Depression

February 15, 2023 Stephen Jones Leave a comment

A few days ago, in an “Ask Pastor John” episode, John Piper was asked about depression, and whether a Christian hedonist can experience it.

If you’re not familiar with Christian hedonism, you should pick up Piper’s classic book Desiring God. His basic premise is that “God is most glorified us when we are most satisfied in him,” and that God actually created us to know and enjoy him. True Christianity is not the denial of pleasure, but rather discovering that we were made for pleasure, and that true joy is found in God alone. Christians are to be hedonists in the true sense of the word, and pastors in particular should be those who taste and see that the Lord is good, then share him with others.

So, back to the matter of depression. A listener named Hannah from Los Angles writes Piper a courageous question: “…There is a very real place of deep darkness that I’ve experienced. When I hear you speak of Christian hedonism, and joy and pleasure in God, I feel a tinge of fear, because I’ve often lived in valleys where I feel little joy. Can flourishing Christian hedonism co-exist with seasons of dark depression, or is that a stark contrast of terms?”

Piper begins by recommending an exposition on Psalm 72 by John Bloom called “My Soul Refuses to Be Refreshed.” He also refers to one of his own books When the Darkness Will Not Lift.

I love what Piper says about the psalms. “The most experiential parts of the Bible are very realistic as far as the ups and downs of our relationship with God.” This is good news for us. We are not to be driven and tossed by our emotions, but they are a genuine part of the human experience, and we should be neither surprised nor alarmed by them, but rather seek to take those emotions and thoughts captive to the will of God.

Piper then distinguishes between “flourishing” Christian hedonism where depression is unlikely to be felt and “rugged” or “unbroken” Christian hedonism that experiences ups and downs. He makes an interesting point that depression is not mainly finding joy in something other than God, but is more complicated than that. Depression often involves physical factors and attacks from the enemy. With depression, “the capacity to cherish at all has dried up and there is a deep, dark numbness of the soul.”

This is a helpful definition and comes from the voice of experience. I would have loved to hear a scripture at this point, giving biblical support for his definition and diagnosis. I think it can be justified by the language of Psalm 42 and passages such as Job 3 and Ecclesiastes 4. But while Piper does not cite scripture in his definition, he does give five very helpful scriptures to serve the soul during bouts of depression. If you struggle with a “deep, dark numbness,” know you are not alone, and that God can help you just as he has helped these Spirit-inspired authors before you.

Micah 7:8–9 Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication.

Psalm 139:7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Psalm 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

1 Peter 2:2–3 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Piper says we press on to make Jesus our own, because he pressed on to make us his own.

You can listen to the whole answer here. It’s only 11 minutes long and worth your time.

As those who have tasted that the Lord is good, may the Lord help us every day to crave for him and find our satisfaction in him, pushing through the darkness and embracing the One for whom we were made.

(I first shared this post in a blog called “Shade for the Shepherd” that I briefly started in 2020, but then I decided to stick with my existing blog “Pinch of Clay.” Thanks for reading!)

Technology

How Technology Hurts Us

February 8, 2023 Stephen Jones Leave a comment

2020 took a toll on all of us, and many have still not recovered. It has been almost three years ago since COVID was declared a global pandemic and the world went into complete lockdown. Our need for community and our desire for connectedness took new forms, including a turn to social media. But this was not the cure we had hoped for. In fact, in many cases, it only exacerbated our longing for human relationships.

In the summer of 2020, Alan Shlemon from Stand to Reason explained why so many people were feeling exhausted in 2020. He doesn’t mention the word COVID even once. In his article, “How 2020 Is Taking a Toll on Your Soul,” Shlemon suggests it was actually the 24 hour news cycle, and constant exposure to tragedy all over the world that was sucking the life out of us. Has anything changed? He writes,

“Through the internet and social media, technology has given us ringside seats to every event, tragedy, and evil act that happens in any part of the planet. That’s not something we’re created to handle. It’s made possible, though, because of the internet. Though technology often helps us, it also creates two problems that hurt our soul: faux omnipresence and faux omniscience.”

Yes! I guess I’m not the only one who closes Twitter or Facebook feeling more anxious than I started. I told a friend the other day that social media is like meth. It is self-inflicted, highly addictive, and deadly. First, you are drawn in by genuine interest in others and a natural curiosity of our world. Soon, the social media diet turns more insidious, fueled by anxiety and anger. The breaking news, the death tolls, the political corruption, the conspiracy theories, the constant need to be “in the know” keeps pulling you in. And then it kills you.

The digital age is taking its toll. Shlemon calls this “faux omnipresence and faux omniscience” because it’s as though we are playing God, trying to be everywhere-present and all-knowing, yet without the power to do anything about it or the wisdom to understand how all things work together for good. He then closes with four ways to escape social media meth:

Perhaps, then, we should take better care of ourselves. Here’s what I suggest. First, unplug from the internet and/or social media. This is mandatory. Set up times when you walk away without taking sneak peeks. Second, spend time in nature. For example, take a hike through the woods and observe the simplicity and beauty of God’s creation. I love to notice delicate flowers or watch the gentle dance of birds in the trees. It helps me escape—for a time—the harsh reality I must eventually return to. Third, pray and discern when and where you can shoulder other people’s burdens, and find friends who can help carry yours. This is a biblical mandate. Finally, develop a habit of giving thanks to Jesus, the one who took on our burdens.

I commend the whole article to you, including a great quote by Charles Spurgeon and an interesting reference to the Scopes Monkey trial. You can read the whole thing here.

Have you developed any strategies to limit your social media intake and remain joyful and at peace? If so, share below!

(I first shared this post in a blog called “Shade for the Shepherd” that I briefly started in 2020, but then I decided to stick with my existing blog “Pinch of Clay.” Thanks for reading!)

Writing

Why Blog?

February 1, 2023 Stephen Jones Leave a comment

A couple years ago, I experimented with a new blog called “Shade for the Shepherd: Helping Pastors Endure in Ministry and Avoid Burnout.” I abandoned the project pretty quickly and decided to stick with my current blog “Pinch of Clay,” which allows me to write more broadly on many topics that interest me including church leadership, theology, family news, and even hobbies like astronomy and hiking.

When I first started writing a new blog to encourage pastors, I asked, “Why am I starting a blog? Who am I trying to reach?” Although I closed down that site, I think the answers to those questions still guide me as I decide what and when to write here. Three reasons came to mind:

The Need for Encouragement. Pastors need encouragement, and one of the chief ways they can be encouraged is by other pastors who know what it’s like to be in the trenches. The Apostle Paul talked about mutual encouragement in the opening verses of Romans. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” (Romans 1:11-12). Someone might read this blog and wonder if it’s some kind of cathartic exercise or cry for help. By God’s grace, I do not struggle deeply with depression, but I know pastors who do. I have never contemplated suicide, but I had a friend who not only considered it, but carried it out. I’m quite familiar with the labors and dry seasons of ministry. A healthy dose of encouragement would help more ministers finish strong. A few years ago, Warren Wiersbe passed away. Some knew him as “The Pastors’ Pastor.” Jerry Vines says, “He encouraged and taught, by example, thousands of pastors and multiplied thousands of laypeople in the convention to do biblical exposition.” That title “The Pastors’ Pastor” always stood out to me, even as a kid. Perhaps it was God already tugging at my heart to pursue ministry and teaching me that pastors have a difficult job in shepherding, and should never go it alone. It is a sad reality, but relationships inside the church often deplete a pastor’s energy. A pastor must also cultivate relationships that renew, invigorate, and sustain.

The Joy of Writing. Writing is both art and science. It is a discipline of soul that takes your accumulated knowledge, marries it to your personality, and ignites it through imagination. Actually, writing is closely related to preaching. Most ministers would become better preachers if they would do more writing. This is one of the benefits of college and seminary — they teach you how to write. Tim Challies has blogged nearly every day since 2003 and says there’s still a need for more Christian blogs. “I am convinced the church will be healthier and those ministry sites will ultimately have better material to share if we continue to have a thriving Christian blogosphere.” For me personally, the dual disciplines of journaling and blogging (albeit sporadic) have made me a better writer and clearer thinker. I have written hundreds of posts already and wish to focus even more on pastors and aspiring pastors. I still have a long way to go in learning to write. But I enjoy the process, and hopefully along the way I say something that helps someone else.

The Providence of God. Nothing happens by accident. God uses every conversation and every circumstance to conform us into the image of Christ and make us a sharper instrument. I pray my gifts and experience could be used by God to encourage others. I spent my childhood years as a “PK” (pastor’s kid), went through church splits and drama, was blessed with a great theological education and broad ministry training, have countless godly role models, have been trained as a pastor coach, have weathered several family health and church unity crises, and have nearly 20 years experience as a pastor. These are no cause for boasting. My heart is grateful that God would use me at all. But these life lessons and experiences become a kind of stewardship. Young pastors often say they wish they had more mentors. I hope to make a small dent by providing an encouragement and example, and connecting them with others who can continue the conversation.

I prefer to write a couple times a week and have more ideas on topics such as rest, peacemaking, endurance, family time, prayer, productivity, book reviews, and pastor interviews. Out of curiosity, what are you looking for in a blog? What topics are missing? What do you enjoy reading the most? What has been most helpful to you in the past, and what would you like to see more of? Please subscribe and join the conversation!

Books

Book Review: Gospel Fluency

January 30, 2023 Stephen Jones 2 Comments

I picked up Gospel Fluency assuming it was a book on evangelism. Some of the endorsements on the back even portray it as such. And it does provide some helpful guidelines on sharing our faith. But Gospel Fluency seeks to do something more. Vanderstelt shows how the gospel penetrates every area of our lives – our conversation, our behavior, and our fellowship. Yes, we need to share the gospel with the lost. But we also need to share it with other believers, and even ourselves. “We need the gospel and we need to become gospel-fluent people. We need to know how to believe and speak the truths of the gospel – the good news of God – in and into the everyday stuff of life” (p. 23).

The author demonstrates the only way to be truly fluent in the gospel is to be part of a community (a gospel-centered church) where the gospel is front and center of all we do. “Formal training alone does not make one fluent. You become fluent through immersion in a gospel-speaking community and through ongoing practice. You have to know it, regularly hear it, and practice proclaiming it” (43). So after exploring the idea of fluency and the summarizing the message of the gospel, the author spends the second half of the book addressing The Gospel in Me (Part 3), The Gospel With Us (Part 4), and The Gospel to Others (Part 5).

This last section is the closest to what you would normally consider an evangelism book, with some helpful reminders to care and to listen (p. 177), to look for people’s overarching storyline (p. 180), to physically display God’s character (p. 188), to ask for eyes that see people’s hurt and brokenness (p. 200), and to actually open our mouths (p. 191).

I loved the affection for Christ that pervaded this book, and the reminder that love for God is what motivates us to talk to others about him. “People need to be deeply affected by the incredible news of Jesus on a daily basis. What affects you greatly creates in you great affections. And those affections lead you to express verbally and physically what you love most, because you talk about what you love” (p. 94). This reminds me of what Jesus says in Matthew 12:34, “out of abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

One issue I did find odd was Vanderstelt’s use of the gospel in biblical counseling and sanctification. He tells a number of stories how he uses the gospel in shepherding his children and counseling believers. So far, so good. But at times, he seems to almost downplay the importance of obedience, instead saying “belief” in Jesus is the only work we can do. “I am training them in the work they are to do. This work is to believe – to believe the gospel” (p. 83. See also p. 78, 81, 114, 115). Now, it’s certainly true we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It’s also true that we want to address matters of the heart, and not merely behavior. But we are sanctified by grace as we work.

We become more like Christ when we exert genuine effort and strive toward righteousness, remaining fully dependent on the Holy Spirit. God “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). I don’t think the author would disagree, but I’m concerned his focus on simply believing the gospel could become too ethereal and unintentionally subvert the actual commands of Scripture.

A few minor qualms aside, if you’re looking for a refresher course on the gospel and a clear case why we need to spend more time talking about it as Christians, I recommend Gospel Fluency. You can order the book by clicking here: https://amzn.to/3wIQJ5g

(This article contains an Amazon affiliate link, which means by clicking through the link, you can help me earn a small kick-back to help me buy future books!)

Leadership

“Earth Swallows Protester”

January 25, 2023 Stephen Jones Leave a comment

“Earth Swallows Protestor.” That could have been the headline in the Israelite Daily News some 3500 years ago.

This morning in my quiet time, I read Numbers 16 on Korah’s rebellion. It’s a dramatic display of the power of God and the importance of honoring spiritual leaders. One of the Levites — a man named Korah — decided he’d had enough of Moses’ leadership, as well as his brother Aaron. So Korah incited the people to rebel. He rebuked Moses publicly, “You have gone too far! For all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?”

Essentially, Korah demanded to know what gave Moses the right to call himself leader and to serve as mediator between God and men. He forgot it was not Moses who appointed himself to be leader, but God who assigned him to the task (against Moses’ own wishes!). The Lord had said at the burning bush, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak” (Ex. 4:11-12).

Anyone with any experience in leadership knows you can’t make everyone happy. People are wonderfully diverse. Their preferences are different. Their personalities are different. Their maturity levels are different. Add to that the sobering reality there is spiritual warfare going on, and you have a recipe for frequent conflict and attacks on leadership. Those who stand up front and lead the people of God will often find themselves the target of criticism. In some cases, that criticism is deserved. But more often than not, there is a lack of charity toward leaders, and people assume the worst rather than believing the best.

In the case of Korah and his 250 followers, God used this opportunity to re-affirm Moses as his humble, appointed servant. The people were warned to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their families. Then suddenly, “the ground under them split apart. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly” (Num. 1:32-33).

What a terrifying scene! I wouldn’t wish this fate on anyone, but clearly God got everyone’s attention. He has appointed certain men to be spiritual leaders and representatives, and people have a duty to follow them. To fail to do so will lead to their own detriment.

As Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.“

Like Moses, today’s spiritual leaders will endure frequent criticism. Blame may even be placed on us for things far outside our control. But praise God, eventually, the righteous will be vindicated! May God help us serve him faithfully, and look not for the fickle praise of men, but for sincere approval from above.

(I first wrote this post in a blog called “Shade for the Shepherd” that I briefly started in 2020, but then I decided to stick with my existing blog “Pinch of Clay.” So I am reposting it here. Thanks for reading!)

Pinch Of Clay