Let’s Examine “I’m Bummed” Further April 28, 2010

Yesterday we posted an excerpt from an excellent article found in the Journal of Biblical Counseling. If you didn’t read it, you might want to do that before continuing with today’s post. You’ll find it HERE!

Let’s continue.

In speaking about the term “I’m Bummed”, the author examines it further:

“Notice some other things about this term. First, it’s vague; the emotion described could be many things — depression, anger, hopelessness, sorrow, grief, resentment, conviction, self-pity. Second, the explanation for why we feel this way is inadequate. The focus is almost exclusively on the situation; no attention is given to other inward thoughts or states that lead us to be bummed. We might diagram it thus: Situation > Emotion. The crucial middle term is omitted: Situation > Person > Emotion. This is neutralization again! By omitting the “person” term, it makes no difference whether the situation happens to a believer or an unbeliever; to Jesus Himself or the worst sinner. Right and wrong cease to be categories that we think about. This is not nearly as true with the more specific terms listed above. When a person says he is grieving over his father’s death, we know he is sad because he has experienced a loss; The reaction is good. If he said he was hopeless, depressed, or self-pitying over this death, we should have a different response! Specific terms give us crucial information about the person. We know better how to respond and bring biblical perspective. The world misses this completely. When someone is “bummed,” they can offer only contentless sympathy and a powerless “hope-so” for improved circumstances. There is no hope of real life change, no way it can be better next time.”

How many times when someone has told me that they were bummed because of such and such a situation, I listened and offered a lame, “I hope tomorrow’s better!” response. And I had no idea that this was missing a rich opportunity for biblical fellowship. Or worse, how often I have allowed myself to be bummed about something and missed a great opportunity to repent of unbiblical thinking.

Tomorrow we’ll take a final look at this article as the author takes us to one of my favorite places! Where? You’ll have to come back to find out!