General Principles
We are all aware that the treatment of disease can be complicated, even if we are considering mainly physical disease. It is not enough to treat only the body, for we know that the spirit, soul and body interact in well-recognized, if poorly understood, ways. Scripture tells us that “a joyful heart promoteth healing; but a broken spirit drieth up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren. (Proverbs 17:2)2 JnD). Likewise, we read, “The spirit of a man sustaineth his infirmity; but a broken spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:1414The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear? (Proverbs 18:14) JND). So the nonphysical and physical influence each other, either for good or bad. This principle is well-known in medical circles and in the world at large. Even in simple illnesses like the common cold, studies have shown that happy, well-adjusted people have fewer colds and of shorter duration than those who are unhappy or under stress.
It is the same for mental illness, for we have seen that, in most cases, spirit, soul and body are all involved. All the various factors responsible must be considered and identified, and treatment will not be effective without this. Most mental illnesses have some physical component, and thus it is a mistake to view all mental disorders as spiritual problems. On the other hand, it is an even greater mistake to view the whole problem as physical, for while medication can treat what is physical, it has no moral effect and can never reach into the soul or spirit.
A most important point must be made here, namely, that there is a spiritual dimension to every case of mental illness. There are several reasons for this. In the first place, we must recognize that God allowed it, just as He allows physical illnesses. The acceptance of it and the recognition of God’s hand in allowing it is the first step in dealing with the problem. Second, because man is a moral being with a responsibility toward God, there are moral and spiritual issues that affect mental illness. The spirit, soul and body interact with one another, and when abnormal behavior occurs, sometimes sinful behavior is involved (or potentially involved) too. Finally, there is the need to recognize the problem of mental illness, and not deny it. As with all sin in the flesh, man has a tendency to excuse, to deny, to blame others, and perhaps even to blame God. An individual afflicted with mental illness may have the tendency to view himself as normal and others as abnormal. Such a denial of the problem makes for a most unhappy life, as no treatment can have any long-term effect in these people. Of course, these spiritual dimensions can all be present with physical illness too, but we would suggest that they are often present to a greater degree in mental illness and are thus more important.
In considering treatment, we will frequently refer to Scripture. While the comments made will be generally applicable to all who experience mental illness, we wish to make it clear that we are going to use the Word of God freely, as writing for the benefit of those who know the Lord and who have trusted Him as their Saviour. For those that read this who may not know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, we would point out that the only remedy for sin is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. At Calvary’s cross He satisfied God as to the whole matter of sin, and now we read that “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). On this basis we read that God “now commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:3030And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: (Acts 17:30)). He wants you to know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour today and know that your sins are forgiven!
The Lord, the Great Physician
“Whatever your state, come to Jesus, and you will find that He is always gracious, that He has always grace. ...
“He was despised for it — faithful in love going through all the scene of man, because He was the faithful Witness, that grace may come to me where I am ashamed to be seen of men: there Christ comes to seek me out, determined to be the faithful Witness of God, who is rich in mercy.
“You cannot be in any condition that Christ did not come into. He plunged into the very sea of men’s misery to help you out. It is a comfort to get man’s sympathy, but he often cannot help us. What is it to get God’s sympathy, which has power in it?”
Our Sympathizing High Priest
We have already referred to the Lord Jesus as having passed through every kind of suffering and difficult circumstance that a sinless man could go through, even that perfect depression that came from contemplating and eventually going through His sufferings on the cross. We saw how He accepted it all from His Father and thus, in perfection, continued in communion with His Father in it all. As a result of going through all this, He is now able to be a “merciful and faithful High Priest” to those who are also experiencing the difficulties of the Christian path. Of course, it would be blasphemous to suggest that our blessed Lord Jesus ever suffered from any illness from within, whether physical or mental, but in passing through all the circumstances we may be called upon to pass through, He experienced from without all the evil that was in the world. Because of His holy nature and because of His love, He felt it all as no other could. It was common for men to lose their reason as the result of a Roman scourging, yet the Lord Jesus endured it all and “witnessed a good confession” before Pilate afterward. We have already noted that in Matthew 26:3737And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. (Matthew 26:37) (JND), it says that the Lord Jesus became “sorrowful and deeply depressed” in the garden of Gethsemane, showing that He felt very much the prospect of being made sin for us. Yet He could, at the same time, think of the spiritual welfare of others, telling His disciples to pray that they should not enter into temptation. So our blessed Lord is there for us, not as One who has not experienced any of our trials, but who was tested in all that we are passing through, although without sin. He wants us to come to Him with our infirmities and weaknesses, in order to obtain mercy and grace to help us when we need them.
While we would not want to suggest that mental illness is allowed of God simply to make us more dependent on the Lord, yet it is true that the unique nature of a mental disorder casts us on the Lord in a way that perhaps mere physical disease does not. Someone has remarked that He reserves His richest cordials (stimulants) for our deepest needs. Thus we would suggest that the Lord wants us to approach Him first with our difficulties, first of all in submission and acceptance of the problem from Him, and then in a spirit of asking for His help in the matter. Ultimately only He can heal, and only He can direct as to what additional forms of treatment we should seek out. We cannot emphasize this too strongly, for while man can often give relief from the symptoms of both physical and mental illness, ultimately the only remedy for sin is found at the cross. All other forms of treatment must be viewed in this light.
He Gives Grace
If the problem stems mainly from a hereditary tendency to a particular behavioral disorder, He can give us the grace to take it from Him and to live for His glory in spite of it. He can show us what kinds of treatment might be helpful and can help us order our lives so as to be able to cope with the problem.
If the matter involves difficult circumstances, perhaps from stress in the family or the workplace, He wants us to roll the burden over on Him. He has said, “Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:77Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:7)). He will give us the grace to bear the difficult circumstances, for He has experienced the same. Just as He glorified the Father in the most trying of circumstances, so He wants to give us the grace to do so too. If some change in our circumstances would be helpful in alleviating the stress, He will show us how to do it. This is not to say that He will necessarily take away the source of the problem, but in bringing the matter before Him we can look for and expect His sympathy and guidance. He can help us not to “break” under the weight of the circumstances, but rather give us the strength to be overcomers.
Suffering as a Result of Willful Sin
Even if we have caused some of the problem by our own willfulness and sin, let us remember that if we come to the Lord about it, He will always meet us in love. I knew a man (now with the Lord) who had wasted his early life and who suffered from permanent brain damage as a result of the long-term abuse of alcohol. He was obliged to spend the rest of his life in an institution, and his attitude and behavior initially made it most difficult for the staff there to manage him. But then he accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, and although his mental capacities were still very limited and his behavior not totally normal, the change in him was remarkable. He was easy to manage, always wore a smile, loved to talk about the Lord, and took a prominent part in hymn sings that were occasionally held at the place where he lived. He eventually passed away at a relatively young age, but he was surely a case where “though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:1616For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16)).
If there is sin in our life that is contributing to the problem, we can bring it before the Lord and deal with it. Much of the stress in our lives stems from this, and perhaps we do not even realize it. Again, we would place strong emphasis on this point. Many dear believers are indeed trying to walk as children of light. As we fail to produce the fruit of that light, we may become disillusioned because we are driven from deep within by that of which we have been unaware. Perhaps we have rightly understood salvation as a free gift, but have not understood that we are to work it out with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:1212Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)). We have not understood properly that sanctification (being set apart for Christ) is a process as well as a position. Thus we tend to press on in terms of managing behavior rather than by the renewing of the mind (Romans 12:22And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)). Instead of really changed behavior, the result is rather repression of the flesh instead of death to it. We control evil tendencies while allowing them to remain in a storehouse of the heart. Then, when behavior erupts which is not Christlike, we strive all the more to control the behavior or rebuke the devil (who had to have raw material to work with even if he did trigger the behavior), instead of dealing with the real root of the problem.
Dealing With Sin—the Root
There are many verses in the Bible that show us clearly that the blood of Christ has put the believer’s sins away. In scriptures like Romans 6, the question of sin is dealt with, in its root and principle. There we get the further truth that in the death of Christ, God saw the moral end of the natural man. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6)). God never forgives the old nature — death is the only remedy for it. Because of the death of Christ, we are now able to obey the command to “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:1111Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)). Since the believer who is “in Christ” has died to sin too, he is entitled to take this position practically, for he has been placed there positionally through the death of Christ. As we have mentioned, the practical realization of this is a progressive thing in the believer’s life. We must be ready to give up on ourselves as to our sinful nature, if Christ is to live in us. When we were saved, we had to come to the end of ourselves, realizing our complete inability to get rid of our sins by ourselves. In the Christian life we must also realize the total ruin of the “old man” (what we are as members of a fallen race) if we are to walk as Christians in the right way. As long as we focus on merely controlling bad behavior, we will never realize any permanent relief from willful sin.
In saying all these things, we would reiterate what was mentioned previously, namely, that sin allowed in our lives is only one contributing cause of mental illness. We dwell on it a little here because it is a major contributing factor that is probably more widespread than we realize, and it is not always appreciated for what it really is. On the other hand, we would not want the reader to deduce from these comments that we are implying that all mental illness is due to willful sin. Rather, we are saying that it is a factor that must be considered and, if present, must be dealt with.
Moral Responsibility
Connected with this truth is the important principle that we have mentioned earlier, namely, that we are always morally responsible for the motives of our behavior. We cannot blame sinful behavior on some biological disturbance in the brain. Likewise, we cannot blame it on difficult circumstances or some bad experience in the past, as if we were not responsible for what we do. (Unhappily, there is much of this excusing of bad behavior in the world today.) Nor can we excuse our failure to be Christlike by taking refuge in our bodily aches and pains, as if we could not help it. As we have said earlier, surely mental and physical illnesses can make us more vulnerable to an attack of Satan and thus make it easier to sin, but we cannot use this as an excuse for wrong behavior.
Our behavior may be simply abnormal and thus somewhat objectionable to ourselves and to other people, and sometimes it may be clearly sinful. As we have already noted, sometimes the line between the two is a fine one. Ultimately, only the Lord knows perfectly all the factors that have contributed to our altered mental state and perhaps abnormal behavior. In the Lord’s presence we can open up our hearts to Him who knows all things and who cares for us as a shepherd cares for His sheep. We read in Isaiah 53:44Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4), “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows,” and surely this includes the sorrows of mental illness as well as the grief that we may have experienced. William Kelly comments on this verse in a helpful way:
“He was here below in grace, passing through a ruined, needy, sorrow-stricken world, ready to help any that came, all that were brought, demonized or sick; and a word was enough for the worst. Thus was fulfilled Isaiah 53:44Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4) (not yet the vicarious work of verse 5, et seq.). Certainly that was not sacrificial. ... It was the power that dispelled sickness from every patient in contact with Himself; and this withal as One not in unfeeling distance, but who (in love as deep as His power) took all, bore all, upon His spirit with God.”
The Grace of God
Our blessed Lord wants us to confide in Him, as the One who knows and loves us. In keeping with this, we would suggest that what is needed by the believer suffering from mental illness, more than anything else, is a deep understanding in the soul of the grace of God. We must see that God’s grace is His undeserved favor and that this was extended to us when there was nothing in us to love. When we see that He loves us in spite of our sin (sin which we brought upon ourselves by disobedience) and that He sent His Son to die for us, we realize how much love is in His heart toward us. We see more and more the truth of Romans 8:3232He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32): “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” This does not imply that God’s grace will simply remove all the pain of mental illness, any more than He removes all our physical illnesses. Rather, it shows us that the One who sent His Son to die for us that we might spend eternity with Him is surely able to help us deal with matters that have to do with our lives down here.
When we really appreciate the grace of God, we will not wallow in self-pity, become angry, or give up in despair. Rather, we will accept it from God, and as the Lord Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane, we will use the opportunity to draw closer to the Lord in communion with Him. We will seek His strength instead of meeting the difficulty in our own strength. Another has expressed it well:
“If I hear bad news ... it will make me sorrowful and cast me down, as it did Paul, who had fightings without and fears within. But though thus sorrowful, if Satan has nothing in us, the consequence of this depression will be communion with God, instead of having allowed our affections to wander; we are in the presence of God; we watch with Him in order to speak to Him; but if this is not the case, Satan will take us unawares in moments of carelessness.”
We have mentioned earlier the matter of bad experiences or hurts from the past that may warp our thinking and alter our behavior. While it may be desirable to address these things with those responsible for them, this is not always possible. I believe that we can have them out in the presence of God, and in His understanding and sympathy we can experience healing and blessing. The psalmist could say, “Because Thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee” (Psalm 63:33Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. (Psalm 63:3)). Surely to know and experience His loving-kindness is better than anything man can supply in the way of healing. We do not have to live under the awful shadow of past hurts all our lives. We need to be brought back to the cross where we see our blessed Saviour having dealt with all of this for us and where He bore the judgment of God alone so that we might be healed. In the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord Jesus went through all the agony of the cross in contemplating it, yet did so only with His Father. No one else really understood, yet the Father’s heart was sufficient for Him. Coming from that place, He could calmly face whatever the Father’s will placed before Him.
Furthermore, we need to count on the grace of God and ask Him for more of it, if we feel the need of it. Paul was given a thorn in the flesh, probably something physical, although the Spirit of God has not told us exactly what it was. At any rate, it bothered him so much that he asked the Lord three times to take it away. The Lord’s response to him was, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:99And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)). Another has remarked, “Wisdom and philosophy never found out God: He makes Himself known to us through our needs; necessity finds Him out.” No doubt Paul came to know the Lord in a way that he might not have otherwise, in the grace that was given to him in connection with that thorn in the flesh. While we would hesitate to suggest that mental illness is allowed in the lives of some in order to allow them to come to know the Lord better, yet we know that in our needs, whether physical, spiritual, mental or material, God makes Himself more precious to us if we take them to Him. Paul found, as have many other believers, that God could use him more in weakness than in his own strength, for then he had to rely more on the Lord and walk in His strength. Just as many saints of God have had to rely on the Lord’s strength because of physical illness, so the believer can go to the Lord with his mental weaknesses and disabilities, asking Him for strength to help him go on. We would suggest that many have come to know the Lord in a richer and fuller way in seeing how He can give the grace for every infirmity, even mental illness.
We conclude this section with a quotation from Romans 8. In this chapter Paul asks the question, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:3535Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)). He then goes on to show us that nothing can separate us, whether things in this life, such as tribulation, peril or sword, or whether things beyond human control, such as angels, death or things to come. I would suggest that mental illness is included in these categories.
Help From Other Believers
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:36).
It is the happy privilege of many of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to be a help to other believers from time to time, and perhaps this is most needed and appreciated in the realm of mental illness. This is true whether the disturbance is milder, as in a time of grief or stress, or whether we are dealing with a full-blown case of severe psychosis, where the individual is out of touch with reality. The verses quoted above show us clearly that God our Father is the source of all true mercies and comfort, yet He gives us the privilege of showing the same love and care for others as He has shown to us. Thus we are told in Galatians 6:22Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2), “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Physical Versus Spiritual
We have shown that mental illness commonly involves multiple factors, including the body (the brain) and the soul and spirit, as well as circumstances that may act on these. Medication and other modalities (such as electroshock treatment) may sometimes be needed to help the brain to function better, while therapy in the form of listening, interpretation and counseling are needed to help the soul and spirit. There is an important point to be made here. The physical aspects of treatment (such as the use of drugs) will need professional supervision, but for the believer, matters of the soul and spirit are best handled by other spiritual believers. Professional people (like the psychiatrist) may, of course, be helpful in diagnosing a particular illness, based on a constellation of symptoms that points to a specific disorder. He may also be most helpful in recognizing factors that may have contributed to this. But while science has discovered many things to treat malfunctions in the body (in this case the brain), it cannot address the moral behavior that is affected by a distorted soul and spirit and a disordered brain. When the illness involves the spiritual, we are out of the realm of science and into an area that needs a revelation from God.
Scripture, Psychology and Psychiatry
In this area of the spiritual, Scripture and psychology (and psychiatry) may be in conflict with one another. Scripture is a revelation from God to man and, as such, does many things beyond man’s capabilities. It gives life through the Spirit, it judges (but is not judged by man), and it communicates with man, giving to him all things which pertain unto life and godliness. Thus it feeds his soul. It explains to man his nature and his behavior, what animates him, and what controls him. Further, it tells him what his moral relationships are and what his responsibilities are in those relationships. Psychology, on the other hand, is the study of human nature without reference to God or revelation, and thus it cannot, in itself, rise above man’s observation. It cannot discover “laws” which explain the nature of the things as God has designed them: It can discover only “patterns” which have been observed to be generally true, but which do not explain the nature of the thing itself.
The Gift of a Pastor
Here is where the gift of a pastor comes in, a gift that is much needed but perhaps most rare. It is a gift that is often not appreciated as it should be. Because of the nature of pastoral work, little human glory is associated with it, for it is exercised, for the most part, behind the scenes. It is time-consuming and sometimes not appreciated even by the one for whom it is being used. Yet such a gift, properly used before the Lord, can be of inestimable value in cases of mental illness among believers. The value of such a gift is expressed as follows:
“I believe a pastor is a rare gift. ... A pastor must be like a doctor; he must know the right food, and the right medicine, and the right diagnosis, and all the pharmacopoeia, and must know how to apply it too. In one sense, it is a rare gift, and very precious.
Another has commented in a similar way:
“It seems to us that a pastor is to the soul what a doctor is to the body. He must be able to feel the spiritual pulse. He must understand disease and medicine. He must be able to tell what is the matter, and what remedies to apply. Alas! How few proper doctors there are. Perhaps they are as rare as proper pastors. It is one thing to take the title, and another thing to do the work.”
There are two difficulties in connection with the work of a pastor. We have already stated one of them, namely, the rarity of the gift. How often does one long for the heart of a true shepherd, to whom difficulties could be poured out! Even if one does have the gift of a pastor, the pressure and hurry of the days in which we live sometimes make it difficult to take the time for the real work that is needed in this way. Public teaching and ministry may be most helpful, but often miss the mark because they go over the head of the one who needs it most. It is in pastoral work that the true nature of difficulties can be found out and the right word given.
Confiding in Others
Another difficulty arises, particularly with mental illness, because believers are embarrassed and hesitant to confide in someone who knows them well and with whom, perhaps, they live and move on a regular basis. They are ashamed to admit that such a problem as mental illness exists, and perhaps they fear that they may become the subject of gossip. Unhappily, such fears are sometimes justified. As a result, believers may seek help from worldly sources instead of being helped by a true pastor.
We should be willing to confide in one another more, for Scripture tells us to “confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:1616Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)). I believe that this healing includes mental as well as physical illness. If there were more willingness to recognize such problems, confess them to one another, and pray together, I believe we would see more positive results. Such confession does not mean a kind of “grandstanding,” where we deliberately search our heart and background for as many faults as we can remember, only to broadcast them to our fellow-believers. No, that is not what the Scripture means, for God never occupies us with sin and failure except to get us to deal with it. But if a particular difficulty is present in my life, whether physical or mental, may we have the grace first to bring it before the Lord, and then to be willing to mention it to others, asking them to pray for us. Let us remember, too, that we all feel the effects of sin in our persons, in one way or another. If some have more overt difficulties than others, it is only an opportunity for the grace of God to abound.
Other Ways to Be a Help
In considering the help we can give to others, we should not feel helpless even if we do not have the gift of a pastor. There are many forms that such help can take, and the degree of help that one can offer will be determined not only by the individual’s gift, but also by his maturity and wisdom in spiritual things. This in turn will greatly depend on how closely he is walking with the Lord. Just as “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:1616Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)), so a believer who is living close to the Lord will have His mind and be much more help in such situations than one who is merely intelligent in a natural sense. Also, as we have seen from the scriptures already quoted from 2 Corinthians 1:36, it is often the one who has been through difficulties himself who can relate to another who is passing through a similar trial. This is not to say that we need to experience mental illness in order to be able to help another believer who has this problem, but it does make us realize that those who have gone through trials with the Lord are often more equipped to help others than those who may have had an easier pathway.
The help given can take different forms. Sometimes the simple concern and companionship of another, with the knowledge that others are praying for him, can be of immeasurable help to someone who is suffering from mental illness. Probably some of what passes for mental illness in this world is related to the lack (or perceived lack) of love and understanding on the part of others, and the care and expressed concern of others will often go a long way toward relieving the symptoms. We must be willing to be a good listener, to accept the person (not his sin), and pray both with and for him. Of course, wisdom must be used in this, and an understanding of the individual’s particular problem will dictate how help can be given. For example, people who are depressed are generally helped most by short visits from those who are upbeat and positive, while being serious and able to commiserate with the person about how he feels. They are not helped by long visits and lengthy exhortations from Scripture.
If we feel that we know and understand the individual more deeply and can spend more time with him, then we may be able gently to probe the difficulties or background that may be contributing to the problem. This requires much wisdom and dependence on the Lord, for such counseling is a serious thing to undertake and should not be entered into lightly. We have already seen that mental illness is complicated, and treatment must be approached with caution. In seeking to help someone in this situation, we should be careful not to make definite statements about them and their illness unless we are very sure of where we are taking the discussion. Much harm has been done by those who, having only a simplistic and unbalanced view of mental illness, have made quick judgments and rash statements. As a result, sometimes thoughtless and naive counsel is given rather than godly wisdom. Rather, it is better to ask questions, drawing out the person and leading his thoughts so that eventually he will see for himself the point that needs to be made. Knowledge of the Word of God is needed and the spiritual maturity to apply it correctly, but this too comes with guidance from the Lord. Often He can give us a definite scripture and thought to lay before someone that will address the problem and bring them into the Lord’s presence. Our aim should be, not to have dominion over their faith, but rather to be helpers of their joy. (See 2 Corinthians 1:2424Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. (2 Corinthians 1:24).)
Often individuals suffering from mental illness will need to be “carried” for some time, as they may seem to improve, then relapse into similar disordered thinking and behavior again. We must not let them go too soon, and we must be ready to help again if the problem returns. Those with more severe illnesses may have to be carried to some extent all their lives.
Bearing Burdens and Being Leeches
In dealing with this bearing of burdens, we must distinguish between bearing one another’s burdens and allowing people to become “leeches.” The word for “burden” in Galatians 6:22Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2) has the thought of a heavy, intolerable stress or weight that requires help in order to be carried, while the word translated “burden” in verse 5 of the same chapter is a different word, having the thought of that which is the normal and proper responsibility of the individual. There are things in life that are properly our own responsibility and should not be pushed over onto others. A leech continually sucks out the strength of another, while never giving anything. Some believers are unwilling to pay the price of personal prayer and spiritual discipline in order to maintain their emotional and spiritual well-being, and thus they end up continually drawing on the strength of others. Such behavior is a taking which prevents giving and ultimately is of the flesh. Occasionally such behavior may have to be rebuked. But for the most part, those with mental illness will be able to function, but they may need help from time to time. It is a privilege to be able to give such help!
We may sum up our observations as follows: On the part of the one suffering from mental illness, he must be willing to admit the problem, just as with physical illness. Those in denial about their illness will not be able to be helped very much. Once the problem is admitted, the individual must be willing to accept help, realizing that God has provided the help for him. It is gratifying to our natural hearts to say, “I can handle it myself; I do not need help.” But if God has provided help for us, let us accept it. Finally, the individual must be willing to help himself. Help may be needed, but it should ultimately be with the objective of being able to manage with as little help as possible. Of course, there are severe mental illnesses where this may not always be possible, but it should always be the objective.
We have spoken about therapy for the soul and spirit; now let us talk a little about therapy for the body — the brain.