Cure for the Blues

One lady said, "I feel bad even when I feel good because I know I'm going to feel worse." The "blues" tend to look on the dark side of things. A man said to his neighbor, "Nice weather we're having." The neighbor replied, "Yes, it is, but we'll pay for it." A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity. An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity. "Why are you cast down, O my soul? and why are you disquieted in me? Hope you in God: for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Ps. 42:5,11). A workable definition of the "blues" is "low spirits," or "a fit of melancholy." The "blues" can become a sickness and cause one's spirit to droop down. The "blues" can cause one's soul to lose courage and the heart to be overcome with a feeling of failure. One way to fight back at the "blues" is keep a good outlook on things and circumstances. A man inquired of a little boy, "Sonny, what kind of dog do you have there!" The boy answered quickly, "My dog is German police dog!" "Looks like a mangy hound to me," the man retorted, "Yes, I know," replied the youngster, "He's in the secret service. In coping with the "blues," a proper perspective is needed for direction and balance. All mortals of earth's fleeting moments are subject to the "blues." King David, sweet singer of Israel and king after God's heart, had them. Spurgeon, London's famed Baptist Pastor, had the "blues" and was out of the pulpit for three months, waiting for recovery. Vance Havner, outstanding Bible conference speaker and author of many books, had the "blues" once and didn't preach for a whole year. Havner's helpful book "By the Still Waters," records his experience during that year, and he has been mightily used of the Lord to bless countless thousands along the pilgrim pathway. Elijah, the great prophet of Israel, had the "blues" and prayed that death might release him. What causes the "blues?" Idleness may contribute to the onset. It has been said that "An idle mind is the devil’s workshop." Genesis 2:15 reminds us that God put man to work before the Fall. There isn't anything exciting about seeing a sign along the road that reads "Men Working," for man has worked since the days of Adam. Worthless activity may help to bind a person to emotional stress. There was a king who engaged in the worthless pursuit of searching fifteen years for a white mouse with green eyes. Then, there was a man who built an ice palace with large sums of money. After sleeping in it just one night, the man had the palace destroyed. Some symptoms of the "blues" are doubt, discouragement, and inadequacy. How might the "blues" be cured? Deal with them head-on! Don't avoid the issue. David asked himself, "Why are you cast down, O my soul?" (Ps. 42:5). This question method seems to help. Ask yourself: Am I saved? Am I a child of God? Will God ever leave me? Are my sins forgiven? Do I have a home in Heaven?" How may one administer the cure? Hope in the Lord (Ps. 73:24--28). The word "hope" is "elpis," "One assured of his salvation in Christ" (Rom. 5:5; I John5:10--13). Praise the Lord (Ps. 23:1). Stop that worrying about even one thing (Phil. 4:6). Next time you get the "blues" turn them into "blessings." A smile and a scowl are known and read in every and dialect. --Walter Eberly