Mental Health...Medication...and the Christian response

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It's always been a month that I hold near and dear to me. If you're someone who knows me, I've told my story endless times. The short version is I've dealt with mental illness since I was 6 years old. I have dealt with it my entire life in a family that doesn't understand, accept, or believe in mental illness. 

I spent most of my early adulthood comparing my mental illness to my mother's diabetes...comparing my having to take medication to her having to take medication. It never sunk in. 

I've also spent my life dealing with so-called believers in Christ who do not believe mental illness is real. 

It took me until last year to accept that medication is okay and that it does not deny the sovereignty of God. 

It took me until last year to have people in my life who are Christians who do believe in the reality of mental illness and who do believe in the necessity of good mental health. 

I tried twice to remove myself from medication because I thought taking medicine was taking away the holiness of God. 

Wrong-o!

So what exactly DOES the bible say about mental illness? Is it because of the sin in my life? Is it because of demons (as some believe)? 

To be honest illness in many ways is because of the fall of man. 

So yes...mental illness is because of sin. 

Not necessarily my own sin, though. 

There are many instances in the Bible where we see people suffering from despair, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. 

King David (Psalm 38:4), Job (Job 3:26), Elijah (1 Kings 19:4), and Jonah (Jonah 4:3). 

All suffered from depression. 

The Lord, however, answered them in His way. 

God has also given people in our lives the ability to create medication...and He's given us the ability to think and know that if we need medication for something, we should take it. 

It took 20 years to figure out the best medications for me. 

It wasn't easy. 

I do believe medication should be taken alongside counseling. 

I went off and on to a secular counselor--and then most recently to a biblical counselor. There's a major difference and a huge success rate with them coinciding. 

I've had people ask me, "can you tell a difference when you don't take your medicine?"

Yes. 

100% yes. 

Just like anyone who is sick...once a person stops taking their needed medications there is a difference. Maybe not after a day or 2, but in time the symptoms of the illness do show up again...sometimes worse than they did before treatment. 

My whole point in this post is that mental health should be taken seriously. Just like any other illness. And being a Christian does not negate mental illness. 

Being a Christian does not cause immunity to mental illness. 

It is real. It requires treatment. 

It is OKAY to seek treatment. 

It is OKAY to take medicine. 

It is OKAY to ask for help!

Almost 26 years after my first diagnosis with mental illness...I've finally found my voice on the issue. Not only have I found my voice--but WITH medication and WITH counseling and WITH constant surrender to the Lord, I finally feel healthy. 

Friends...if you know someone who is struggling, point them in the right direction. 

And if you need help finding the right direction, let me know...we'll talk...and I'll give you my own recommendations on good counseling and psychiatry. 

Take care of yourselves, friends, especially during this pandemic. 

What is God's response to COVID-19?

We are living in a time where people are fearful of what's going on in our world...a time that we really didn't see coming, didn't imagine coming...a time where we have said in the past "that'll never happen to us" or "well it's in other parts of the world, it won't reach the US". 
We have questions. We think that having questions is showing lack of faith, but as my pastor preached this morning through Habakkuk, having questions is not a lack of faith at all. 
If you'd like to hear my pastor's sermon from Habakkuk or ANY of his sermons, click here. 
Today's message was one that really hit home with what's going on in our world. 
My pastor said this morning "Times of uncertainty can produce a lot of worries in our heart."--This resonates so true through this time of uncertainty. We question, well how many more people is this virus going to hit? How many more will die? Why is God not hearing our cries? Why is He not healing our world? 
These questions...as my pastor said today...are not indicative of a lack of faith. 

Abraham, David, and Job all questioned...all "complained"...all implored to the Lord. But these questions have a way of drawing us closer to the Lord. 

I don't want to give the full sermon away, because I'd love for everyone to listen to it...but God will and is answering us. In His time and in His way. 
Just like when Habakkuk was asking His questions...God's answer was that He was Judging Babylon. But as Habakkuk continued to question and wait on the Lord, God softened his heart and finally answered with this..."the wicked will be punished and the righteous must live by faith"

God will answer our cries. In HIS timing. 

He has not forsaken us. He has not changed. He is still on the throne. He will reign and those of us who are in His will, we will be saved. 

I've learned so much not just from my pastor's sermon, but also from just being home...God is sovereign. 
He is every present in our times of trouble. 
He loves His people, and He longs for us to spend time with Him. 
Who knows? Maybe this pandemic is a way to bring His people closer to Him...maybe it's a way to draw people to Christ. Maybe, just maybe, it will save our world. 
People need hope. Our ONLY hope is in Jesus. 
Right now...in this pandemic...people are searching for any type of hope. My prayer is they will find Christ in the midst of all of this. 

Let us continue in prayer with each other. Let's pray for our world. Pray that God will continue to have his hand on this situation. Pray that those of us who are in Him will draw nearer to Him, and that despite loneliness we can remember He is with us. 

Let us continue to hold out hope. To hold on to our faith. 

God will respond. He will answer our questions. He will continue to hold us. Seek Him!

In the wake of COVID-19

Covid-19--the first pandemic I remember ever having to live through. In 31 years, I don't recall the world shutting down for a virus. Flu outbreaks have happened, H1N1, SARS, all these epidemics happened, yet none shut down our world. In this time of crisis, it seems as though our world is going one of two directions--complete fear and anxiety as to what is to come, or complete reliance on the Lord; remembering He is still on the throne. 
I've been in my house for 3 days now, with no physical contact with the outside world, and I can say that it does start to wear on one's emotional state. Even as an introvert, I still long for physical contact with people. Yesterday I even started having a pity party a little bit over what's going on in the world--but how selfish of me to do that. How completely selfish of me, when I'm healthy and I have food and a home and although I don't have physical contact, technology is a wonderful thing that keeps us together. Today I woke up humbled. Today I woke up and remembered all the blessings God has given me, and all the means of communication He has provided--and I was brought to my knees before the Lord. 
We all have stuff going on during this time of insanity. I'm working from home to ensure my students are receiving their education still. In fact I just finished a google hangouts session with 3 of my students. I discovered during that small session just how important my work is to some of my students. One of my students passionately expressed to me how bad she felt for Confucius who died believing he was a failure. She would have never expressed this passion in the classroom, but when it was just a few of us together, in the comfort of our homes, she showed me a side to her I'd never seen. That in itself is amazing. This pandemic is allowing me to get to know my students through a virtual outlet. 
I have other friends who are working still to make sure their businesses continue thriving, and others still who are working with the public because they are in the medical field. I pray for them to stay healthy, but I also pray I can respect their time and understand life is overwhelming and crazy. 
This pandemic is strange and new to all of us. While it can be a scary time, do not forget who is in control. Our savior loves us, He saw this coming, and He will win over it all. "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7 
Do not give up on who God is, and how in control He is. Pray. Don't just pray for yourself or your friends. Pray for our nation and our world. Pray that others would come to know Jesus during this time. Pray that this would bring us all closer to Him as we spend time in His word. There's no excuse not to spend time in God's word right now. Keep in touch with your friends and family. Everyone has things going on, but we all need human contact (even us introverts). 
Give to relief organizations, and to churches. 
Serve those who need you if you can. 
Ultimately, remember who God is during this time, and who you belong to. 
The coronavirus can be scary--but we are not to be in fear, for Christ is by our side.