I’ve been in a spiritual funk all month. Most people think I am an extrovert because I’ve learned to obey God when it comes to people. All the graduations I’ve participated in and the crowds and conversations have taken a lot out of me. God has given me the gift of leading and teaching, yet I desire to hide in a room alone without having conversations. I hate talking on the phone. I wrestle with having to chit-chat wherever I go, which is required as God's children. The gifting He’s graced me with requires these things. I know God did not create us to be loners, so to desire what God did not create us for, being left alone, is to ask for autonomy. "This is not acceptable," as Super Nanny would say. I humbly respond obediently, offering conversation, teaching, fellowship, and even initiating these things where His Spirit leads me. I never begrudge these opportunities, but they wear me physically and emotionally. Though they leave me spiritually uplifted.
When I feel like I’m experiencing an emotional funk, I take it to the Lord and seek answers. Am I in sin? Is there something physically wrong that needs medical attention? How are my sleeping habits and workout routines? And there are more questions I examine myself with. I realize my allergies have heightened more than I’ve experienced in over six years, which may be the answer. I’m writing this because everything I’m feeling now can truly cause me to become lazy in maintaining my spiritual vitality. That would not be acceptable. I hope this offers a bit of encouragement to others.
Sadly, one of the Pastors where I fellowship had his last sermon yesterday at church. He has become someone I truly respect. His messages have become the fulcrum for my weekly biblical musings and research over the last few months. The book of Haggai has been the focus of teaching for the last couple of weeks. When I was a BSF teaching leader and taught through the minor prophets for Precepts, I truly appreciated this book of the Bible. Paul brought this book back to my mind, with all its practical teachings for our lives.
As I’ve been praying for my emotions to catch up to my practice of godliness, this book brought some realities to mind. Yes, there is careful threading that must be done when pulling an application from a history book that was written for a particular time, particular people, for a particular reason. But we’d be remiss not to recognize God’s Word as an offer for hope and lessons in the nature of God and His desire for righteous people from this book.
How does Haggai offer me hope when I’m in a spiritual funk?
The prophecy of Haggai came post-exilic. The remnant of God’s people, who returned to Jerusalem, had begun to rebuild the Temple and were thwarted by some opposition, supported by the Persians who stopped the building. The foundation was completed, but nothing else. The people went about their way, building their own lives and homes for sixteen years. Some went as far as to use the supplies set aside for the Temple. Haggai was one of two prophets that God raised to encourage and rebuke the remnant of Israel to get them back to work. During the Mother’s Day message, Haggai 1:4-5 was read, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruin? Now, therefore, thus says the LORD…: Consider your ways.” Those last three words were where my hope began.
What does this have to do with a “spiritual funk?”
How does this counsel the depression I’m experiencing?
Israel had forgone their responsibility to continue what they started. They allowed themselves to forget their God, purpose, and goals. It wasn’t that Persia gave them the green light again; well, we don’t read that. It was that God gave them the green light sixteen years prior. They allowed the yellow light of opposition to cause them to relent in their responsibility given to them by God. I say yellow light because no one can thwart God’s plans if we continue to walk by faith. We choose to see red lights so we can have an excuse. However, any opposition that attempts to thwart God's work can only be yellow unless He permits them to give us a red light. This spiritual funk is only a yellow light; I alone get to make it a red light, and that will be to my detriment, just as Israel chose to see their opposition as a red light. If you read the text, you will see it was not a red light to building their own comforts, homes, and security.
Because they capitulated and became happy building their kingdoms, God took their prosperity from them. He did not allow them to flourish in their endeavors. There were specific promises to Israel in their obedience and disobedience for them to prosper or be cursed, Deuteronomy 28. These are not promises to the Christian. There would be a strain in attempting to make an application today for these promises.
It can be challenging when in a spiritual funk or feeling depressed to continue with the disciplines God’s Word gives to us. I’m not talking about practicing religious rituals. I’m talking about continuing in the habits that offer our souls refreshment, joy, and peace God offers. The hope found in His Word must be pursued. You might be able to relate that when you feel depressed, it’s easy to overeat, stay in, watch television, troll social media, look up at the clock, and the day is gone with nothing accomplished. You do the same the next day and feel worse with every passing hour. That could quickly sum up my days if I allowed my funk to take charge.
Paul reminds me I am the temple being built. 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” Depression, or my Spiritual Funk, is the opposition that can keep me from building and from being one of those who worship God in Spirit and Truth. As Jude says, “to keep yourself in the love of God” or remain purposeful in God’s love by steadily walking by faith and not sight or emotions. Haggai called me back to building my spiritual life (temple) and connecting with God in the ways His word says will revive my soul and give me hope. Hope is not a feeling. I don’t need to feel this. God’s character and promises are where the hope comes in from His Word. I don’t need to feel those; I only need to know them so I can believe them. My mind begins to transform, then my heart (emotions) will eventually catch up.
Psalm 1 is where I went to remind myself of the necessity to meditate on God’s Word. I demand my soul, “Bless the Lord.” Then I find passages that I can meditate on, being reminded that meditating on God’s Word plants me deeper in the hope of God; it doesn’t let this moment of emotional instability cause me to wither, and it allows me to continue to look for sisters to converse with even when chit-chatting is not my favorite. I do this because it prospers my soul to be an encourager and to be encouraged by virtuous women. The Lord knows my way. He knows my emotional battle at present. I know as I continue to build when I genuinely do not feel like opening the Bible or praying. Right now, these feel like work. That feeling cannot avert me from doing what my emotions do not want to do. I will leave them to catch up to what my mind intentionally practices, not for religious to-do, but for relationship building. I’m looking forward to my emotions getting out of my way, but until then, my faith will continue to be strengthened in the LORD. He gave us too many ways to move past these moments of spiritual funk.
Israel had a reserve of supplies; unfortunately, they used them up and had to gather more once they realized God was working against them for their disobedience. Our reserve of spiritual supply is waiting for us. I will keep this personal and say, for me. I must continue acting in faith to use what has been supplied, which is the spiritual funk relief we must reach out and act on. God is not working against us, though our emotions might. God gives us grace in times of need, for sure. We also do our part to exploit His Word's abundant supply. This is how I will get through my spiritual funk, which is really an emotional funk, because my soul has hope.
Plus, I will ask for your prayers. If it is something physical, like allergies, pray that relief will come sooner than later. Love you!
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