This is a list of books that I can recommend to people who have a need, or just want to be informed. The majority of these on the list are for Christians who have a mental illness.
Grace for the Afflicted- Matthew S. Stanford, PHD*
Manic, A Memoir- Terri Cheney
Exuberance, The Passion for Life- Kay Redfield Jamison
When the Darkness Will Not Lift- John Piper*
Darkness is My Only Companion- Kathryn Greene-McCreight*
The Noonday Demon- Andrew Solomon
*denotes Christian emphasis
All of these books can be ordered online at www.amazon.com.
It’s amusing to see how thing get started. I’ve been hearing a lot about “zombies”. It’s crazy, but zombies are now suddenly vogue, and I’m sure they appreciate the publicity, having stalked the landscape for so long without any recognition at all.
But seriously, this new social focal point nails down a real issue: Passivity. I know its a leap, but it seems that that is a real issue in our society. The dictionary defines the word for us, as “the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative.” We are often led to a place where we are to accept the status quo, and even see that as a healthy characteristic.
I see two areas of conflict we have with zombie-fication. One is spiritual, the other mental. Passivity in our Christian walk is quite dangerous. We begin to interpret life as something that acts on us, rather than acting boldly and with assurance, we let everything just roll over us. I’m thinking of Caleb, who in Scriptures is an old man (Joshua 14:11-12). Yet he “demands” to be given the top of a mountain which is under the control of fierce giants.
Such an attitude is not normal. I see Caleb as a florescent marker of the Spirit. You look through history and he sticks out, you can’t hide him. He doesn’t blend in and he certainly doesn’t drift into the cold dark night quietly. He shows up in Numbers 14:24, “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”
Having a mood disorder like bipolar, passivity is brought to you on a platter. The meds are quite enough to mellow and control all your actions. (I believe in meds, btw). Spiritually, we suffer. It is hard for me to believe in God and worship Him if I have no initiative. I personally find a ferocious battle with myself when ever I try to move closer.
I want to close this out. I just want to point out this “zombie-ifcation syndrome” is real and that it often haunts us as mentally ill people. As a fellow believer in Jesus Christ I must resist and stand for Him. I need to be more aware of these issues, and not become part of the walking dead. Whatever it takes, I want to be alive. Being real, not sedated into a mindless stupor.
12 Why has your heart carried you away, and why do your eyes flash,
13 so that you vent your rage against God and pour out such words from your mouth?
Is it wrong to be angry with God? No.
The problem comes when legitimate feelings of anger are not handled correctly and lead to inappropriate bitterness and rebellion which sometimes accompany anger. The Bible realistically portrays the frustration and anger of God’s people when things go wrong or when they cannot understand why certain things happen. This was the reason for Job’s anger. Not only did he feel he was being treated unjustly by God, but he could get no explanation from him.
Jonah’s anger over Neneveh’s repentance and the death of the shade-giving vine was inappropriate (Jonah 4). Twice the Lord questioned him, Have you any right to be angry? (Jonah 4:4,9). The prophet Jeremiah grew angry with God because of his persecution and the lack of response to his preaching. But he went too far when he accused God of lying (Jer. 15:18). Immediately, God told him to repent and stop uttering foolish words (15:19).
Ultimately, that is where Job ended up. Though his suffering caused many questions and anguish, he went too far when he insisted that he had a right to an explanation. In the end, God spoke to Job and set him straight: God had the right to question Job, not the other way around (38:1-3). Job realized he had been arrogant and that his anger was unjustified. When confronted by the awesomeness of God, Job repented (42:6).
A sample from the best-selling Quest Study Bible. Copyright Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. www.Zondervan.com. To order, click her
Broken Believers 