Pastoral
Letter 28 Jan 2018
Last week, CNN had an article on Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time who won 28 Olympic medals. It reported of his sharing of his personal life story at a forum for mental health. He confessed that he once contemplated suicide because of depression, but was thankful that he did not because he sought for help at the right time. He also shared how he overcame depression and came through stronger than ever. He had suffered from depression for more than 10 years and he got out of it at last. Indeed depression is real and can happen to anyone of us. Hearing Phelp’s story, we feel encouraged, motivated and inspired. He became the model and example for many who are still fighting depression. However, I want to point out that Phelp’s solution is to look for help and counsel from men, and not from God. This is the world’s problem today. There is no God in the picture. Even if there is, it is not the God of the Holy Scripture. They appeal to their own imagination, wisdom and help. They depend much on self-help or man’s help. I submit to you that this is deception and God does not want us to be deceived. He wants us to know that man is always limited. Man's power is always limited. Man's strength is always limited. Man’s will power is always limited. But God is always and forever unlimited. Your looking up to God is far better than looking to man. Because man can fail but God will never fail. How many have fallen and failed? How many have succumbed to depression and have taken their own life? Did they not want to overcome? Of course they do, but they decided to rely on themselves and what happened in the end? They lost the battle in the end. And for those who seem to succeed, did they really overcome the root of the problem they had? Sin is always the root of all our problems. We can always trace back to sin. And so if sin is still controlling them, then the battle is already lost. They may experience some ease and relief, but these are only external and temporal. Dearly beloved, our Lord Jesus can give true rest to our weary soul. All the restlessness, disturbance, distress, pain and suffering that sinful man experiences in this world because of sin is replaced by God's peace when he surrenders himself to God and let God’s Spirit and Word work in him. God will not allow a trial or temptation to come upon us beyond what we can bear. He will always provide the strength or the way for us to overcome. What is depression? If you look up the dictionary, you will find that the word “depress” means to press down, to lower, to sink, to cast down. Depression is very real and scary. People can suddenly break down due to too much work and family pressures. Are you one of those who are suffering from depression? Let me encourage you from God’s Word. God’s Word is the perfect and infallible help that no one else can give you except our Lord Jesus Christ. “Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil 4:6-9). Can a Christian fall into depression? Of course! Christians are also human. Christians, though now living by the power of the Holy Spirit, are not superhuman. They are still prone to have terrible illnesses and accidents. The good news is we are no longer enslaved to them. So how can a Christian manage his depression? The answer is: Simply trust in God who has already promised to take good care of us. Do not believe what the world offers you. For what the world gives you are merely substitutes for depression. They will tell you, “Stop thinking you cannot do it. You can! Stop thinking of the negatives, think positive. Stop dwelling on past failures; think of the victories and success you have obtained and tell yourself you can make it again.” All these when said at the right time by the right people can be very motivational, inspiring and powerful. And many are even willing to pay a lot of money just to feel good and be motivated. But this is no different from taking drugs. No sooner, you fall again. And you need these motivations to make you “high” again just like the effects of drugs. Dear friends, it is time to be honest with ourselves. It is time to stop deceiving ourselves and stop believing in our own wisdom and capabilities. It is time to look up instead of looking down, left and right, front and behind, and inside us. You have looked everywhere for answers, but why not look up? Are you not tired of living a life that is tossed about by every wind of circumstances that comes along your way? We probably do not realize that our present life can be meaningful because God sees each one of us wonderfully made in His own image. We certainly mean something to God since He is willing to do so much to save us from our sins. Dear friends, if we are occupied with what God thinks about us and not how others look at us, I believe we will have little time to indulge in self-pity or to feel sorry for ourselves because our heart will be filled with the peace of God. Do you fear because of what the future may bring? The possibility of failing health, financial debts, family problems, difficulties of all sorts leave many people feeling hopeless, helpless and greatly depressed. But we who have Christ need not be afraid anymore. For life without Christ is a hopeless end. But life with Christ is an endless hope. This is how Christians can deal with depression. Will you look to Christ today? May God help us. Amen. Yours in Christ, Pastor Dennis Kwok |