A mental illness is often something we are embarrassed about, but it is actually more common than we think. 1 As an Asian-American who grew up with honor-shame culture, I know the urge to hide mental illness to save face. However, it is important to talk about it to receive help or help those involved. May God give us courage to reveal to Him and others the hidden parts of ourselves so that we can be healed.
The whirlwind of emotions experienced in mental illness is a challenge to navigate. The Psalms contain a wide range of human emotions, but how do we individually manage our emotions in light of our faith? I personally have gone through mental illness, and am still living with it everyday. There are times when God can seem far away, and I am just too tired to do anything. Though every case is different, I offer my personal perspective on keeping your faith when suffering from mental illness.
Give all parts of our lives, even the ugly parts, as a living sacrifice.
Romans 12:1 says to live our whole lives as a living sacrifice. This includes the ugly parts that are hard to accept like a mental illness. A mental illness can cost us many things–failed dreams or broken relationships for example. No matter how little or how much, we need to give all of it to God. God knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11) and sometimes it includes experiencing a mental illness. We need to trust God through the process however strange or unfamiliar. God appreciates it when we don’t hold back any part of our lives from Him, and this can increase our intimacy with Him.
Keep Heaven in perspective during the challenging, everyday routine through constant prayer.
Colossians 3:2 says for us to keep our eyes on things above. How can we do this even with a mental illness? We need to pray constantly, even when our mind is racing. It is possible to pray through a mental illness. The mental illness will not go away, but we will be given the strength to endure it. God gave us our minds and He is with us even when we feel as if we have lost it. When we pray, the Holy Spirit helps to pray for us with groanings without words (Romans 8:26). The Spirit keeps us in constant relationship with God when we pray to Him, even when we feel scatter-brained from a mental illness. There is always a chance for us to draw closer to Him in any circumstance. Simple tasks can seem arduous with a mental illness, and it is possible to pray when doing them, offering our troubles to God because He cares for us. God wants to care for our mental illness, and the way we come to Him for help is through constant prayer.
Hold onto trust and patience, even in the midst of hurt
Caregiving for those with mental illnesses can be challenging when dealing with immature behaviour. We who suffer from mental illnesses may unintentionally release the worst sides of ourselves upon those we care most about. God sees the worst side of us and loves us anyway. He died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). God can give us the patience that we need when dealing with mental illness ourselves or caring for someone who does. This is not to say that we won’t be hurt by something others say and do to us. But even in the midst of our hurt, we will be given the patience to endure it (Romans 5:4). All things can work towards Christ’s good for us (Romans 8:28), so we need to trust Him even in trying circumstances.
Alongside medication that can help to manage mental afflictions, our relationship with God can strengthen us with patience and perseverance. It is hard to say what will happen to a given person because mental illness can be so unpredictable. Only God can fully know the nuances of each person’s individual case. This is why it is important to know God too, so that He can help us to know ourselves better. It is easy to lose your identity when going through a mental illness because you don’t seem like yourself anymore. But God knows who we really are because He created us (Jeremiah 1:5). Being in a good relationship with Him can be an anchor in the storm of emotions one can experience with mental illness.
Be compassionate towards others
After experiencing a mental illness, there is the opportunity to be more compassionate towards others in a similar boat. Sometimes what people need is someone who understands, and a listening ear. I was able to share my experiences with others in my church who had similar experiences and we were able to help encourage one another in our faith. This in turn ended up helping my faith because we are called to love one another (John 13:34).
Mental illness does not have to be something that makes our relationship with God difficult. In fact, it can deepen our relationship with God when our sufferings become His glory (Romans 8:18). Even though it can be an unwelcome experience, God can use anything for His glory, and with us offering even mental illness as a living sacrifice and praying constantly, we can continue our relationship with God and move towards all that He has planned for us.
Photo Credit: Aaron Burden