Last week I received in the mail a survey from the Australian National University.  I was asked to complete a lengthy questionnaire that the ANU is working on together with National Seniors Australia.  The purpose of the survey is to assess the wellbeing of older Australians.  (Thanks!  I didn’t really need the reminder that I’m an older Aussie!

The questionnaire particularly zeroed in on the role of family and friends in one’s life.  But finances were also touched on: Does financial difficulty sometimes prevent you from staying in touch with family or friends?  So too was the time factor: Does busyness sometimes keep you from meaningful contact with family and friends?  Another important life-ingredient that was surveyed was one’s health.

Overall it seemed to me that the survey was trying to find out whether I was a contented, happy and well-adjusted member of our society.

I have to confess that I got this survey at a time when I wasn’t exactly on a high.  Several factors combined to make it a difficult week for me.  My own little health issue flared up again – so more medical tests.  News from the family down south hasn’t been good either with two very dear sisters-in-law undergoing life-threatening treatment.  I could add other factors that contributed to a somewhat depressed mental state, but I won’t bore you with the details.

All of this made me do some thinking this week about happiness and depression.  Happiness is an illusive quality of life.  If we’re looking for happiness in itself it always seems to slip through our fingers like watery jelly.  At other times when we are least looking for happiness it blows us away with its unexpected exhilaration, but those moments are rare.

On the other hand depression is real for countless people in our society.  I’m not talking only about clinical depression; I’m simply referring to the deep sense of unhappiness that is the lot of so many.  I’ve known folk over the years who have struggled with what I’ve called clinical depression.  In some instances some medical assistance was needed to get them “over the hump”.  One lady used to speak of her ‘happy pills’ and most of us, when we reach the low points of our life wish there was some such ready fix.  “Please pass me another happy pill!”

It’s not my intention here to deal with depression.  Others, far more capable than I, have addressed that issue.  A book that is still well worth reading is Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ ‘Spiritual Depression – its causes and its cure’.

Allow me here to touch on just one matter… the issue of our feelings.  It’s helpful to realise that feelings change with the weather.  Dr Lloyd-Jones writes, “There is nothing quite so variable about us as our feelings.”  It’s in those moments when our feelings are low that we need to remind ourselves that life does not have to be controlled by our feelings.  Even when one’s health declines at a rapid rate of knots and even when friends and family fail we can still rise above out feelings.

It is a proven fact that at the end of the year unhappiness increases for many people.  The stresses and strains of winding up the year and of living up to expectations for the Christmas season puts us under enormous pressure.  And yet this season again especially draws our attention to the ultimate cause of our unhappiness.  When Jesus is not central to our life then we will always be less than happy.  The secret that all of us need to keep learning is to push feelings off centre stage and to enthrone Christ alone there at the centre of our lives.

JWW