(1b) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.2Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea...
Later in the Psalm, we read:7The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge...
When we are struggling, we can find hope and healing in the presence of the Lord. In the dark days of the spirit, we can find encouragement in the Word of God. When our hopes are shattered or our perspective is shifted away from God's sufficiency, we can rely on the Lord and draw on His strength. The powerful truth is that He loves us, He is with us, and He doesn't abandon us in our struggles or our perceived shortcomings. He wants us to trust Him at all times, even when we are afraid or feeling far apart from Him - He is there, and He is reaching out to us to reach into our minds and provide His refreshing and restoration.
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James chapter 5 paints a picture of how the body of Christ can provide strength in the midst of troublesome times:
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
It's a heartbreaking occurrence for any family, and when you have had high-profile pastors who lose a child to suicide, it has provided opportunities for the church to discuss the matter of mental illness.
A piece on the ChristianityToday.com website states that one in four U.S. adults experience mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And, a new LifeWay Research survey commissioned by Focus on the Family shows that nearly 1 in 4 pastors acknowledge they have “personally struggled with mental illness,” and half of those pastors said the illness had been diagnosed, according to the poll.
The article speculates that the suicides of Rick Warren’s son Matthew and Joel Hunter's son Isaac perhaps have prompted increased attention to mental illness from pastors’ pulpits and pens. Warren launched “The Gathering on Mental Health and the Church” this past spring. Also, NewSpring Church pastor Perry Noble has publicly documented his struggles with mental illness.
And, just last week, Rick and Kay Warren conducted a web event called, "24 Hours of Hope," coinciding with World Mental Health Day.
He added, “We have to break the stigma that causes people to say that people with mental illness are just of no value...These high-profile suicides made it okay to talk about, but I think Christians have been slower than the population at large to recognize what mental illness is, let alone what they should do."
The study also found that struggling laypeople wish their churches dealt with the issue more; 59 percent of respondents with a mental illness want their church to talk more openly about it, as do 65 percent of their family members.
In a news release, Stetzer noted, “Our research found people who suffer from mental illness often turn to pastors for help...But pastors need more guidance and preparation for dealing with mental health crises. They often don’t have a plan to help individuals or families affected by mental illness, and miss opportunities to be the church.”
Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, told Christianity Today: "Here’s what we know from observation: If you reveal your struggle with mental illness as a pastor, it’s going to limit your opportunities.” He went on to say that, “What happens is pastors who are struggling with mental illness tend not to say it until they are already successful. So Perry Noble, running a church of 30,000 plus, just last year says ‘I have severe depression.’”
He added, “We have to break the stigma that causes people to say that people with mental illness are just of no value...These high-profile suicides made it okay to talk about, but I think Christians have been slower than the population at large to recognize what mental illness is, let alone what they should do."
The survey found that the majority of pastors (66 percent) still rarely or never talk about mental illness in sermons or before large groups. About one-fourth of pastors bring up mental illness several times a year, and 7 percent say they tackle it once a month or more.
In a news release, Stetzer noted, “Our research found people who suffer from mental illness often turn to pastors for help...But pastors need more guidance and preparation for dealing with mental health crises. They often don’t have a plan to help individuals or families affected by mental illness, and miss opportunities to be the church.”
The CT story linked to a Perry Noble blog post about his own struggle with depression. In it, he writes:
So, here's what we know:
Mental illness is afflicting the church, and perhaps the awareness of the effects of it have led to a greater emphasis on the topic. There perhaps is a reduction in the stigmatization of mental illness in the church. And, as Noble points out, "In Christ we are not rejected because of our depression--God rescues us and carries us through it!"
For 3 years, I was publicly working for God in the church while privately I thought about ending it all. Depression and anxiety were taking over on the inside, but I was too worried about what people would think if I told them what was really going on.
It took a lot of changes and a lot of time to get to a place where I could be honest about it. Depression was not just a season I was going through—it was a trap I was stuck in!
Today I believe it’s more important than ever to help others see that God can use our pain for our progress!Referring to a Harris Research Analysis survey, Noble writes that 29% of Christians in the United States have struggled with depression at some point in their life. He points out, "that’s over 45 MILLION CHRISTIANS! That’s more people than the population of the state of California and Massachusetts COMBINED!" He says that out of every 10 Christians you know, 3 of them are depressed. He believes that some of the Bible’s greatest heroes were far from perfect and they struggled with depression, too - referring to Moses, Elijah, Jonah, and David.
So, here's what we know:
Mental illness is afflicting the church, and perhaps the awareness of the effects of it have led to a greater emphasis on the topic. There perhaps is a reduction in the stigmatization of mental illness in the church. And, as Noble points out, "In Christ we are not rejected because of our depression--God rescues us and carries us through it!"
I believe that in the church, we are not called to look down on someone because of their struggles, but to reach out with compassion to minister the grace of God. And, when we are having mental health challenges, running to God's Word and hopefully even to the church can be a helpful and healing component. Church leadership, as Stetzer points out, can be better equipped to deal with these issues, and perhaps the comfort level for people who wish to come forward can be enhanced.
Finally, we recognize that God's Word contains truth that can help renew and reprogram our minds when we are facing mental challenges. Certainly, there may be a medical component, as well, and Biblical counseling can be effective in helping a person walk through these struggles. I do think its vital to regard the sufficiency of Christ and realize that He is an ever-present help in the troubles we encounter.
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