Some have argued - and still do! - that mental illness is a social construct created by secular doctors and psychiatrists, and therefore is not biblical.
To their thinking, when a person is depressed, he or she is really just experiencing "sadness," and to try to treat it medically is to short circuit the power of God. When a person is anxious, he or she is really just experiencing worry, and to treat it medically is a secular answer to a spiritual problem.
The intentions behind such thought is good: those adherents are trying to demonstrate that Jesus is sufficient for every facet of life.
However, treating mental illness as only (or even primarily) a spiritual problem is both profoundly unbiblical and incredibly hurtful to those who struggle with mental illness.
It's time for the church at large to brush off decades of ignorance and begin to support those with mental health problems. I believe we’re just at the beginning of what God wants to do through the church to minister to those with mental illness. With these truths as the core of our mandate, God will use the church to heal the broken and battered of this world.
Join Dr Myke as he examines the following passages to outline a biblical response to mental illness in the church:
- 2 Corinthians 4:16
- Romans 8:22-23
- Isaiah 38:21
- Isaiah 46:3
- Jeremiah 31:3
- Galatians 6:2
- Revelation 21:4
Dr. Myke Harbuck, Lead Pastor, Byron City Church, Byron, GA
Find out more about Byron City Church at www.byroncity.church.
