Paul Washer on Jay Adams...on Depression

Recently, I watched the following short video of Paul Washer being interviewed on the subject of young pastors "idolizing" celebrity pastors. Tangentally, Washer mentioned a few of the men whose ministries have really blessed him and how he has learned from them - Jay Adams included. (As many of you know, Jay Adams is the founder of biblical counseling and the founder of NANC). He has written too many books to mention, but his writing has been extremely helpful to me, and thousands of others, in understanding where secular psychology falls flat and how God's Word is sufficient for the believer to overcome all manner of problems (especially those stemming from sin).

Rev. Paul Washer, or "Brother Paul" as he prefers to be called, is a deeply intense, strikingly humble and self-deprecating young pastor who has gained quite a following in recent years due to his radical call for repentance and uncompromised preaching of the Gospel. He has an incredible burden both for the lost and for the Church. Each time he opens his mouth, you sense the love, compassion, and sense of urgency as he pleads with people to recognize their lostness and the futility of a "cross-less" Christianity.

So it did not shock me when Brother Paul admitted in this interview (disclosing his own "clay feet") that he has struggles with depression. His overwhelming passion to know Christ and Him crucified belies an unusually intense personality. Seeing the way he speaks, the authentic emotion that carries itself into his message, and the depth of his love for people (enough to tell them hard truths), it is not surprising that he would be given to periods of melancholy (much like Charles Spurgeon was). It was extremely edifying to see him, in a few brief minutes, point to the Bible's answer to depression - paraphrasing Adams, who has laid out the Scriptural principals so clearly, so many times. He didn't endorse the man-centric solution "I just try to feel good about myself".

I have great respect for both Paul Washer and Jay Adams for their uncompromising commitment to live, and preach, to God's glory. I appreciate them for their humility, transparency, compassion, and constant teaching of the Truth - even when the world doesn't want to hear it.



"What I have learned from Jay Adams...the greatest thing is to be able to discern when I am believing a lie; something that is not true; that doesn't conform to God's Word, and then to preach it to myself. Instead of letting my heart preach to me, I want to preach God's Word to my heart, and stand on the realities of God's Word rather than on feelings.

Another thing that has been very helpful... is that so many things that would cause us to pity and coddle a man, instead of allowing that...the man should be rebuked - because he's believing a lie. So many things that seem to be where we treat ourselves as pitiful victims; when in actuality we're "filthy criminals" and just facing that....facing that with the Word of God and repenting.

Another thing that I think is very, very good is that it is not enough to say "no" to the flesh; to say "no" to an evil practice, but to substitute that evil practice with the doing of good; with virtue. It's not just "putting off"; but it's "putting on". And much of that has been very, very helpful." --- Paul Washer