Ye of Little Faith?

Ever since I launched Handfuls of Purpose back in 2019, there has been a topic that I have wanted to discuss. The reason it has taken me so long to breach this subject is that I honestly don’t know the best way to go about it. I have made several attempts at writing down my thoughts about this but was never happy with the tone of them. I am passionate about this and that sometimes manifests itself in frustration. Nevertheless, here we go.

That topic is mental illness, especially as it relates to believers. I’m obviously not qualified to deal with this topic from the standpoint of a mental health professional, and that is not my intention. I simply want to start a conversation, a conversation which is already happening in many places. I want to encourage people to think about this, and hopefully raise awareness and engender compassion.

There is, and always has been a stigma surrounding mental illness. The world at large seems to be doing much better at recognizing mental illness as a legitimate illness, but some communities are behind in accepting this, and I feel that the Christian community is one of those.

Before I continue, I realize that I am painting with a broad brush here. My experience with the Christian community is limited to very conservative churches in northwest Georgia, with the exception of a few online communications outside of that bubble. Moreover, even inside of this bubble there are MANY that take a logical, loving, and compassionate approach to this subject. Many, including myself, have changed their mind on this. With all of that being said, I think it’s fair to say that we still have a problem.

Part of the misunderstanding is the idea that because God gives us peace, that we shouldn’t be anxious or depressed. We just need to pray harder, to have more faith, trust God and everything will be ok, right? We make it sound so simple, just put it in His hands and leave it there, or “take it to the altar and don’t pick it back up”. Well, that’s much easier said than done, especially for some people.

I’ve heard it all of my life that worrying is a sin, it’s a sign of weak faith. This kind of thinking causes people who are already hurting to feel worse about themselves, because it puts the blame on them for the way they feel. They feel like they can’t pray good enough, they can’t believe just right. They feel like those “of little faith”. Trust me when I say that I’ve seen the pain and confusion in a person who has been told this, and who believed it. I’ve seen those tears, I’ve heard that prayer, and it is heartbreaking.

The true foundation of the problem is the idea that mental illness is “all in your head” as opposed to being a legitimate illness. This is why a man can stand in the pulpit and accuse those who take medication for mental illness of not having enough faith, even though he wears glasses and took a handful of pills that morning for high blood pressure and cholesterol (this is just a generic example, not an actual occurrence that I am aware of).

But the fact of the matter is that very smart people with the proper education have researched this and found that mental illness is real, you can’t “shake it off” any more than you can “walk off” a broken bone. Research has revealed that mental illness can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, upbringing, past trauma, substance abuse and brain chemistry.

Regardless of how you interpret this post, I am not here to throw stones at Christianity or even the small bubble of it which I inhabit, only to say that we can do better. We can love bigger. We do that by thinking about it, by talking about it, by acknowledging our mistakes, changing our ways, and moving forward.

Lastly, if you are struggling with mental illness, know that you are not alone. You are not a “bad” Christian, nor are you weak in the faith. Sure, you should pray, read your Bible, trust, and believe with all of your heart. Confiding in friends, family, or even church leadership is great and can be extremely helpful, but none of that should be seen as a replacement for a professional evaluation. PLEASE, see a mental health professional.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

There is much more that could be written on this subject. If this is something you guys are interested in hearing more about, please let me know. You can do so privately or publicly. I would love to hear your thoughts and stories on this.

 God bless!