Taboo discussion among Christians..............

When discussing "depression" among Christian community, this can be a taboo subject. To conservative Christians, their attitude is this "depression is a spiritual self discipline problem" based on the assumption that all depression is caused by demonic oppression/satan's attacks. Which in fact is false. There can be a wide variety of reasons why depression comes for each individual person who experience it. Yes it is possible that satan's attacks can cause depression, but he is not responsible for every case of depression. Whenever we are inclined to presume that the illness or suffering of another person is the result of that person's sin, we should recall the foolishness of Job's "counselors" in attempting to explain the mystery of God's will. Job's friends were obstacles to Job's relationship with God when they don't really know why things are happening to Job. Their lectures were based on logics, assumptions and reasoning. The problem was that all their accusations were unfounded. We must be careful about how we react to the problems or sins of others. We must not accuse others of things we are uninformed about.

I have been studying "Job" for a long time and learned about my own sufferings and learned patience through them. Job reads like history. It talks about a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. It relates details about his family, his life, and his suffering. It communicates to us his friends' interest in his suffering, and the spiritual struggling with which Job dealt. What's interesting is that other biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel refers to Job along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14,20). And James draws upon the example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. He commends the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job.

Some examples of bad theologies: Job 4:7 - Eliphaz told Job "Stop and think! Does the innocent person perish? When has the upright person been destroyed?" Job 5:6 - Eliphaz insisted, "Evil does not spring from the soil, and trouble does not spourt from the earth". Meaning if someone's life is messed up, then there is obviously a cause. After all, trouble doesn't come out of nowhere. Job 8:4 - "Your children obviously sinned against God, so their punishment was well deserved". Job 8:20 - Bildad said "God will not reject a person of integrity, nor will he make evildoers prosper". Job 11:6 - Zophar said "God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve." Job 11:13-20 - Zophar said "If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to God in prayer.......you will be protected and will rest in safety". Zophar's theology was wrong when he told Job that a godly person who suffered still cannot be righteous. Job 15:20 - Eliphaz said "Wicked people are in pain throughout their lives". Job 22:5 - Eliphaz said "Your guilt has no limit."

There are many bad theologies came from Job friends' mouths that I would encourage you all to study the book of Job. There are several reason the Book of Job was placed in the Bible along with other books. I truly believe that God put Job in the Bible is because He wanted us to avoid bad theology regarding His Sovereign.

Job's friends made up a list of sins they were sure Job had committed at one time or another. The problem was was that all their accusations were unfounded. He did not know Job or the tthings he had done. We must be careful about how we react to the problems or sins of others. We must not accuse others of things we are uninformed about. Read Job 42:7-9 regarding God's rebuke to Eliphaz and his friends for judging Job wrongly