In a sense a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms, and he is a very poor recommendation for the gospel. –Martyn LloydJones (Spiritual Depression)
I’ve labored over this quote for quite some time. I battle depression. So when I read statements like this from a pastor I revere it causes me to be a bit unsettled. Even more so when he says things like, “such people are very poor representatives of the Christian faith”. Now it’s possible that what Lloyd-Jones means by “depression” is different than what I mean by depression. It is a bit difficult to pin down exactly what he means by “spiritual depression” but he continued to use terms like “unhappy Christians” and “cast down” and “their souls are disquieted within them”. So, I think for the most part we have similar definitions of depression.
When I go through one of my seasons of darkness is it true that I’m a poor recommendation of the gospel?
I know in the midst of that darkness it certainly feels that way. And as I’ve given this some thought I have to admit that there won’t be depression in heaven. So whether it’s part of my finitude or fallenness it really doesn’t matter. It’ll be gone in the New Jerusalem. So depression isn’t the ideal state. If all Lloyd-Jones means is that the depressed Christian doesn’t accurately represent the full victory Christ has purchased for us, then I suppose I’d give him a thousand “Amen’s”.
I also know that some of the sinful responses which often accompany depression are definitely poor representations of Christ. Grumbling, being malcontent, and the like are certainly expressly forbidden in Scripture. This is not to mention that Scripture calls us to “be joyful always”. I suppose not being joyful is a poor witness to Christ.
But I’m not yet ready to concede.
I’m arguing that there is a type of robust faith that sits upon the ash heap of one like Job. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was not a poor witness. Nor was King David and the other Psalmists of whom God used to give us a song book filled with lament. These are not miserable witnesses or poor recommendations of the gospel but beacons—though shrouded in darkness—of the redeeming Christ.
If Lloyd-Jones is saying what I believe he is saying then I disagree with him about the witness of those Christians battling depression.
First, I believe in this instance MLJ is reflecting a very pragmatic understanding of the gospel. He admits this much when he concedes that we live in a pragmatic age and such folks are drawn away from the gospel because of depressed Christians. Because “Christian people too often seem to be perpetually in the doldrums and too often give this appearance of unhappiness and a lack of freedom and of absence of joy” then “there is no question at all but that this is the main reason why large number of people have ceased to be interested in Christianity”.
What he is saying is that for many unbelievers Christianity simply does not work. But what did the gospel aim to do? Make people happy? Meet our unmet needs? Or did the gospel aim to set God’s children from death to life and begin the work of total redemption? If I believe the gospel is meant to make men happy here then I have to concede that in some instances it doesn’t work. We’d have to say the gospel only partially took in the life of someone like William Cowper. But I imagine we’ll sing a different tune in glory. The gospel is meant to get people to God. Mission accomplished. But until we reach glory we might still struggle with shaking off the remnants of our finitude and fallenness.
Sure, unhappy Christians are a poor witness if the gospel is that God makes men happy. But I believe (and believe MLJ also believed) the gospel is a bit more than this.
Secondly, I question whether or not Lloyd-Jones was a bit overly simplistic in his understanding of the causes of depression. That sounds ridiculous because it is MLJ who gave us great lines like this one:
Many Christian people, in fact, are in utter ignorance concerning this realm where the borderlines between the physical, psychological and spiritual meet. Frequently I have found that such [church] leaders had treated those whose trouble was obviously mainly physical or psychological, in a purely spiritual manner; and if you do so, you not only don’t help. You aggravate the problem. (Quoted from Murray, p31)
But in my mind MLJ undercuts what he said in this paragraph by his statement concerning unhappy Christians being a terrible witness. Certainly we would not say that a person who has cancer is a terrible witness. That’s the prosperity gospel. But if my unwelcome and unhappy condition isn’t simply the result of sin or a spiritual problem but a bit more complex then it is incredibly unhelpful and aggravating for Lloyd-Jones to then stack upon guilt for such a thing.
Lastly, it doesn’t leave much room for the sovereignty of God. I address this at length in Torn to Heal, but I’m convinced that on occasion these “fits of melancholy” are a divine help to us. Would I say that God is giving us something which will cause us to be a poor representation of Christ? Absolutely, not. Everything he gives is meant to bring us into conformity with Christ.
Conclusion
Where does this leave us? Certainly, we do not want to pursue misery and being an unhappy Christian. But if you find yourself in a season of darkness don’t fake it for the sake of not being a bad witness. (And Lloyd-Jones agrees with this). Don’t take the path of the stoic. Learn to use the bible’s language of lament when you need to.
I believe this quote by Christopher Wright is true because too many have taken Lloyd-Jones quips here to an unhealthy end:
…the language of lament is seriously neglected in the church. Many Christians seem to feel that somehow it can’t be right to complain to God in the context of corporate worship when we should all feel happy. There is an implicit pressure to stifle our real feelings because we are urged, by pious merchants of emotional denial, that we ought to have “faith” (as if the moaning psalmists didn’t). So we end up giving external voice to pretended emotions we do not really feel, while hiding the real emotions we are struggling with deep inside. Going to worship can become an exercise in pretence and concealment, neither of which can possibly be conducive for a real encounter with God. So, in reaction to some appalling disaster or tragedy, rather than cry out our true feelings to God, we prefer other ways of responding to it. –(Christopher J.H. Wright, The God I Don’t Understand, 52)
I’m not attempting to defend misery. I’m simply hoping to encourage suffering Christians to not hide in these seasons of pain because of the mistaken belief that their struggle is a poor witness. Instead I’m hoping to encourage them…us….to use these seasons to display the beauty of the gospel and a Savior who clings to us even when we’ve got hands full of ashes.
Thank you, Mike.
The happiness ethic of Christianity today derives more from the prosperity gospel than from the Bible. People who would anathematize Copeland and others buy into the idea that if we aren’t blissfully happy in our service to God, something is wrong.
Two things as a person who has also struggled with depression for 20+ years :
1) Faithfulness does not require happiness. In fact, it may be more faithful faithfulness in a dark time than a cheery one.
2) When we are A LITTLE transparent with others we witness to I believe God can use that greatly as a part of a faithful Spirit-led witness of the Gospel.
The Christian life is not lived out in Disneyworld…or on Mt. Everest. We ALL live in the valleys.
Mike,
One could look at one’s witness for the Gospel in two ways. [at least]
One way is the immediate. The other is in longevity.
All of us are broken by sin, our sin, the sins of those around us, and those who came before us.
And those of us who have been blessed by God to be drawn to and saved by the blood of the cross are being healed. Being. Healed.
We are not whole yet.
But though at times our lives reflect our brokenness more than our healing, the witness of our life over its length is the witness of our faith overcoming the world.
The house doesn’t look like a great place [from the outside] when the fierce wind is ravaging its shingles and the flood waters are seeking to engulf its porches, but when the storm passes and its the only house left standing, the testimony for its builders shines brightly.
Spiritual depression can happen at anytime I suppose, but when we are out of the boat and walking on the waters, we bring it on when we take our eyes off the Lord and look at ourselves or the world. It seems to happen often after a spiritual battle where we seem to have stood strong.
Let us remember that Jesus is our Rock, our anchor in the storm, the strong tower we run to, the mother who covers us with His wings. And to also remember in the times of hurting greater than healing that it will pass, for one that is His is a person of destiny, a prince or princess in the everlasting kingdom of the King of all kings.
Our message to the world is that despite our own flaws and sins, we have peace with God, hope for Heaven, and a faith that can’t be shaken. That is something a broken sinner can relate to. After all He came not for the well but for the sick.
There are at least 3 Varieties:
One: The bursting with pride labeling of depression and all the dysfunctions emerging at the bequest of the pharma market . “I’m ADHD and proud of it!” “There’s a pill for that.”
Two: The closet variety. Struggles of all who need medical attention but won’t because of comments like this from MLJ and so many others. Always rule out a physiological condition with your personal physician at the front-end.
“No one else can really know how sad or happy you are.” Proverbs 14:10
Three: The self-inflicted Variety. By God’s design, sin and guilt are very depressive, no matter our Supreme Court ruling otherwise, no matter who grants permission and offers a parade of support for sin.
“The way to please you is to feel sorrow deep in our hearts. This is the kind of sacrifice you won’t refuse.” Psalm 51:17
This is contrasted with verse 8: “Let me be happy and joyful! You crushed my bones, now let them celebrate.”
Perhaps MLJ refers to one who exhibits Generalized Depression or Anxiety as a lifestyle. In which case, all three of the above come into view. In his day, it was not only non-spiritual to say you had bouts of depression, it was not manly. Add a healthy dose of shame for needing help and you had a generation of those who were often encouraged to lived in unhealthy denial and resulting pretense.
There can be many reasons for depression. Some health professionals say that depression is anger turned inwards against ourselves.
A great prescription for any level is this, “Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.” Psalm 188:1&29 Such thankfulness also includes depression when it is there.
We have much to learn in this realm of undeniable realities. Some say it is the only place where we truly grow in faith and emotional maturity. And yes, Osteen, Copeland and the rest of those who champion hedonism live through these darkened days as well, no matter the camera angle–perhaps even more because denial only worsens the symptoms.
Like you Mike, I feel that our witness is strengthened by our practice of integrity and the responsible ownership of our health, trials and troubles.
Thanks for this writing, so well done, that brings the emotional Christian out into the light where we belong.
Paul had a thorn in his side. We don’t know what that was. If it was physical, then I’m sure it led to issues of depression. I have had stomach problems for nearly 10 years. One major surgery to fix it and another to repair multiple hernias along the original incision line. Still have problems. It can lead to depression.
Jesus never promised us an easy rode. He told us that we would be hated for His name sake. Nothing leads to depression quicker than being on the outside looking in.
Johnny Hunt was in West Virginia the other week for a leadership conference. He shared the following with us so I feel I can share it as well. During his time as President of the Southern Baptist Convention he was hospitalized because of depression. Wanting to keep it secret, of course a number of people found out. He received calls from past SBC Presidents and their wives. He received calls from Pastors of larger churches. He even received a call from Franklin Graham on behalf of his father Billy. The common theme: all had been there. Did you know Billy Graham, THE BILLY GRAHAM, was hospitalized for depression? It never hit major news sources because it happened overseas on a Crusade.
As much as we’d like to put out to the world that Christianity is a “happy-go-lucky, carefree, roses and daises” religion, the truth is that it is not. Jesus promised an abundant life to those who would follow Him. I look at life as a wave (radio/ocean). It has its crests and troughs. It has its highs and lows. When you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, your highs become cosmic. In the same realm of though, your lows bring you “through the valley of the shadow of death.”
To say that a Christian cannot be a witness if they struggle with depression is unBiblical, and as Dave asserts, a branch of the tree of the Prosperity Gospel.
I for one am grateful for the testimony of people who have struggled/do struggle with depression. It is a powerful testimony that “in spite of these dark moments of life,” Jesus is still with me.
I went to a funeral of a man who had fought cancer for 20+ years last month. When word finally came that he was terminal, his pastor came to visit. He recalled: [the man] looked at me and said, “Cancer is taking everything from me. It is going to take my family away [he would be dead and no longer with them]. It is going to take my possessions away [you can’t take it with you to the grave]. It’s taking everything away from me. . . except Jesus.” He paused and breathed a sign of relief…”and Jesus is enough for me.” The man, obviously in the depression stage of dying, was satisfied with Jesus.
We will go through many dark valleys in life, some more than others. But if Jesus can be enough for us, then a depressed Christian can give a mighty testimony!
My wife has struggled with depression off and on throughout her life. One thing I have learned from that is that being real is more important than appearing to be “happy” all the time. After all, isn’t that part of what James meant when he said, “Let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay”? Mike, Allen, and others, I salute you for that very transparency. I understand that it is difficult, but hang in there brothers.
I’ve had major depression for 28 years. Major depression is an entirely different ballgame. Suffering depression at times is part of life and can be conquered in various ways. Major depression requires medical treatment. God, the bible, prayer, or no councilor helped me. I became alienated from everyone although family was all around me I felt alienated from them. Friends the gift of healing has left the church. I’ve said this before, you had better see a good doctor. No amount of scripture will relieve symptoms of Major Depression. I didn’t even want to read my bible or even hear about God. I didn’t even want to be a witness for God. I just wanted to be left alone. My attitude was that if I died, so be it. I didn’t care.
About a year into Major Depression I finally realized I had to do something, anything to get relief. I finally went to my family doctor. When he walked into the office and asked: How are you today, Jess. I broke down and started crying uncontrollably. After about a minute I began telling him what I was going through. He put one arm around me and talked to me a few minutes. He prescribed to me what I call a miracle medication. I found out when someone has Major Depression that medication is required to get them in shape to cope with their surroundings. I’m on a reduced dose now and doing great. I’m not doped up and never was even when I was on a stronger dose.
I attributed my depression to the loss of my two daughters, they died three years and five days apart. One in a plane crash and the other in a car crash. They were 21 and 16 years old. I was a Pastor at the time of my 2nd daughter’s death and I took a month away from church. To me it was like losing both daughters at once. I was grieving to the depths of my soul. About a week passed and my phone rings, a lady member of my church, a grown woman begins telling how she feels like her world is coming to an end, because another lady had said something about her. Friends, church members can be cruel, I wanted to say: “Kiss my whatever, just leave me alone.”