Wayne Mack has written a helpful little book on depression and loneliness.

 

In chapter one, Mack defines and describes depression.  He separates the experience of depression into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe depression.  In the first two chapters he describes each category and then offers examples from Scripture of men and women who fit those descriptions.

 

In chapter three Mack discusses the causes of depression.  Generally speaking, depression is caused by sin.  We live in a sinful world, and because we do, depression is something everyone will have to battle at some level.  More specifically, depression can have three causes.  A person may be depressed because he refuses to deal with sin and guilt biblically, mishandles a difficult event, or has unbiblical standards.

 

Chapter four provides help for those struggling with depression.  Because depression can have varying causes, the counsel must be specific to the cause.  Mack gives instruction to those with unresolved sin and guilt.  He then counsels those who have mishandled a difficult event emphasizing the need to “rejoice in the Lord always.”  Lastly, counsel is given to those who are depressed due to unbiblical thinking.  The person should seek to know Christ intimately, focus on the mind and heart (not feelings), take responsibility for his actions, gain an eternal perspective, etc.

 

Chapter five provides biblical examples of people who overcame their depression by means of the principles explained in chapter four.  Chapter six provides counsel to those who struggle with loneliness.  Mack lists four causes for loneliness and outlines five steps to take to overcome it.

 

Questions and answers form the subject for chapter seven and chapter eight gives helps for biblical counselors ministering to depressed persons.

 

Strengths

Application questions at the end of each chapter will be helpful to the reader.  A counselor could assign them as homework.

 

The book is very biblical.  Mack uses the whole canon of Scripture to help the reader understand and overcome depression.

 

The points are clear.  The causes of depression and the solutions are listed systematically.  The reader will never wonder where Mack is going.  This is especially important for those desiring to give good, clear counsel to those confused and depressed. 

 

The questions and answers in chapter seven anticipate well the reader’s questions.  Short, but adequate answers are given.

 

The “additional notes for the counselor” hits the nail on the head.  All the salient points are discussed succinctly for the counselor for quick reference.

 

Weaknesses

The examples of depressed men and women in Scripture each assigned to one Mack’s three categories seem arbitrary.  It is always difficult to fit the biblical text into our own categories.  That being said, I believe Mack understands this.  He is simply helping us see how (1) There are many examples of men and women in Scripture with varying degrees of depression, (2) The counselor must be careful as he tries to show a depressed person how he compares with depressed persons in Scripture.

 

I would like to see more thorough exposition of specific texts.  When I give counsel to people, I would rather have them walk away with a thorough understanding a few texts than a shallow understanding of a whole bunch of texts.  As I am an advocate of expository preaching, so I am of expository counseling.  Mack would want people to have this thorough understanding too, of course.  But, he does not provide as much help for the counselor to prepare a more thorough exposition.

 

Conclusion

I highly recommend this book.  There is a lot of good help.  Wayne Mack is thoroughly biblical and practical.