Page 126 - Biblical Counseling II

Fall. We have to see that, on top of spiritual measures, there are beneficial and helpful medications and
treatments available to fight this illness.

Scripture and medication are not enemies. Scripture, medication, and/or counseling are neither enemies
nor mutually exclusive. Scriptural authority is not challenged by the efficacy of medical science. The Bible is
without error; it’s inerrant and sufficient to guide people through the challenges of life. It’s the Bible’s very
sufficiency that reassures us that some physiological realities require external intervention.

However, according to a LifeWay Research study, about half of evangelical Christians believe that prayer and
Bible study alone can heal mental illness. God can absolutely miraculously intervene and right a chemical
imbalance; He can do the same for a broken leg. Yet virtually everyone acknowledges there is nothing wrong
with going to the doctor for the latter.

This deep-seated belief that somehow seeking help for a mental illness can not only pit scripture and
medicine as enemies, but also ostracize and dishearten the countless Christians who, along with their friends
and families, struggle with these issues. When the suffering doesn’t go away through reading the Bible or
prayer, the person affected may despair of his or her spiritual ability or maturity. The very thing that should
provide unshakable confidence, that should strengthen our faith in Christ, becomes a source of shame if our
faith isn’t “strong enough” to beat the illness.

Most of the time, when a physician treats a chemical imbalance, and there are some manifestations of those
challenges, that imbalance doesn’t go away by prayer or by reading your Bible alone. Sometimes medication
is needed, and there should not be shame in that. The more Christians struggle with how to deal with mental
illness, the more we fail to create a safe and healthy environment in which to discuss and deal with these
issues. As a result, many of our Christian churches, homes, and institutions promulgate an aura of mistrust,
guilt, and shame.

As more of us are coming forward with our own stories of struggle and pain, I’m encouraged that it’s okay to
talk about these things. We have to defeat the shame because the reality is that many Christians struggle
with mental illness” (Stetzer, 2016). (Photo from thedailyprayerblog.blogspot.com)

Let’s Practice…

1. What is the definition of mental illness?

2-3. Choose two mental illnesses. Describe them.

4. What can the church do to help those with mental illness?

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