Here4Him
Oct 12, 2007
Why do we as believers get down?
Why do we as believers get down?
Why do we as believers get down?
Because the music is smokin' hot...?
Krispy
PS: Sorry, couldnt resist.
It depends how objective you're being with your question. If you're talking about [u]mood
It is a discipline to stop looking at oneself and how one is feeling, and look to the Lord for encouragement... the carnal soul loves to wallow.
Don Francisco has a great song called 'There is No Condemnation', in which he describes this struggle which we have with ourselves. All his songs are free to download from his site. I recommend you go and listen to a few. He's very human and knows the forgiveness of the Father.
I bet there are going to be several good answers to this question...because there are several factors.
A couple of weeks ago I ran into a friend who offered the obligatory greeting, "How are you?" I answered casually, "I'm pretty good." He replied, "Just pretty good? I think a child of God should be always feeing great!"
I thought, "Well, if I popped you one in the nose, that would feel pretty great." ;-)
The bottom line is that we are emotional creatures. That is a nature of our soul...and I believe the Lord created us to have this spectrum for a reason.
Sadness isn't a defect.
Regarding depression, there are obviously some more serious causes...some perhaps even spiritual origins. But before we look for those, I think we should make sure there aren't simpler reasons.
To add to Dorcas' point, I find too many of us don't get enough sleep, exercise, or proper food. Over time this lack of discipline has a downing effect on your mental attitude. You can feel overwhelmed by the most mundane things when you aren't physically and mentally recooperating on a regular basis.
One more small thing I always need to remember...
Why do we as believers get down?Because the music is smokin' hot...?
:-P Let's not take ourselves too seriously all the time. :-)
Blessings,
MC
First off, Dorcas... thank you so much for the head's up about Don Francisco's free mp3's. I've been listening to him since the 80's.
Here is a song from his Beautiful to Me CD that I found on his website:
It Ain't No Sin To Get The Blues
by Don Francisco
Some people when they meet you
Wear a manufactured smile
You can't tell if they're really happy
Or just tryin to be in style
It's like somebody told 'em
Only sinners ever frown
But when you're really hurtin'
It ain't no crime for feelin' down
No obedience that means sufferin'
And to some that may be news
Jesus paid our lifetime membership
But you still gotta pay some dues
So when Job's comforters surround you
And your prayers all seem refused
Don't you lie about your troubles
It ain't no sin to get the blues
BRIDGE
Now some folks dig self-pity
But others make it clear
That if it were pos'ble
They'd rewrite the Epistles and the Gospels
So that nobody, nobody, ever
Had to shed a tear
Everybody's got to suffer sometime
We all got to work out our salvation on our own
Jesus never told you pain would never get a hold of you
He said "I'll never leave you all alone"
So when you feel those tears start rollin'
Don't you get yourself confused
He'll dry your tears if you just cry 'em
It ain't no sin to get the blues
Now you can say you're doin' fine
Say there's nothin' on your mind
Denounce it and deny it
Stick you head down in the sand
Try and make out like your Superman
But ain't nobody, nobody
Really gonna buy it
Here4Him wrote:
Why do we as believers get down?
One of the major reasons I think some of us get down is that one third of the angels were kicked out of heaven and they are after us and our Joy.
Just think about the times when you had true joy and hope comes right along beside it, we were unstoppable at that moment!!! Satan does NOT want us feeling that. He wants us depressed and hopeless and wondering why God even loves us. When we are in that state we are useless to God and the enemy is happy. Yet when we are happy, the enemy is sad. Let's keep the enemy is a fit of depression!!! LOOLOLOLOLOL
Why do we as believers get down?
Seriously, our reporters view the world much like the 10 spies who gave Israel a bad report about the Promised Land. They saw it through the eyes of unbelief, not faith. We mustn't underestimate the power of the media to manipulate our minds and erode our faith.
After seeing images of crashes, murder scenes, conflicts, scandal, conspiracies, dead fish and adulterous tela-evangelists can we really expect to maintain a heart of joy?
"Whatever is true... noble... right.... pure... .lovely.... admirable... if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think of such things." Phil. 4:18
I'm sure there is a good reason why this commandment is included in the Word. It guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" and preserves our peace with God. (from vs 7)
Just how literally should we take this verse? Could it mean that it might, uh, maybe at times, be a sin to watch the news or dwell on all the bad stuff going on in the world? - you know, like eating too much junk food.....
Diane
Good point Diane,
I feel that we can expand that thought further. So much on TV, soaps and films is completely depressing. If we fill our minds with a diet of divorce, affairs, violence, murder and iniquity it will pull us down. As Keith Daniels advises us - "Soak yourself in the Word of God"
Andrew
Intens4Him said
Thank you.First off, Dorcas... thank you so much for the head's up about Don Francisco's free mp3's. I've been listening to him since the 80's.
What I think is even more wonderful is the permission to create one's own cds of his music for evangelism.
He is so biblically sound, untrendy, yet musically versatile and always with a slighly oblique take on the matter in hand, I believe he well deserved the accolades of his peers in secular music, such as he received for 'He's Alive'. Did you know that when it first was played (and probably can anytime it is played) it caused people to stop what they were doing to get right with God? Even motorists were pulling over because they couldn't go on until they'd prayed or stopped crying. God uses that man!
I agree with what has been said, i dont think its a sin to feel down, or to be sad. We are emotional beings, but the question is what do you do when you feel like that? If im honest, too often i know that Christ is who i should run to to ragain joy and contentment but why does it sometimes seem much easier to run to other things to fill that hole or to cheer us, these can be things which are or are not sinful in themselves, but i am so angry with myself that on occasions i believe that lie of the devil and rather than run to Christ for comfort run elsewhere.
Im sure satan knows we are more susceptable to sin when we are feeling low, he is dirty, he comes against us most in those moments
Jesus said to be either hot or cold, lukewarm won't do! : ) How many christians are HOT? Jesus said few. He also said when He comes will He find faith. There are a small percentage of christians who are HOT for God. I didn't say it Jesus did. Maybe it's because we are looking at the majority of christians who may not even be christians. Yes, it's true the majority of christians are not HOT for God.
But look at this board, praise God! I believe this board blesses God. I know it blesses me to see all of the christans hungering for God even though their are few of us.: ) The revival conference is encouraging to me. That's what God wants to see His children hungering after Him. I wish I could be there but I will be praying. I was listening to Paul Washer last night too and what a blessing!
I have noticed in my own life that I can see a correlation between the level of my joy as a believer and how much my thoughts are focused on Christ. When I start looking at myself, my performance, my level of devotion to Him, etc.. that’s when I begin to lose my joy. Everything I do and everything I am seems so inadequate. And, well, it is. That’s why I need a Saviour….because I am desperately inadequate in myself. I believe that we do well to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith. But if I try to do that examining myself, with my own mind, instead of letting the Holy Spirit direct that activity, it leads to discouragement and depression.
But…when I “look unto Jesus”, there is abundant joy. When I look to His work on the cross, His perfect sacrifice for me, the total cleansing by His blood, an eternal future with Him – then my thoughts are directed heavenward and away from myself. Then I am encouraged. Then my joy is renewed.
Danielle
Dear Here4Him,
Check these:
[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=19494&forum=34&6]Resurrection: A Living Personal Reality[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=20065&forum=34]Thy way was in the sea
The second part of the first link speaks a lot about your question.
When I start looking at myself, my performance, my level of devotion to Him, etc.. that’s when I begin to lose my joy. Everything I do and everything I am seems so inadequate.
You just gotta shut out those other voices and fix your eyes on Jesus!
“Set your mind on things above.” - ie, Christ! Col. 3:2
I have been listening for the past couple of days to a sermon by Zac Pooen but it was sent to me, and I don't know the Title of the sermon,or what page it is on.
He starts off saying that he realized at one point that he was not living what he proclaimed...and he told God that he would rather just quit ministering, than be a hypocrite.
He said we are to be Joyful always, and if we are only joyful 6 days out of the week, we are not in obedience to the Word.
He spoke about sins that the world would not consider to be sins: selfishness, pride, impure thoughts etc....
It is an excellent sermon in that I was "awakened" to the Truth that we are not in obedience when we are not walking in joy.
He said that it doesn't mean that we will always go around with a big "Colgate" smile; but the inward part of our being should "always" be full of Joy, if we truly are followers of Christ.
SID4068 is all I have regarding how to locate his sermon...
I have been listening for the past couple of days to a sermon by Zac Pooen but it was sent to me, and I don't know the Title of the sermon,or what page it is on.
The sermon you referenced is here
But…when I “look unto Jesus”, there is abundant joy. When I look to His work on the cross, His perfect sacrifice for me, the total cleansing by His blood, an eternal future with Him – then my thoughts are directed heavenward and away from myself. Then I am encouraged. Then my joy is renewed.
'BrokenOne' thank you for this reminder. I know that truth in my head, but so often forget to practise it, i constantly needed to be reminded of that one thing- to look much to Christ!
I have been doing more of that this weekend and it has brought joy back again. It's just when i do fail Him big time again, its so hard to not get down and to not doubt your salvation.
I can't wait till that day in heaven when we will be saved to sin no more! But for the now we must press on, seeking the holiness that only comes through knowing Jesus, and if we fail, get up and carry on- oh how many times i myself need to hear this message!
Thank you Danielleeeee, for finding that sermon.
I am listening to it again. I think it is excellent.
Have you listened to it?
B.
I listened to it several months ago. It touched on exactly what God had begun dealing with me about – the need for reality in our lives as Christians. There seems to be this unwritten rule that you go to church and act like everything is fine and you are always at the utmost peak of spirituality. I call it “putting on the church face”. And I was so tired of it. And I think when I got to the point where I was no longer willing to keep up appearances, the Lord began to make some changes. This message, along with some stuff by Art Katz, have been powerfully used by God in that process.
The "church face" is because so many people have what Martin Luther termed "a theology of glory", in other words they think the Christian life is all about blessing, and victory, and prosperity.
The Bible teaches a theology of the Cross, and a life of suffering, setbacks, fears, doubts etc.
I have found that in the modern day church, a majority of people do not really care how a person is doing if the answer goes beyond, "I'm fine" and sadly more people have to put on the fake smile, and internalize the trials rather than be honest, because they think or feel as if they are the only ones in the church who cannot get it together, meanwhile everyone else is doing the same thing.
The book of Psalms knows no such language. Here you will find some of the most wondrous cries of anger, and despair ever uttered, and yet they were uttered by saved people!!! It kind of ruins the Heaven now type of thinking, but does a wonderful job of putting our focus back upon the center of it all- Christ Jesus Himself.
Christ is to be found in the Word being preached and the sacraments(baptism, Lord's supper), not only within me. For within me there will always be a "dark mirror" that clouds over any image of Christ. However I am shown Christ as He truly is in the Word, and I am reminded of His body and blood through the Lord's Supper and thereby encouraged, and uplifted.
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