OK, I admit it: I am given to depression and even attacks of anxiety. Have been since I was a teenager. You wouldn't know it if you hung out with me; I'm easy-going, thoughtful, I laugh easily, and I see beauty in the strangest places. It's kind of like having a bum knee that acts up now and then, only it's my brain that's got the problem. It isn't ever-present, I do take a low dose of medication for it, and the Lord has been merciful and taught me many things over the years about trusting and resting in Him and His promises. So, when I've had a rough go and need some assurance, it's good to be reminded of God's faithfulness. Francis Schaeffer, commenting on Romans 8:16, writes these words:"When we're broken, when we have fallen into sin, when Satan our adversary has beaten us again, sometimes this third assurance becomes feeble indeed. At such times, we can go back to the great objective promises, the great nails in the wall that constitute our first level of assurance - the promises of Scripture that if we have accepted Jesus as our Savior we are the sons of God: 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.'
"That particular verse has always been a favorite of mine. I sometimes describe it as being tied to the mast of a ship. When the waves arise and I am beaten and buffeted, I can always go back and say, 'Yes, Satan, I have fallen again, but I have the oath and the promise of God, based on His holiness, based on His eternal justice, based on His flaming holiness so that He cannot lie. Based on the finished work of Jesus Christ, I have this sure promise: 'He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.' I have believed, therefore I have everlasting life! You cannot loosen me from that certainty!"
5 comments:
Blaine,
Good post, and thank you for the honesty here. That's a great quote from Schaeffer. Encouraging.
Blessings,
Derek
Thanks Derek - I'm going to continue in this vein this week I think - been listening to Piper talk of the profound depression experienced by Spurgeon and Cowper.
Funny, I was thinking of Cowper when I read this post. It seems to me that "some of us" (creative types!) have a gift imbalance that causes us to see certain things VERY clearly and keenly - but the cost is we're a little, er, shall we say, prone to depression and other ailments (some would just say "crazy"). At times we feel we'd trade the gift for more mental balance. And at other times we wouldn't trade the joys of the gift for ANYTHING! But we have to take the bitter with the sweet. Everyone's area of gifting has a down side associated with it, part of the reason we need each other in the body of Christ. We balance each other and can only reflect Christ properly when we're reflecting Him together. And I'm convinced that people who act like they're not a little crazy sometimes are just faking it.
Derek
By the way, I also want to say I really appreciate you, Blaine. I visited your photography site and also listened to one of your sermons yesterday. You've encouraged me a lot - I glorify God because of you! (Galatians 1:24) I pray your work will be fruitful and full of the blessings of the Gospel.
That encouragement means a lot to me, Derek, thanks. SDG!
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