Continuing my series on ministry and mental illness, I want to focus on a glaring need in the church and culture. One big mistake people make when trying to help sufferers is thinking that they understand what someone is going through when they suffer from depression, anxiety and mental illness. These issues are very complex and often involve more than one cause and effect. Just as a plate full of spaghetti has many strands, the cause of mental illness is often hard to diagnose and manage for sufferers. One must humble himself or herself to truly help a sufferer. Humility is strength and a heart of wisdom naturally flows from a humble posture. In my experience, and that of many others, depression has been a difficult foe to battle. Furthermore, it is a multi-faceted struggle which is anything but simple.
Spiritual Depression
Sufferers need caregivers to understand that depression is not an easy struggle, nor is it easily understandable. If I could go back in time and tell caregivers what I needed during my times of darkness I would tell them this: Stop trying to fix me. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all issue. Have some compassion. Learn to listen. Be present over the long haul. Spiritual depression is an issue which is common in Scripture and many deal with it who are believers and unbelievers alike. The battlefield of the mind is the primary battleground which Satan wages war on those afflicted by depression. In Scripture, King Saul was afflicted by a “harmful spirit” from the Lord and David’s music playing was the only thing that brought relief (1 Sam. 16:14-23). King David, Jeremiah and Job dealt with spiritual depression brought on by circumstances in the Old Testament. Satan harassed the Apostle Paul with a “thorn in the flesh” which haunted him during his ministry (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Perhaps is was depression or some physical ailment. Paul longed to be free from it. Most Christians deal with a bout of spiritual depression at some point during their lives. Even the great 19th century preacher Charles Spurgeon had intense brushes with depression.
Medical Depression and Bad Advice
Conversely, there are other causes for mental illness. Chemical imbalance and an overload of stress or a traumatic life event can cause someone to plummet into a bout of depression. It’s not always a spiritual cause, therefore a one-size-fits-all spiritual solution is not sufficient in many cases. This is a blind spot in the modern counseling approaches in the church. There are times when depression is primarily a medical issue, or clinical depression. I have experienced this a few times in my life. A traumatic life event as well as stress from school caused my mind to crash like an overloaded computer during my sophomore year of high school. I had to fight deep sadness and dark, suicidal thoughts. This physical cause led to spiritual effects for sure but it was not a simple solution. I was put on medication that helped over time. “Just read your Bible more. Just pray more,” were unhelpful words from well-meaning friends. Even better, “there must be some sin in your life.” Not only did I feel depressed. I felt GUILTY about feeling depressed! What a shame it was that those friends, pastors, and biblical counselors that tried to help actually hurt me in the process. I needed hope. Instead I felt guilty and ashamed.
A Call to Do Better
Friends, we can do better. We can do better as a church. We can be what sufferers need: a refuge from the storm, a beacon of light, an ambassador of hope. Instead of killing joy, let’s lift up their eyes to their heavenly hope. Let’s also encourage medical help for pervasive cases and stop acting like we have all the answers. This alone could save many lives! As christians, counselors and pastors, we can do better. Let’s offer hope and healing instead of heaping shame on sufferers. As Solomon wrote in Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” May we extend healing grace and humble care to sufferers with shattered minds and broken hearts.
Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash
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