In his book, Out of the Blues: Dealing with the Blues of Depression and Loneliness, Wayne Mack provides practical, down-to-earth advice that displays his many years of experience in giving thoroughly biblical counsel. Considering the subject at hand, he notes that this book is not just for those who suffer from depression but also for those who wish to help them.
In an attempt to provide hope and encouragement to both of the audiences of this book, Mack writes, “I have approached this task with the conviction that an all-knowing God has given us in His Word everything we need for living and for godliness and that the ‘everything we need’ includes what we need to understand and defeat depression and loneliness” (introduction).
He begins by acknowledging three different levels of depression and the reality that everyone suffers what he calls “mild depression”—discouragement, disappointment, sorrow—from time to time. This sadness is an inevitable response to the hardships of life. In fact, Jesus himself experienced this feeling. “The Scripture reveals that as long as we do not lose hope, there is nothing wrong with feeling the emotional down of sad and difficult events in our lives” (p. 8).
The second level,
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