Funk

You may have heard someone described as being “in a funk”. I think originally a “funk” was a bad smell, especially a musty or moldy smell. Now, it’s used most often to mean, “A dejected, sad, or unmotivated mood.”

I’m pretty sure you know exactly what it means. I know I do. Not really depressed, but maybe dejected or discouraged about something, maybe linked to sadness, definitely unmotivated. You’ve been there. Discouraged and unmotivated, and feeling like you don’t really know why.

The “Sons of Korah” understood it. Three times in Psalms 42 and 43 they ask, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” You know this—feeling downcast, asking why, trying to talk to yourself about it.

Checking multiple translations, in place of “cast down” we find “dejected”, “discouraged”, “sad”, so on. Yep, we’re talking about the same thing.

In American slang, we’re asking, “Why am I in such a funk? I’ve got no reason to be.”

Maybe we should listen to the guy (or guys) who wrote the two psalms—which appear to belong together as one. The songwriter(s) feel really separated from God. On top of that, people around them taunt them, “Where is your God?” But he (they) deliberately bring to mind that in the past they’ve happily rejoiced in God and His salvation. Then the question, “What’s wrong with me now, that I’m so downcast?”

Turns out, he (they) know the solution, which they immediately state: “Put your hope in God!” It wasn’t ever that they didn’t know this, or didn’t believe it. It’s just this very human emotional thing that brings us down, sometimes with no explanation. But we do know the answer, right? We know the answer is to trust and hope in God. The full sentence provided by the Sons of Korah: “Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:5 CSB)

You see? They know they will come out of the funk, they know they will again praise God. Things don’t look good right now (he goes on). It seems like God has forgotten him. But he knows that’s not right. We can tell it’s an effort of will, but as he talks to himself here, he reminds himself: This isn’t forever, I will again rejoice and praise God. When? When my prayer is answered: “Send your light and your truth; let them lead me.” (43:3) His light, His truth will lead us out of the funk. We knew this. But it helps to be reminded by someone else who’s been there.

Love, Paul