Navigating Mental Illness Through a Christian Lens
When do we stop with compassionate care and encourage someone to seek mental health help? As Christians, we can offer support and understanding to those who are mentally ill. We can even walk alongside them and hold their hand as they struggle with mental illness. No one ever sets out to become mentally ill. Just as no one ever sets out to become homeless or an addict.
What happens when that person is a family member, and they’re trying to tell you that you’re the one who is mentally ill? What do we do then? Do we abandon the person? Do we seek to help ourselves? These are some of the common questions and answers to typical questions that people dealing with a mentally ill family member or friend deal with on a daily basis.
Understanding Mental Illness
Discussing the importance of education about different mental health conditions, breaking down the various stigmas, and recognizing that mental illness is not a sign of spiritual weakness or deficiency. By contrast, it’s a sign of strength and resiliency. Seeking help when you’re not feeling strong is one of the best moves a person can make.
There is nothing wrong with needing help. Needing help doesn’t make a person weak. It doesn’t mean that you can’t get through life without a crutch. It means that you recognize that you need some help and are not ashamed to ask for it when needed. People who reach out for help are actually stronger than they realize.
Mental illness strikes all walks of life. It can manifest itself in childhood, or it may wait until a person is older. It doesn’t matter what religion you are; it doesn’t matter what race you are. Mental illness is more common than you think.
Biblical Perspectives
While the Bible doesn’t come out and directly say mental illness, it is understood that mental illness has evolved over the course of time. However, a few passages in the Bible touch upon the topic and offer us some perspective that may be relevant.
As we read through Matthew 11:28-30, We are invited to take rest and lean on others if we are weary and burdened. God designed us to be social and care for one another. As we go through life, we are also encouraged to spend our time with like-minded people.
In James 5:15-16, we can read that if we pray in faith for our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord will raise them up. He will forgive their sins. Confessing our sins to one another and praying with one another will go far in helping someone with a mental illness recognize their need for help. We are also told in the Bible that we should pray for healing.
It’s important to note that nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to stop taking medication. Having worked with many mentally ill people over the years, this is a common misnomer. We are instructed to walk in faith, and if we’re prescribed medication for a specific medical condition, we should continue taking said medication until a physician instructs us that we no longer need the medication.
Self-Care And Self-Reflection
It’s easy to become caught up in changing the world. Oftentimes, we get so caught up in helping others that we forget our own self-care and self-reflection. Even God took a day of rest when he created the world.
Take time to practice your own mental well-being before you try to help others. In Matthew 7:3-5 we read that we cannot help others remove the splinter from their eye before we remove the beam from our own eye. This is a good reminder that we need to take care of ourselves first. Only then will we be able to care for others?
It’s also important to understand that our suffering or someone else’s suffering isn’t always due to mental illness. Everyone goes through trials in life. The rent or mortgage may be late, the car needs repairs, or we have job loss. There are so many things in life that can cause us stress, and it’s important to take a break from stress and rejuvenate ourselves.
Different religions may interpret mental health differently. With so many spiritual beliefs and practices, it’s sometimes a matter of finding the right path of religious traditions that give strength and comfort during our trials. Keep in mind that religious activities are not a substitute for professional medical care. It’s still important to seek appropriate support and treatment from qualified professionals.
Destigmatizing Mental Illness
As Christians, it’s up to us to help destigmatize mental illness. It’s important to recognize that it’s not up to us to judge others. We can work toward a supportive church community where everyone feels safe. This community should also allow others to share their personal struggles free from judgment.
Fostering a community of acceptance isn’t always easy. There will always be those who are uncomfortable and choose to exclude those in need. This offers our church community the chance for growth and change. There is no perfect church.
Love Others
Have you ever walked into a church where everyone greeted you with love regardless of who you were? I’m reminded of the man who sat in the back of a church one Sunday. He was disheveled and looked for all practical purposes like a street person who was homeless. It was also the Sunday when the new Pastor was to be presented to the church.
Everyone in the church was dressed nicely and ready to greet the new Pastor. Many were frowning at this man who sat in the back looking disheveled. Some were concerned about “What will the new pastor think when he sees someone like this in our midst?” Very few greeted this man.
After an opening prayer and song, the deacons walked to the front of the church to introduce the new Pastor to the congregation. Everyone was looking around in anticipation.
As the new Pastor’s name was announced. The disheveled stranger stood and walked to the front of the church. He gave his sermon on welcoming others and not being judgmental. Feeding the hungry. Clothing the homeless. Helping others when they ask for help. Who will you be when someone around you is mentally ill? Who will you be when you see a homeless person in your congregation?
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