2 Corinthians 4:13-18

The Christmas season is not the joyful season for some as it is advertised. In fact, it is one of the most difficult, if not, for some, the most difficult time of the year. “According to the National Institute of Health, Christmas is the time of year that people experience a high incidence of depression. Hospitals and police forces report high incidences of suicide and attempted suicide. Psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals report a significant increase in patients complaining about depression. One North American survey reported that 45% of respondents dreaded the festive season.”

There is a multiplicity of reasons why there is such a high incidence of depression around Christmas, but perhaps the most common is the stress that so often accompanies the season. There is the stress brought about by the highly commercial nature of the season and the pressure to spend money they do not have for gifts and incur more debt. “Other people report that they dread Christmas because of the expectations for social gatherings with family, friends and acquaintances that they’d rather not spend time with. And finally, many people feel very lonely at Christmas, because they have suffered the loss of loved ones or their jobs.”

Depression is not a rarity or a taboo in the body of Christ, but is rampant in the body of Christ. Contrary to the opinion of some judgmental believers, Christians, too, get depressed, and for some of the same reasons as the world. The difference for the Christian, however, is “as professing Christians, we are to stand firm on the surest foundation – God’s word – and be driven in our thoughts and attitudes by that rather than feeling and emotions.” We also know “Life can be very tough. Eventually, our body is going to die. In the process of living, we’re going to face some very difficult circumstances and going to experience some awful pain. But, as bad as life’s hard realities can be, we are headed for an eternal glory beyond our imagining.”

“Life’s difficulties simply can’t compare to this glory that awaits us. Our pain is temporary. The things that cause our pain are temporary. The treatments we receive are temporary. The prescriptions we take are temporary. The therapies we endure are temporary. The surgeries and the setbacks are all temporary. All these things that we have seen and experienced are passing. But [I have good news for you], our eternal glory, our indescribable bliss, that wonderful future that we cannot yet see is eternal… forever… incorruptible… and reserved for us, God’s precious children!” That is the message the Apostle Paul delivers to the believers in Corinth and it is the message we need to reinforce in this Christmas season.

1. Our troubles are light and momentary (vs. 17). Can we contemporize the birth narrative? How would we react if we were the ones having to deal with the troubles of this family? This was to be just the beginning for Jesus.

2. Our troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that outweighs them all (vs. 17). “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). “Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

3. We fix our eyes on what is unseen (vs. 18). Paul endured resolutely and viewed his present afflictions as minimal because his gaze was constantly fixed on invisible realities, realities that are worthy of focused attention because they are eternal, not transient. There is a glory yet to be revealed.

We are not exempt from experiencing trouble. It is a part of our lives. It is a reality with which we all live, and I believe the devil, understanding that fact, capitalizes on it. His three-fold job, stealing, killing, and destroying produces much fruit. But I am determined that this season will be different for this house. In order for that to happen we have to be more of a family. We have to break the silence and be willing to be vulnerable with another. We have to stop pretending that depression is not real for the believer. We have to be more hospital to one another; and, we have to let Jesus be the Lord of our lives and not just our Savior.

The devil is counting on believers becoming statistics. He is counting on those prone to bouts of depression giving in to the feelings and emotions that tend to paralyze them, but stayed tuned. Trouble does not last always. Stay tuned! There is a bright side somewhere. Stay tuned! Glory is being revealed in what you are experiencing if you do not faint and do not give up. You are not alone. You are not the first one to experience what you are experiencing. Others know your struggle and they can tell you that there is help and hope. Stay tuned!

© 2013 Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.