Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:11, New International Version)
19I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:19 – 23, New International Version)
Theme: The Wisdom of Discipline
Title: Discipline and Despondency
Reflection:
Recently, I read about a pastor who decided to battle the stigma related to mental health. He made mental health an explicit part of his ministry and hired a part-time therapist for the church. At first, only a few people would hesitantly approach the therapist but soon the demand for the therapist was much more than anticipated. Ultimately, the pastor created a separate not-for-profit organization that now has three doctors, one psychiatrist, one psychologist and three social workers on staff.
As I read the story, and reflected on some passages of Scripture, I was reminded that where our mental health is concerned, being disciplined is often not as straightforward as we would like to think. How do we grapple with issues such as despondency? I must first clarify that while all forms of despondency are relevant to our discussion, some forms (e.g., clinical depression) require the input of trained professionals. I am not a trained mental health professional. My reflections on our Scripture passages today are of necessity general in nature. There will be specific circumstances of despondency for individuals that should wisely be addressed by those trained to provide help.
The clarification above does not detract from the powerful messages in our Scripture passages. In both passages we see the authors openly describing their encounters with despondency. Their pain and despair are palpable. I must confess that there have been times when I have responded to this kind of open display of despondency with judgement. Thankfully, God responds with grace. You can see that the authors rely on God’s grace. I am captivated by their confidence in God’s compassion and faithfulness.
Conclusion:
Our disciplined plans can be disrupted by despondency. In the words of the boxer, Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Life throws punches, but God is compassionate and faithful. As believers, how can we individually and collectively become more effective in dealing with our despondency and the despondency of others? I would love to hear from you.
Contributor: Norman Christie