
Posts: 192
Washington DC area
| | Re: | | Quote:
There's one really nice thing about depression. It gives you a point of relativity when joy comes. It's like standing in a deep valley and then climbing to the top of a really high mountain and looking down. The valley looks so beautiful then. It usually has a river curving right through the middle of it with lots of greenery and a lovely mist hanging over the water.
Amen, I thought of Psalms 23 and used to believe that it was for those who had died but it's also for us as we die to this world as well.
The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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Ed Pugh
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| | 2007/7/12 10:05 | Profile |
| | Re: | | Hey, I found some more good stuff out there.
I'm reading one of the articles right now from the long list off of this Site. Ya have to scroll down a little to where the list starts.
Love y'all.
http://www.erwm.com/Psychology%20%26%20the%20Bible.htm
Love one another.
Pray for one another.
Encourage one another.
Weep with those who weep. |
| | 2007/7/14 0:34 | | Lkid
Member
Joined: 2007/7/6
Posts: 109
| | Re: Depression | | two resources:
message by Gil Rugh (Indian Hills Community Church) called "Psychology: The Trojan Horse"
also a dvd by Roger Oakland called Psychology And The Church.
Both give warning about psycho therapy having replaced the pastors role in the church. The church has effectively dealt with the mind for the past 1800 years, what has happened in the last 200 years. They both suggest there is validity in scientific dealings with the physical mind when there is a malady but state that there is no validity to psychoanalysis and counseling this way. Both very good and an eye opener. As Annie's link, Psychology and the Church is centered around interviews with psychologists that debunk the myths of psychology.
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| | 2007/7/17 16:14 | Profile |
| | Re: | | His Lkid, I put the weight of this on myself too and not just on pastors.
I think we all should weep with those who weep, and so forth.
If we truly cared about each other, like that one Psychiatrist who I saw on T.V. said, we can do more good for people if we'd just listen to them as a friend would than if they go pay some money-making quack to fill us full of psychotropics.
But than again, as you've noticed --- people have to buy out of the lie of secular theories first also, in order to approach anything Biblically.
Bless you for wanting to help folks. |
| | 2007/7/17 16:24 | | Lkid
Member
Joined: 2007/7/6
Posts: 109
| | Re: | | one interesting said in the dvd is that the number one factor in succesful counseling is that the counselor hold the same world view as the counseled, nothuing to do with degrees and education per se
L |
| | 2007/7/18 0:09 | Profile | CJaKfOrEsT
Member
Joined: 2004/3/31
Posts: 901
Melbourne, Australia
| | Re: | | Quote:
Lkid wrote:
Both give warning about psycho therapy having replaced the pastors role in the church. The church has effectively dealt with the mind for the past 1800 years, what has happened in the last 200 years.
...
As Annie's link, Psychology and the Church is centered around interviews with psychologists that debunk the myths of psychology.
While I agree with this statement, at the same time, I don't. Fact is, very few "pastors" are Shepherds, these days. In making this statement, I am reminded of when Jesus spoke of the "good shepherd" who would leave the 99 to look for the 1 lost sheep, when many pastors mourn the loss of the 1, because they have their hands full with the 99. There are very few "sons", and many "hirelings".
There seems to be a growing trend of Christian counselors who are taking up that role. They daily lay down their life for those under their care, and the families associated with them. When the "pastor" finds someone too hard to love, the counsellor takes over.
Granted, there are many hirelings in the mental health profession, who lean on the kind of occultic methods, common in worldly psychology, but that is far from being a blanket statement. There are "Christian psychologists" and there are "christian Psychologists". There are some, like James Dobson, who seek to explain Psychology with a Christian terminology, and there are others, like E James Wilder, who explain Christianity using Psychological terminology, and there is a world of difference.
Note that this is not an attempt to slander clergy, in general. I realise that there are many faithful disciples of Jesus Christ within the clergy. My comments stem from observations while serving in, what I refer to as "back row ministry". That is, being with the kind of people who sit in the back row of churches. The kinds who are going through serious life and death issues, but keep it to themselves, because all they get is an "answer" to their problems, which simply adds to their burden, or ostricisation from people who accuse them of not having enough "faith".
There seem to be two extremes, hireling pastors who portray through their preaching, and lifestyle, whether or nor through direct statements, the view that Christians are to be weighed by their activity, and hireling counselors who would have people shift the blame onto themselves as a means of experiencing emotional healing. The balance would be people who are prepared to "bear one another's burdens", helping them to recognise wrong that has been commited against them, so that they can forgive them, while recognising that for this to happen in a practical sense, it takes time.
A good counsellor will walk a person through their trauma, and pain, while modelling before them the weigh to properly handle their pain. Note, that this is realy the role of the church, and if the church was fulfilling its function correctly, rather than focusing on just "getting the job done" (which usually means filling up their members time with pointless activities), then there would be no need to counselors.
Fact is, depression is a very real thing, which is caused and fed by the inability to manage shame. We're expected to be able to do something (whether by our own, or someone else's expectations) which is beyond our ability. No matter how hard we try, we fail everytime, and yet we continue to try. Eventually we simply give up, not out of the recognition that Christ must take over, but out of the belief that it can't be done.
Now this might not be so bad when it come to trivial little tasks, but when it comes to being a good mother, father, child, student, employee, and even a good Christian, this will affect our perception of who we are. Unless we have come to a practical realisation of Gal 2:20 "..not I, but Christ..", we consider it to be a failure in our responsibilities, and this despair can lead to self destructive behaviour, and even suicide.
The church, by and large, is ill equipped to handle such people. Again, this is not a blanket statement, but is simply an explanation as to the role that a Christian Psychologist has in the church. Personally, I prefer to call them "elders", as any Psychologist deserving of the title will certainly fit the qualifications of eldership.
More more information, try [url=http://www.lifemodel.org/]www.lifemodel.org[/url].
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Aaron Ireland
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| | 2007/7/25 12:39 | Profile | MSeaman
Member
Joined: 2005/4/19
Posts: 772
Michigan
| | Re: Depression | | is self hate a kind of depression?
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Melissa
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| | 2007/7/25 13:15 | Profile | JennRich
Member
Joined: 2006/7/17
Posts: 140
Alabama
| | Re: | | Quote:
MSeaman wrote:
is self hate a kind of depression?
Self hatred is not "speaking the truth in your heart" (Psalm 15:2). What is the truth? If you belong to God, you are beloved, precious, and lovely in His sight. We must align our thoughts with Scripture truth; if we do not, things like self hatred are a result.
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Jennifer Richardson
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| | 2007/7/25 13:28 | Profile |
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