Ask 100 people what character traits come with the artistic temperament and you will likely hear things like spontaneous, creative, being able to see beauty when others don’t, and a number of other rather positive traits. You will also hear words like melancholy, moody, dark, and overly emotional.
Artists have a reputation of wearing their emotions on their sleeves. Artists can embrace emotions that other people are uncomfortable with. When I was in college, sometimes, between trips to the Laundromat, all I would have to wear would be a black t-shirt and black pants. When that would happen, I would tell my friends, “Today I am wearing my poetry clothes.” All black, gloomy, emotional. Artists have such a reputation.
But, in many churches, victorious living is preached, telling Christians to be strong and courageous no matter what, to the detriment of all other emotions. One Sunday school song even tells our little ones, “I'm inside, outside, upside, downside happy all the time/Since Jesus Christ came in, and freed my life from sin/I'm inside, outside, upside, downside happy all the time.” Really? Is there anybody who is actually happy all the time? Is there any room in the church for someone who is going through upsetting circumstances?
Is it wrong to be sad? Is it wrong to be moody? Is it wrong to be discouraged? In many instances, when a person is upset, he or she is encouraged to pray and “give it to God.” After the prayer, he or she is then expected to pretend that there is nothing wrong, and any more griping and bellyaching is considered a lack of faith. But, what does the Bible say about sadness?
Matthew 5:4 (NLT)
God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Romans 12:15 (NIV)
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn
Ecclesiastes 7:3
Sorrow is better than laughter,
for sadness has a refining influence on us.
John 11:35 (NLT)
Then Jesus wept.
So, it’s obvious that sadness is part of the human experience, and God understands that some circumstances will make us sad and melancholy. Even the Prophet Jeremiah cursed the day he was born in Jeremiah 20:14-15, and David wrote, “Darkness is my closest friend,” in Psalm 88:18.
Read this passage from 1 Kings 19:3-5 and 9-18:
Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep…
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
So, how are Christians supposed to deal with people who are going through sad times?
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
Isaiah 35:4
Say to those with fearful hearts,
"Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you."
Proverbs 15:4
Kind words heal and help;
cutting words wound and maim.
Questions:
1. Have you heard of or experienced unhealthy attitudes from Christians toward moods and sadness? How could you respond to someone who expects Christians to always be happy?
2. What can you do to help someone else who is sad? What scriptures do you know that might bring comfort?
3. Why do we sometimes hear God in the earthquakes and fire, and other times hear God as a still, small voice? What does that say about what a “religious experience” is supposed to be like?
4. When Elijah felt alone, God told Him that there were at least 7,000 others who were also faithful to Him. How can this scripture help someone who feels alone going through a difficult circumstance?
5. Artists seem to be more in touch with their emotions than other people, but when is someone’s melancholy mood “over the top?” How can we know that we have crossed some line between normal sadness that comes with the human experience and clinical depression, or even attention-getting moodiness?
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #1 click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #2 click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #3 click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #4 click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #5, click here .
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #6, click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #7, click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #8, click here.
To read Fine Arts Bible Study #9, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment