out a vision the people perish.” That is not only true in the spiritual realm, but also in the mental realm. If people do not have a vision or goal to which they are working, mentally they are living in a vacuum of apathy that saps the vitality of their energy. This lack of vision accounts for much of the apathetical behavior of young people today. Our society has over-protected them to the point that it has failed to challenge them. Now we have a growing generation on our hands that cannot be stimulated even to defend their country against an evil enemy like communism. This attitude will carry over into many other areas of life. The trag edy is that with the increase in specialization it is going to be increasingly difficult to succeed in busi ness and professional life. The young generation needs greater motivation today than any preceding generation, but instead has less. This would indi cate that we can expect an increase in depressed people. Thanks be unto God there is victory from this depression through Jesus Christ our Lord. And the rise in depressed individuals will increase the number of souls who will recognize their need o f outside stimulus in seeking a cure. This fact should quicken the consciousness of Spirit-filled be lievers with the fact that all about them are apathe tic, depressed, empty-hearted, no-vision souls that desperately need Christ. This is the most thrilling day the world has seen in several generations to live the Spirit-filled life as a demonstration of what Jesus Christ is able to do for an individual. Another problem occasioned by depression is hypochondria. A depressed person has aching pains, a sore stomach, and numerous difficulties without any known cause. He can learn the art of being sick to excuse his apathy. Some people use this “ tool” to avoid what they think are un pleasant tasks by pretending to be sick. They don’t call it pretending, or even think of it so, of course; it is very real to them, but usually unnecessary. The ability of the human mind to cause pain is seen in the case a doctor friend o f mine had re cently. He has used hypnosis in his practice to deliver babies, calm the nervous, assist weight H y p o c h o n d r i a
T h e H i g h C o s t o f B e i n g D e p r e s s e d Every negative human emotion indulged in over a period o f time takes a heavy toll on a person. Depression is not just an emotional state, but the result o f a particular thinking pattern which we shall disclose near the end o f this chapter. But it too takes a heavy toll. Consider the following five costs as only part of the price one pays for de pression, depending on how serious and prolonged it is. G l o o m a n d P e s s i m i s m When a person is depressed, he is gloomy and pessimistic. Everything looks black, and even the most simple things become difficult. It seems a common practice for a depressed person to “make a mountain out of a molehill.” That does not make for good fellowship; consequently, a depressed per son is not sought out by his friends, and thus he tends to become more depressed. People do not seek the companionship of the depressed in spirit, but the lighthearted. Selfish motive? Yes, but true nevertheless. The gloomy, pessimistic spirit of the depressed person usually makes him a very lonely individual. A p a t h y a n d F a t i g u e Another price paid by the depressed person is apathy and fatigue. These conditions, like anger and fear, involve very fatiguing emotions. It takes considerable energy to be angry all day or to lie awake worrying all night, and this expenditure of energy does not leave an angry or fear-dominated person with much pep to enjoy the pleasurable blessings of life. But depression is often worse than fear and anger in that it tends to neutralize man’s natural ambitions. Since molehills look like mountains, his attitude usually is “What’s the use?” and he pessimistically sits on his stool of gloom and does nothing. Man needs the sense of accomplishment that comes with a task well done. This feeling of well-being so needed by the de pressed person is robbed by his apathy, which is the enemy o f all achievement; it certainly is not the soil from which the seeds o f “ goals,” “ projects” and “ visions” grow. The Bible tells us that “with
M A Y , 1967
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