A mom walks into our office, with her 3 kids in tow. She's here for a consult about her 8 year old. She asks to speak privately with the doctor first, without "little ears" around. In tears, she begins to tell the doctor how her precious 8 year old, now in 3rd grade, is starting to get in trouble at school. She is getting daily emails from the teacher...he can't sit still, he's easily distracted, he can't focus, he can't finish his work, he daydreams, he is failing math...the teacher is at her wits end. She suggested a consult with the pediatrician. The mom goes on to say that this behavior is going on at home too...he doesn't follow directions, homework time is a disaster, he's unruly and disobedient, and he's constantly picking on his younger siblings. She needs help!
A common diagnosis for kids such as this one is A.D.D., or Attention Deficit Disorder. Typically suspicions of this diagnosis surface when children are school age. They have a hard time focusing, are distracted easily by external stimuli, get frustrated easily when things get hard, and have a difficult time learning. If they have the "hyperactivity" component (ADHD), they fidget, can't sit still, talk out of turn, are impulsive, need constant redirection, etc.
Many times, these kids are not happy children. They begin to have a low self esteem because they feel like failures. Teachers and parents are constantly getting onto them for not paying attention. Everything is a confrontation. In order to help these children, new and innovative teaching strategies are tried, individualized education plans are encouraged, but most of the time, a medication is necessary to help with focusing and learning.
Sometimes, but not always, children are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, but in reality, their symptoms are simply a product of poor training at home. They are raised on television and video games, external stimuli that are constantly bombarding their brains. They get to school and can't sit still to focus on a simple "boring" math lesson. If it's not flashy, fast paced, colorful and creative, it fails to capture their attention. Teaching simple math becomes overwhelming and complicated because these children haven't been trained to sit still, listen, problem solve and think for themselves.
I can't help but think that S.A.D.D. is a very real diagnosis amongst Christians today...Spiritual Attention Deficit Disorder. Ironically, that's why many of us are SAD and lacking JOY!
We are so easily DISTRACTED...
Our smart phones capture our attention from early morning till late at night. We feed on our Facebook newsfeed more than we feed on the Word. We text our friends more than we focus on the Text. We choose entertainment over enlightenment. We tweet about our details instead of tweaking our deficits. We fill the sound waves of our cars with NPR, Rush Limbaugh, or a myriad of other opinions, instead of sitting in silence, seeking God's opinion. We run through our day, feeling weary and overwhelmed. And then we wonder, "Where is all that joy I was promised!"
In our world of instant gratification, there's GOT to be a quick fix for this SADDness, right?
Some of us run to the doctor for answers. We are given an antidepressant to help us feel better, not realizing that the only remedy for this kind of SADDness is not found in a pill bottle! (Note: There is true depression, caused by a chemical imbalance, where medication is required and necessary. This is not that.)
Others self medicate with alcohol, nicotine, or drugs, numbing the SADDness and providing temporary relief from feelings of failure and inadequacy, only to find that they are just that...temporary! Finding joy and relief in a bottle or a joint is a lie from Satan himself, who masquerades as an angel of light. His only goal is to get a person hooked and coming back for more...Make no mistake, he seeks to steal, kill and destroy...period!
Still others think performance is the answer. "If I do enough, love enough, pray enough, read enough, give enough...then I will experience joy!" This pill of performance wears off as soon as we quit doing, because enough is never enough! So we go back for more...just like alcohol or drugs, this too can be very addictive! But busyness as a remedy only leads to burnout, unless the prescriber is the Great Physician himself.
And then there are others who blame their sadness on every one else or make a million excuses to justify their SADDness. "It's my parent's fault, my bosses' fault, my husband's fault, my kids' fault...it's not my fault!" Shifted blame and lack of personal responsibility will only lead to more sadness!
The bottom line is there's only one remedy for this SADDness that placates so many of us. It is not found on the internet, a list of "to do's", a pill or a bottle. It is ONLY found sitting at the feet of Jesus, waiting on him, listening to his voice, and allowing his word to change the "chemistry" and the "wrong thinking" in our brains.
It is found in swallowing our pride instead of a pill, and allowing Jesus to teach us the simple life lessons!
The interesting thing about ADD/ADHD meds, is that you have to take the pill at the same time every morning. It's not like some meds that build up in your system, where the effects are still there if you skip a day or even two. The effects only last for a few hours. Some are "long acting", meaning their efficacy is about 8-12 hours, while others are "short acting", lasting only 3-4 hours. Sometimes, a long acting medicine is prescribed, and then a short acting one is given in the afternoon, to help with focus during homework crunch time.
What if we got a daily dose of Jesus at the same time every morning? First thing...before all the distractions start barraging our minds and vying for our attention. How about a booster dose mid afternoon to help maintain our focus during some of the most challenging times of our day?
The other interesting thing about these meds is that they suppress the appetite...hmmm, I think we might be onto something! Do you think a daily dose of Jesus might help suppress our appetite for all the other junk that we allow to fill us up?
"Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God!" (Ps. 42:5)
"Let the morning bring me hope of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you." (Ps. 143:8)
God is so GOOD...He is God Over Our Diagnosis"...even this one! He can and will turn our SADDness into joy....When HE is in it, IT'S GOOD!!
