Happiness vs Joy

Posted on September 7, 2009 by katierae

happiness_by_superKeci

In one of the talks at Engage this year one of the speakers said this –

Happiness is a cheap toy. Joy is an unbelievably powerful force. God is ferocious for your joy, but happiness is fickle.

Happiness is a cheap toy. I can’t tell you how much I am seeing this to be true at the moment. The search for happiness in this world can so terribly lead to disappointment, loneliness and sadness.

But what exactly is the difference between happiness and joy. My dictionary say that joy is showing happiness but I think the bible speaks of a different kind of joy and so I would like to take some time to look at what the bible tells us about joy.

James 1 says this

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Joy in the face of trials seems to suggest that this joy is not dependent on happiness. So what is it? Lets start by looking at the reason we are to have joy – because the testing of our faith develops perseverance. Perseverance is mentioned as a characteristic of the Christian life by Jesus (Luke 8:15; 21:19) and Paul (Romans 5:3-4; 8:25; 2 Corinthians 6:4; 12:12).

The first person to have his faith tested was Abraham (Genesis 22) who was greatly rewarded by God for his faithfulness. We too shall be rewarded for our faithfulness. Testing of this leads to perseverance.

And while perseverance is good, its not the prize. It has its own effect, which is that you may be made mature and complete. The Greek word that is translated in NIV as ‘mature’ has a sense of meeting the highest standard and could also be translated as ‘perfect’. It is the same word that is used in Matthew 5:48 when Jesus says ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’. The effect of perseverance is a God-like character. That is the prize here.

We are to find joy in our trials because they make us more like God. This kind of joy requires us to have a perspective that looks beyond the here and now, and instead looks to an eternal reward. The eternal perspective is what drives us to faithfulness and perseverance.

Happiness is fickle because this world is fickle. Joy is powerful because true joy comes from an eternal perspective.

More soon.

have you ever wondered…

Posted on September 7, 2009 by katierae

if you have made the right decision???

why there is so much pressure on you???

how do you live up to expectations???

are you doing more harm than good???

if your job is faithfulness not success how do you know if you’re any good???

I have.

There’s no such thing as luck…

Posted on September 3, 2009 by katierae

I had an unexpected conversation today about (among other things) the role of confession for a Christian.

We were reflecting on our state of mind when we are confessing to God, and I think all too often confession becomes the Christian version of ‘good works’ to earn salvation. What I mean is how often do we slip into thinking sin takes us away from God and that confession brings us back and makes us pleasing to God.

BUT the reality is that our confession is not pleasing to God. Jesus is pleasing to God. And we are in him and therefore in grace. The reality in a life lived in grace is that because of Jesus our sin doesn’t cut us off from God, and neither does our confession bring us closer to God. Jesus calls us not to confession but to repentance, not just once as we ask Jesus to be our king for the first time, but continually throughout our life. We should never be satisfied in who we are, but constantly recognising our sin, and not just confessing it but turning from it and to Him.

In our conversation we reflect on ourselves pre and post becoming Christians, both of us remembering that we were different people back then! But we both realised that we should long to be better everyday.

I might be a Christian now, and a very different women, but I am still riddled with sin. Romans 7:17 – 25 gives the perfect description of me –

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Depression and demons???

Posted on September 1, 2009 by katierae

I reccently received a comment on this post, which I decided to respond to in a new post rather than in comments.

I want to say up front that I don’t agree with the comment.

Here it is –

“Call it what it is. Depression is demon. Jesus did not play with them or talk to them, He commanded them to come out.Look to your bible. Is it where you get knowledge and wisdom ALL the time? Or just in glancing? The teachings of men cannot heal you much at all.The power that raised Jesus from the dead will also drive your demons out if you believe.”

The Bible does tell us of Jesus casting out demons. In most places it gives us vivid descriptions of the people who are demon possessed. Here are just 2 examples from Mark’s gospel.

This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Mark 5:3-4

A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. Mark 9:17-18

Clearly, demon possession is a serious, dangerous and violent experience and nothing at all like depression.

The heart of depression is hopelessness and despair. Most of the time there is a physiological cause for it, and doctors and medicine can help. I believe that we should always pray about everything (Philippians 4:6) and sometimes the work of medical science is God’s answer to us.

Depression is NOT demon-possession. It is NOT a weakness. It is NOT a lack of faith. It is NOT a punishment. It IS a medical illness and part of the frustration of living on this side of Jesus’ return.

Here are some quotes from great men of the Bible who I think suffered their own times of depression –

JOB – Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came out of the womb? Why were there knees to receive me and breasts that I may be nursed? For now I would be lying down in peace; I would be asleep and at rest. Job 3:11-13

KING DAVID – How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? Psalm 13:1-2

ELIJAH – He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord” he said. “Take my life”. 1 Kings 19:4

Job is described by God as ‘blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil’. David was chosen by God as ‘a man after his own heart’. Elijah was a prophet of God, who the word of the Lord came to. And each of them suffered their own loss of hope. And each of them also knew that God loved him and found strength and comfort in their God. Here is the end of David’s psalm –

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13:5-6

Christianity and Depression

Posted on August 26, 2009 by katierae

abstract_by_Xevious1337

I have mixed feelings about doing this particular post. I have not suffered from depression, so my experience of this is from the point of view of a friend/family member of a sufferer. So my aim has mainly been to work out how to educate non-sufferers about depression so they can support their friends. I think part of doing that is to talk about particular challenges that Christian sufferers face and I think this is a really important part of any discussion on depression. So while I feel completely inadequate to talk about this I will do the best I can and pray that it is helpful to at least one person.

Challenges for Christians with Depression

1. The ‘hope’ conflict

The Christians experience is about hope (Colossians 1:23). And yet at the heart of depression is the lose of hope. The good news is that the hope we have is not dependent on how we feel. It is about God’s faithfulness – and that doesn’t change. (1 Corinthians 1:9). So the challenge for Christian’s is to hold onto that hope, even when all you feel is hopelessness.

2. The isolation temptation

There is a strong temptation when we are feeling down, to want to be on our own. Depression is no exception to this. I have seen many people who fall into this temptation and cut themselves off from everyone around them. I think this is a temptation that we need to avoid. Hebrews 10:25 says that we should not give up meeting together, instead we should encourage one another. When you don’t feel like seeing other people is when it is especially important to have your Christians brothers and sisters around you. They will encourage you and love you but more importantly they will remind you of God’s love and faithfulness.

3. The nagging questions

Who is God? Where is he? A lose of hope will naturally lead to questioning who God is. Although its hard, its important to hold onto the reality that God knows us and loves us (Psalm 139:13 – 16), even when we are at our most unloveable. Don’t be tempted to think that God can’t take your depression away – he can (& he does) and only he knows why he hasn’t yet. Be reassured that it is God who will give you strength to get through anything (Philippians 4:13).

They are three big challenges. I think its important to say that there is a way you can serve and love your family and friends through all this and that is by doing everything you can to get better. See a doctor. Follow the advice they give you – they know what they are talking about. That is the best thing you can do for the people you love and for yourself.

Next: How to care for your friends/family with depression

Lifeline Australia (24 hr hotline – 13 11 14)

To Write Love on Her Arms

beyondblue

Black Dog Institute

Edwards on affections

Posted on August 24, 2009 by katierae

j-edwards Some great quotes from Jonathan Edwards’ The Religious Affections –

“That religion which God requires , and will accept, does not consist in weak, dull, and lifeless wishes, raising us but a little above a state of indifference: God, in his word, greatly insists upon it, that we be in good earnest, fervent in spirit, and our hearts vigorously engaged in religion.”

* * * * *

“If the great things of religion are rightly understood, they will affect the heart. The reason why men are not affected by such infinitely great, important, glorious, and wonderful things, as they often hear and read of in the Word of God, is undoubtedly because they are blind; if they were not so, it would be impossible, and utterly inconsistent with human nature, that their hearts should be otherwise than strongly impressed, and greatly moved by such things.”

* * * * *

“In things which concerns men’s worldly interest, their outward delights, their honour and reputation, and their natural relations […] in these things their hearts are tender and sensible, easily moved, deeply impressed, much concerned, very sensibly affected, and greatly engaged […] But how insensible and unmoved are most men about the great things of another world! How dull are their affections! How heavy and hard their hearts in these matters! Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small. How they can sit and hear of the infinite height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, and his giving his infinitely dear son, to be offered up a sacrifice for the sins of men, and of the unparalleled love of innocent, and holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in his dying agonies, his bloody sweat, his loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved, eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory – and yet be cold and heavy, insensible and regardless! Where are the exercise of our affections proper, if not here?”

Gold!

Candidates dinner and tough questions

Posted on August 20, 2009 by katierae

Last night all the second year MTC students who are also candidates for ordination in the Sydney Anglican Diocese, were invited to dinner at the Archbishop‘s house.

After dinner he posed some questions to us to get us thinking about the good and bad of the Anglican communion and about the 2 main things that have put a stress on that communion – namely the ordination of women (as priests/bishops) and the ordination of Gene Robinson.

One of the questions that came up while we were discussing this was whether these two things are different in how they affect us and how we should respond to them.

So this is my question. If you believe (as I do) that the bible is clear on the role of women as it relates to the headship, then isn’t ordination of women disobedience to God’s word? So then how does if differ from the ordination of homosexuals, if there are both a case of unrepentant sin?

Honesty in her pain…

Posted on August 10, 2009 by katierae

Some words from my dear friend about her current fight depression. Here.

Thanks for your honesty Sam.

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What does God have to do with depression??

Posted on August 8, 2009 by katierae

Depression reminds Christians of three important things.

1. Things are not as they should be

God made a perfect world, and humans screwed it up. Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden means that now we all live in a world which is fallen from its good state. Romans 8:23 tells us that creation itself joins us as we inwardly groan, as we wait for this to be fixed. In the meantime there are consequences and experiences that come from living in this fallen world. Depression is one of them.

2. We are not in control

Depression is not something that should or can be handled by yourself. If you ever believed the myth that we can handle ANYTHING without God, depression (either suffering it yourself or seeing someone you know go through it) will dispel that myth with ease. The apostle Paul was reminded of this by his own ailment. When he pleaded with the Lord to take it away the Lord replied “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Corinthians 12:9 All things can be handled with God, and nothing can be handled without him.

3. The Christian life is one of faith

Even though Ephesians repeatedly tells us that we are saved by grace, through faith not by works, if we were honest I think we often live like we are saved by works. Rather than living by faith we live on the experience of good things and good feelings. These experiences and feelings often aren’t there when you are suffering from depression. So it’s important to remember that our feelings and experiences are not what makes up God’s love. We don’t have to feel it for it to be there.

What causes depression??

Posted on August 6, 2009 by katierae

Blue_Skies_and_Pain

Just like when we are all feeling down, sometimes there is an obviously cause of depression – things like major disappointments, frustrations, changes or losing something or someone important to you.

But there are also a number of other things that can contribute to the onset of depression. Different people will experience different causes and sometimes it will be a combination of things. Here are a few of the things that can be factors in depression –

Major events in our life

We all experience distressing events in our lives and it is quite natural to feel depressed for a period of time afterwards. Things like death of someone close to us, divorce, losing a job etc. Often in these cases we will eventually come to terms with this event and start to feel better on our own but this may be after a few weeks or even months of feeling depressed.

Loneliness

This on its own can be a cause of depression, or can be a factor that contributes to the effect of other causes.

Physical Illness

Illness doesn’t need to serious to be a contributing factor in depression. Obviously serious illness like cancer or other life threatening illness can play a part, but so can less serious, but long and uncomfortable illnesses. Depression in young people is common after infections such as flu or glandular fever.

Chemical Imbalances

Clinical depression is when the brain is releasing too many or too little of our ‘feel good’ chemicals. When there are not enough of these chemicals being released a person will feel sad NO MATTER WHAT. Chemical imbalances are the major causes of depression.

There are many other things that can contribute to the onset of depression. More info can be found at the sites below.