Monday, December 03, 2007

Depressed? Try expressing yourself

The Bible was not written by Australians.

If Australians are depressed, they might say something like, "Mate, I've been, you know, a bit low... yeah."

In contrast, the Bible paints vivid word pictures to describe Job's depression.

Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden,
whom God has hedged in?
For sighing comes to me instead of food;
my groans pour out like water.
What I feared has come upon me;
what I dreaded has happened to me.
I have no peace, no quietness;
I have no rest, but only turmoil.
Job 2: 23-26

I like it that the writers of the Bible are not afraid to express sadness and fears in their fulness. I often try to minimise my own sad feelings because I think I'd be just 'going on' and having a whinge. So it's an encouragement to have words and thoughts bigger than my own when it comes to talking about how I feel.

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