Category: Theology (page 21 of 21)

Is music the answer to depression?

Check out these lyrics from “Let the Music Get Down in Your Soul” by Mark Broussard:

When your life gets too complicated
Gotta let the music
Get Down in your soul
Forget all your frustrations
And let the music music
Get down in your soul
Get on up, My brother,
And let the music, get down in your soul
Get on up, up yeah my sister
And let the music get down in your soul

Everyday ain’t gonna be sunny, No
Gotta let the music
Get down in your soul
Life ain’t filled with milk and honey, No
Gotta let the music music
Get down in your soul

Things ain’t as bad as they may seem
But you can’t find reality living in a dream
The strength you need, you had it all the time
You’ll find the answers in the back of your mind

Forget all you frustrations
come on
And let the music music
Get down in your soul

______________________________________________________

Is that the answer to life’s troubles?  Simply “let the music get down in your soul”?  Does that really help in the long run?  Maybe escaping into a song, simply forgetting your frustrations, realizing that you have always had the strength you need is what some people use, but Scripture offers a different hope.

Read these lyrics by a guy named David from Psalm 32:

Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man
whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.

For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Selah

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD “—
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Selah

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.

You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.

Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the LORD’s unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

_____________________________________________________

There seems to be a connection here between forgiveness and overcoming depression.  When David refused to confess his sin to God, he felt as though his bones were wasting away and his strength was dried up.  Sounds like he was feeling pretty rotten…we might even call that a sort of depression.  He then acknowledged his sin and didn’t hide it from the Lord, and found forgiveness.  What a gift!  What a weight of guilt is lifted off when we are forgiven!  “Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity!”

I’m not meaning to minimize the pain of depression, or discount it as a serious problem, or even say that all depression is directly linked with sin.  I’m just offering this as one answer to “feeling down.”  If you find that life is too complicated, instead of working to “get the music down in your soul,” how about confessing your sin to God and asking Him to cleanse you and restore your joy?  Maybe the dark clouds of depression will lift.  However, even if they do not, you can rest assured that “steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.”  He will sustain you and give you reason to “shout for joy!”

What do you need to confess to the Lord today?

 

What is hospitality?

What is meant when Paul commands us to practice hospitality (Romans 12:13, 1 Peter 4:9)?

Is it merely serving those people who are in your circle of friends, who think and live and act like you do? Is Paul saying, “When you serve your friends, do it with a smile!”? Is it merely serving those who will “pay you back,” whether in terms of money, gifts, or returning the favor in like manner?

Or is it more along the lines of being hospitable to those who may or may not EVER love you back, showing love and grace to those people, giving of your time and resources when there’s more of a possibility that you’ll NEVER be repaid on this earth?

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” -Jesus (Luke 6:32-36)

Jesus’ words cut me to the core. I’m not quick to lend expecting nothing in return. I expect that I’ll get my book back from you if I let you read it! If I help you out of a jam, some day I expect you’ll do the same for me. I’m quicker to do good to someone after they’ve done good to me. And I’m happier if you thank me afterwards.

I’m sorry if you find that repulsive…I’m just being honest. I’m not proud of this. It’s something I’m working on. Please give me some grace.

How do you handle “difficult” people? How are you hospitable to them? What if they are “annoying,” they “talk too much,” or they’ve taken advantage of your kindness one too many times? What if you know they could never repay you? Maybe it’s at that moment that you have the opportunity to look most like Christ.

 

A pet peeve

I don’t have a ton of pet peeves, but here’s one. If you start your blog with, “It’s been so long since the last time I blogged…I’ve been so busy…” then don’t expect me to read it. I don’t care why you haven’t blogged. If it’s important enough to you to blog, you’ll do it. If it’s not, you won’t. No hard feelings…just don’t start out your blog apologizing that you haven’t blogged in a while. You’re blogging now…get on with it!

I wonder if God says something similar to us? “Sorry that I haven’t prayed as much…sorry I’ve let some area of my life slip…sorry I haven’t been going to church as much as I should…sorry I haven’t been reading my Bible…sorry I …” It’s true that God does care about the past, and about our past failures. But He’s working on redemption, which also has a present and future aspect to it. He’s not negating the past, but is saying, “Get going with things now!”

Don’t get so stuck in your apologies to God that you forget to crank the key, start the engine, and hit the gas. Jesus wasn’t content with us just acknowledging our sin…he urges us to go! (John 8:11)

What are some of your pet peeves?

 
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