Many years ago, as a new Christian, I had a frightfully rigid idea of how to deal with mental health, taking into consideration God’s word. I studied Jay Adam’s book Competent to Counsel and wholeheartedly embraced the concept of nouthetic counseling. For those unfamiliar with the term, it comes from the Greek word noutheteo which translates loosely to “admonish, correct or instruct”. It can be found in the Bible in verses such as Romans 15:14. In terms of medication, I viewed antidepressants and antianxiety meds as nothing but a crutch for people who didn’t embrace God’s truth.

Gradually over the years I was exposed to stories from the lives of other Christians that chipped away at that rigid tenet. I listened to a radio program around 2006 during which Tommy Nelson detailed how he was preaching and teaching God’s word, extremely active in the church and loving every minute of it, until one day the constant busyness and typical four hours of sleep each night caught up with him. He hit a wall. One day he went up to preach and couldn’t do it. Soon, he couldn’t even leave his house.

Through the help of a counselor, Mr. Nelson learned that he just wore his body out to the point that it was unable to produce the serotonin it needed on its own. He had to start taking an antidepressant until his body was able to start producing that serotonin on its own again.  He ultimately ended up taking four months off, doing nothing, before he could return to the pulpit.

He said that up to this point, he would have counseled anyone in his congregation who was struggling with anxiety or depression to forego the medication and instead learn to trust God and His word. But that all changed after he went through this trauma himself. It “is biological”, he stated. And memorize God’s Word? He had memorized every one of the epistles, so which was he supposed to start quoting to bring himself out of the depression?

I have a mentor in the faith who staunchly attributes all such difficulties to sin and nothing else. He emphatically states that “there is no such thing as ‘Christian Psychology’.”

I don’t want to discount the truth that some depression and anxiety truly are the result of simply not trusting God enough. But that’s just not always true. Sin brought sickness into the world, and just as our body can carry a gene for cancer, it can be low on certain brain chemicals that create disorders such as depression and anxiety issues.

Is PTSD real for soldiers coming back from war? Would we look down on those soldiers for getting whatever help they needed to survive? Can we accept that mental illness can be a real thing that people struggle with even when following Jesus? These are all questions we need to wrestle with.

I recently listened to a podcast about Deconversion, Mental Health and Apologetics hosted by Reasonable Truth, a ministry dedicated to equipping Christians to apply God’s word to every facet of life. It was through that podcast that God really tugged at my heart for those who are hurting, struggling, and in need of help and compassion. The guest speaker, Jonathan Noyes, shared some alarming statistics. Suicide rates have dramatically increased in the recent past. It is the number two leading cause of death for people in the 10-to-34-year age range.

That is an incredible number. And it’s incredibly sad. In fact, the CDC has now classified suicide as an epidemic. 

Mr. Noyes speaks to groups that sometimes pack in with 600 young adults who are struggling with mental health issues. If they indicate they identify with being gay or bisexual, sometimes a pastor will tell them they can’t be a part of the church and youth group. Who will instruct these young adults in righteousness if they’re not coming to the church?

For those interested, here’s a link to the podcast:  https://anchor.fm/reasonable-truth-podcast

I have family members with diagnosed PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and I know the struggle is real. And likely biological in nature. I believe God can heal these disorders the same as He healed lepers and paralytics in the bible. But that healing isn’t always instantaneous. And maybe sometimes it isn’t His plan to bring them physical healing this side of heaven. Is God still sovereign? Is He still good if the healing doesn’t come, or if it comes slowly?

Over the past decade, God has done a significant healing in my life. It’s been ongoing. I liken it to “layers of healing”. I now feel burdened to teach and minister to those that are hurting so deeply. Which involves meeting them right where they are, medicated or otherwise.

I want to expose them to my Jesus, who has done so much to heal me of so many things.

And I want to dialog with Christians who feel that mental health illness is a sign of a weak faith. We must be the bridge to these hurting sheep. In Matthew 9:35-36, we read that Jesus looked on all those who were harassed with great compassion. Will we be as Jesus?