Review of The Biology of Sin By Dr. Matthew Stanford (Part 1)

 

I have recently decided to do a blog series where I review a few chapters of this book titled "The Biology of Sin" written by Dr. Matthew Stanford. Who is Dr. Matthew Stanford, you ask? He is a psychology, neuroscience, and biomedical studies professor at Baylor University. He serves there as the director of the Psychology department. I greatly respect this man, so please do not think this is an attack on him. I would like to review his book to spread the word about his work. In this blog, I shall review the first chapter of his book. It is not a very long chapter. If you are interested in what you read and would like to get a copy for yourself, there is a link to the book below. 

The first chapter of the book is titled "Crouching at the Door". He starts the chapter by explaining how we all are subject to sin. It does not matter whether you are a drug addict or neuroscientist because we all are sinful. I like what he has to say on page 2 of the chapter. He says, 

"Sin is a ruthless beast: crouching at the door, waiting to consume us all (Genesis 4:7). When we encounter those whom it has overcome, we should feel sorrow rather than self-righteous pride. Sitting across the table from impulsive and aggressive patients is more like looking into a mirror than gazing at a monster. I see my own imperfections, the stain of sin, and I am grateful for God's abundant grace (Romans 5:17, Ephesians 1:7-8). A pastor friend of mine often says he never met a person that Christ didn't die for. Each time I sit down at the interview table, I am reminded that I haven't either" 

The reason I love this excerpt is because far too many people believe that someone who is a professional (such as a neuroscientist) is somehow better than a drug addict or a prostitute. However, what I see Dr. Stanford saying is that we all are ravaged by sin. It does not matter who you are or where you have come from because we are all guilty of sin. I am reminded of something one pastor has said. I do not remember his exact words, but it was something like "If you knew the thoughts that came through my head, you would not want me as your pastor". It would do us some good to have this kind of humility to honestly say that we are not perfect. 

On page 3, he proceeds to talk about what is sin. This is especially important because so many of us do not even comprehend what "sin" even is. We seem to think that sin is mere actions, when in reality it is a state of being. I like how the Westminster Shorter Catechism defines sin. It says, 

"Sin is any disobedience or lack of conformity to God's law" 

Now, let's see what Dr. Stanford says concerning sin. He says the following, 

The Bible uses a number of Hebrew and Greek words that we translate as 'sin', but two are most common: Chata and Hamartia. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word Chata (e.g. Exodus 20:20) is most often used to describe sin. Chata means 'miss', as in to miss a target. The same word is used in Judges 20:16 to describe a group of left-handed warriors from the tribe of Benjamin who could 'sling a stone at a hair and not miss'. In the New Testament, the most common Greek word used to describe sin is Hamartia, which means 'to miss the mark'. Paul used this word when he wrote in Romans 3:23, that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'. Sin, then, is best defined as missing, or falling short, of the glory of God
I know that "missing the mark" is the most common definition of sin these days and I really do not have any issue with anyone wanting to define it this way. However, I do think that this definition itself falls short of how heinous sin really is. The reason why I personally do not like this definition is because it assumes that we are all trying to hit the bullseye on a target, which is God's standard of perfection. In reality, we are aiming our arrows at God Himself because we want to kill God. That is how much we hate Him before the Holy Spirit regenerates our hearts. You may be wondering how I arrived at this conclusion. Well, Romans 5:10 tells us,

"For if while we were still enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life"

It is clear by this text that before we were saved by Christ we were His enemies. There is no love between enemies but only hate. The natural man, before God changes their heart, is at enmity with God. 

On page 4, Dr. Stanford goes on to explain what God's perfect standard is all about. He says, 

"The glory of God is the sum total of all he is: his divine nature, characteristics, and abilities altogether. As I mentioned above, it is also the standard of which sin is defined. The glory of God is the standard for our every thought and action. Whatever we do, it is to be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).. Evaluated in this way, sins to be more a state of being than a set of wrong thoughts and behaviors that should be avoided" 

As I read this portion, I immediately thought of Dr. Michael Horton's words: "I sin because I am a sinner". Sin is not really about our outward actions, but more about our nature. Our sinful nature manifests itself in outward actions such as theft, lust, etc. But, sin goes so much more deeper than our outward actions. I also like how he says that God's glory is the total of all He is. God's glory is perfect and we should strive to be perfect as He is perfect. We will never achieve perfection in this life, but that is why we put our trust in the Savior who took our punishment upon Himself. 

In the next portion, Dr. Stanford talks about the origins of sin. He talks about the fall of Lucifer, and how he was once a beautiful angel of God. Satan was puffed up with pride and thought he could usurp God's throne and how he even got some of the other angels to revolt against God with him. Then, God cast them down to the earth. Then. Dr. Stanford talks about the Fall of Man. God created man in His image and placed them in the Garden. The first man and woman were perfect and lived in complete harmony in relationship with God, But, then the devil tempted the woman with the same temptation that overtook him: pride. The devil told Eve that if she ate from the Forbidden Tree, then she would be like God. As a result, Adam and Eve ate of the tree and sin entered the world. Since then, humankind has been ravaged by sin. Dr. Stanford says the following on page 7, 

"There are basically two types of sin: original sin and actual sin. Original sin is also called inherited sin, because it was passed down to us by our father Adam. But how can I be held responsible for something this Adam guy did long before I was born? Well, like it or not, it's true. Furthermore, if we are going to reconcile the biological and spiritual aspects of sinful behaviors, such as drunkenness and homosexuality, it is essential that we have a correct understanding of the doctrine of original sin"

I wish that he would have gone into a fuller explanation of original sin because he is right that a proper understanding of original sin is essential here. The doctrine of original sin means that our entire being has been corrupted by sin. As the apostle Paul can say about himself--that there is no good in him--so we can say of ourselves as well. I understand how some people may not understand the doctrinal of original sin, and may even think it as unfair. However, for reasons only God knows, Adam was our covenant representative. This means that he was our figurehead, so whatever he did was passed down to us. Think of it as the days when there were kings and queens. The kings and queens represented their nations. Anything the king did reflect on the nation they ruled over. In America, we sort of have the same thing with the president. Anything our president says or does, whether good or bad, will reflect on our country. This is basically how it worked for Adam in the Garden of Eden. If Adam had obeyed God by casting out the serpent and not eating from the Forbidden Tree, he would have ushered in the New Heaven and New Earth right then and there. Tragically, this is not what happened. 

All of this may seem hopeless for us because there is no way for us to overcome our sinful natures. It is true that if God had left us in this predicament and cast us all into hell, He would still be holy, just, righteous, and loving. However, this is not where the Lord has chosen to leave us. As Dr. Stanford says on page 9, 

"Is there any hope for us? Even if we weren't born with the guilt of original sin upon us, how could we ever meet the standard of sinless perfection necessary for life with God? Thankfully, someone else has met the standard for us.; and he offers us the opportunity, through faith, to be forgiven and made new (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Who is this man that Dr. Stanford speaks of? It is the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Only Jesus perfectly obeyed God's law and was sinless. As a result, He willingly sacrificed Himself on a bloody Roman cross to take the punishment that you and I deserve. Then, three days later, He rose bodily from the dead. Now, God commands everyone everywhere to repent and turn their lives over to God. Every knee will one day bow before Jesus and declare Him king. Either we will do it now willingly or later by force. If we bow the knee to Christ now, the Holy Spirit will forgive us of all our sins, and He will make us into new creations, As new creations, we will be seen as holy and blameless in His sight because we will be covered by the righteousness of Christ. 

I hope that you enjoyed reading this first part of my review of Dr. Stanford's book and I hope that it was enlightening to you too. If you'd like to check out this book for yourself, here is the link: The Biology of Sin by Dr. Matthew Stanford. I really enjoyed reading this book and I am sure you will too. May the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!

***STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 OF THIS SERIES***

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Why Nihilism Is Bad For Mental Health

 

In a blog I wrote some time ago concerning Why Atheism Is Bad For Mental Health I gave the rock-solid case for how there is no such thing as an atheist. I base my thesis on Romans 1 which says that all people know God exists, yet they are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. Even Psalm 14:1 says that only fools say that God does not exist. It is evident in all creation and even in our conscience that there is a God to whom we all are held accountable. What I forgot to mention is where the worldview of atheism logically leads, which is nihilism. What exactly is nihilism, you wonder? According to Dictionary.com nihilism is

"the rejection of all religious or moral principles, in the belief that life is meaningless" 

Basically, any consistent atheist must be a nihilist. I know that seems like a strong indictment against atheists, but please bear with me. According to the atheistic worldview, we are the result of a random explosion billions of years ago for no apparent reason. Basically, we are cosmic accidents in a world that is spinning around the sun and one day we will die out in a heat death. According to atheism, there cannot be any reason whatsoever for our existence. Most intelligent atheists realize this and that is why they try to say that we "create our own meaning". But, what is the point in "creating our own meaning" when we are just going to die and be forgotten anyway? As King Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, 

"What has been will be, and what has been done will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun"

As you can see from this text, Solomon is basically lamenting over the fact that all that is done in this life has already been done in the past. According to the Wise King, if this is all that life has to offer, then everything is meaningless. He says later in the Ecclesiastes 2:17, 

"So I hated life because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and striving after the wind" 

If there truly is no God, then it is true that everything we do is vanity. If there is no God, it ultimately does not matter whether you are a serial killer or Mother Teresa. In the end, the same fate awaits us all. As a matter of fact, if God does not exist, then there is no absolute truth to life. The atheist philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche once said, 

"There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths"

Mr. Nietzsche was probably the most honest atheist of our day because he realized the logical implications of atheism. I know that this all seems bleak, but how does the Bible answer the problem of nihilism? Fortunately, we are not doomed to a meaningless existence. King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:18-20, 

"Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and to find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toil under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil--this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart" 

As you can see from this text, living for God really does give us great meaning in our lives. When we are living for God, we can truly find enjoyment because we are looking at life from an eternal perspective. This means that we know that everything we do on this earth will echo in the halls of eternity. It is for this reason, that we can go on living for His glory. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism says, 

Q1: What is the chief end of man? 
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever

God created each and every one of us for a purpose and that purpose is to glorify Him along with all creation and we are to enjoy fellowship with Him for all eternity too. When we realize this fact of life, it should give us a whole new appreciation for life. Professing atheists have no reason to go on living, but Christians have every reason to continue living. 

So, what does all this have anything to do with mental health, you ask? Well, I have thought of three ways nihilism harms mental health: Lack of Purpose, Pessimism, and Hatred For Fellow Man. I will elaborate on each of these points, but first I'd like to say that these are not the only negative impacts nihilism has on mental health. These are just a few ways that I'd like to focus on for the sake of this blog. If you can think of anything more, please feel free to comment below. I will now elaborate on these points. 

Lack of Purpose

I have already touched on this point a little at the beginning of the blog, but it is worth reiterating again. From a purely atheistic worldview, there is no purpose to life and no meaning to existence. For this reason, it does not really matter how you live your life. According to atheism, we are here today and gone tomorrow. As the Apostle Paul tells us elsewhere if Christ has not been raised, then we may as well eat and drink for tomorrow we die. What Paul is essentially telling us is that if this life is all we have and that truly Christ has not been raised, then there is no point to life, except to live a gluttonous and hedonistic lifestyle. If there is no God, then a hedonistic life is all we have to look forward to, and yet that is still vanity. 

Pessimism

Since the worldview of atheism leads to a lack of purpose in life, it logically follows that people feel pessimism concerning life in general. If there is no purpose to this life, what is the purpose of having any kind of hope? Actually, hope is an unrealistic expectation in a world without God. There is no reason to have any hope from an atheistic worldview. Hope is only a realistic expectation from a Christian perspective. So, when an atheist tries to have any kind of hope, they are borrowing from the Christian worldview, and they are not living consistently with their own presuppositions. 

Hatred For Man

As I have said in an earlier blog about how unbelievers are unable to love people. I firmly believe that not only do unbelievers lack love for their fellow man, but they actually feel hatred for them Unbelievers do not even love their own spouses or children. I know that this seems like a strong indictment to make, but I build a strong case for this in my blog titled Do Unbelievers Love People? In that blog, I talk about the biblical reason for how I know unbelievers have only hate in their hearts for other people. Love is a fruit of the Spirit and unbelievers are incapable of demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. As a result, unbelievers have only hate for others, until the Holy Spirit decides to regenerate their hearts. When this happens, the unbeliever is made into a believer who is made a brand new creation who loves the Lord and other people. 

I hope that this blog helps you to understand more how nihilism (which is the only logical conclusion to atheism) is actually very detrimental to mental health. I hope that you can see my line of reasoning when I say this. Nihilism is a horrible worldview for anyone to hold to. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Are Christians Permitted To Take Psychiatric Medication?

 

There is much debate within Christian circles concerning whether or not a Christian should take mental health medication. As a Christian who depends on anti-psychotic medication for his stability, I find this debate intriguing. The people who say that mental health medication should never be taken by Christians seem to get their line of reason from the idea that the Greek word for pharmacy means "sorcery". The people who say that mental health medication is permitted for Christians tend to say that God allowed man to advance in their knowledge of how to make medications work for us. As you may already know, I align with the latter group of people instead of the former. In this blog, I shall give some reasons why it is permitted for Christians to take mental health medication. However, first, allow me to address the whole Greek word argument because I see it a lot from anti-psychiatric medication folk. It is true that the Greek word for "pharmacy" is  "pharmakeia". While this may seem like a valid argument against mental health medication, I have noticed that the people who use this argument rarely use it whenever they take an Advil for a headache or they will never use this argument when a diabetic needs insulin shots. It is a double standard these people seem to not understand. Suppose you are going to be against mental health medication because of the Greek iteration of pharmacy. In that case, you need to apply it to all medications to be consistent in your logic. Rarely do I see these people be consistent, however. 

Now, what we do know from the Bible is that Paul's traveling companion, Luke, was a physician himself. This would mean that he would have frequently prescribed medication to the people whom he was treating. Some people would argue that medicine back then was not the same as nowadays, but that is a moot point. Of course, medications back then were not the same as nowadays. God has allowed man to advance in his knowledge of medications to the point where they are much more effective these days. My question for the naysayers is this: If it were appropriate for Luke to prescribe medicine back when people were not as knowledgeable concerning physical and mental health, why is it not permitted for doctors to prescribe medication these days when we are much more knowledgeable concerning physical and mental health? Also, if you would like an example of an ancient medical treatment prescribed to someone in the first century, we can look to the advice that the Apostle Paul gave to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul instructs Timothy, 

"No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments" 

As you can see from this text, Paul gives his protégé some medical advice for treating his stomach and "frequent ailments". How do you think he knew to give this advice? Could it have been from his doctor friend, Luke? The Apostle Paul could have very easily told Timothy to just "trust God" for healing, but that is not what he did. Of course, he would have already told Timothy to trust God in everything, but Paul knew that one can trust God while seeking medical treatment. We do not need to fear medical treatment for our ailments, whether they are mental or physical. 

Now, that I have established why it is not wrong for a Christian to take mental health medications, it is not time for me to talk about the benefits of mental health medications. The reason that I'd like to do this is because many Christians seem to believe that mental health medications only serve to make one worse over time. This could not be further from the truth. In reality, if someone has a mental illness and they refuse to get it treated, that is what will make things worse over time. As I talk about the benefits of mental health medications, I will be using myself as an example. My intention in doing this is so that what I am saying will be more relatable to people. There are countless studies out there that prove mental health medications are effective. According to the National Association of Mental Illness, 

"Psychiatric medications can be effective in treating mental illness, but they aren't a cure. They can help relieve symptoms, improve daily functioning, and overall wellness. Medications work by influencing brain chemicals that regulate emotions and thought patterns. For example, medications can help with depression symptoms like lack of energy and concentration, which can allow people to participate more in talk therapy" 

I agree with their statement that mental health medications are effective, but they are not a cure, and that one must see both a psychiatrist and a therapist for maximum treatment. But, I digress. The three ways that I have seen mental health medication help me in my life and can help you too, are: Preventing Death, Preventing Imprisonment, and Developing Close Relationships. I will now elaborate on each of these points. 

Preventing Death 

Firstly, I'd like to say that everyone is appointed a time to die by God, and that in no way can we affect when or how we will die. However, when I say taking mental health medications prevents death, I am speaking purely from a humanistic perspective. There are times when I have gone into a manic episode and left my home in the middle of the night to harass people. Obviously, the reason this is dangerous is because when you are harassing people, you never know if they may shoot you or beat you up. After all, you made them uncomfortable. It is by the grace of God that this never happened to me. There are also other times when my mania has put me in dangerous situations where someone could have killed me because they did not understand that I was ill. 

Preventing Imprisonment 

Many of you already know my story about how I was visited by the Secret Service, but for those of you who do not know, I will briefly tell you now. A few years ago, I had a manic episode which led me to make a YouTube video threatening Donald Trump. As a result, the Secret Service paid me a visit when I and my mom were staying in a homeless shelter. I told them that at the time I was off my medication, but now I am back on them. After telling me that I better make sure I remain on my medication because if they have to come back they are bringing handcuffs, they left. This experience really frightened me. However, it has taught me an important lesson. Mania, as fun as it seems, can lead one to being locked up in prison. And mentally ill people are not treated well in prison, I might add. 

Developing Close Relationships

I say this because I have noticed that when I am off my medications, no one really wants to be around me. I do not blame anyone for their avoidance because I know how unbearable I can be when I am unstable. There are times when even I do not want to be around someone mentally unstable. However, I have noticed that when I am properly taking my medications and I am mentally stable, then more people want to be around me and even talk to me too. Sure, mania may feel like fun for us individually, but it is no fun for those around us who have to deal with us. When we are mentally stable, it really does make it easier for people to get closer to us. I may not have many friends and family, but the few I do have mean the world to me. I would never give them up for anything, especially not a manic "high". 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand why it is false to say that a Christian cannot take psychiatric medications and still trust in the Lord at the same time. We can trust in God's sovereignty while also trusting in man's knowledge to know how to treat us with medication. One is actually denying God's sovereignty when one says God only works in the supernatural and never in the ordinary. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

How To Love Someone With Mental Illness

 

"Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him, there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes" 1 John 2:10-11

Loving someone with a clinical mental illness can be extremely difficult, especially when they are not seeking treatment. As someone who used to take care of his mentally ill mother, I know all too well how hard of a task it can be. This is why I know it is difficult even for my wife to love me at times too. But, as Christians, we are commanded to love one another.  As a matter of fact, 1 John 2:10-11 pretty much tells us that if we do not love one another, then we are not saved. I know that is a bold statement to make, but it is clearly what Scripture says. Sure, we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, but as James tells us that "faith without works is dead". This does not mean that our works justify us because only grace in Christ justifies us. What James is telling us is that if we are truly saved, then our works will demonstrate that we are saved. This is why John can tell us that if we have no love for our brothers and sisters we are not saved. As I have said already, loving people does not come easily, and loving someone with a chronic mental illness is even more difficult. In this blog, I shall give you some tips on how to love someone with a mental illness. I am speaking as someone who suffers from a mental illness and as someone who has loved someone with a mental illness. So, I have the personal experience enough to know how we are to be loved. I will divide this blog into three parts: Listening Intently, Non-Judgmental, and Patience. I know that these are not the only ways you can show love to someone with a mental illness, but these are the main ways that I'd like to focus on for this blog. If you can think of any other ways, please feel free to comment below. I will now elaborate on each of these points. 

Listening Intently 

This tip is very difficult to master because as human beings, we are quick to respond. As James tells us in 1:19-20, 

"Know this, beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of men does not produce the righteousness of God" 

As Christians, we are commanded to listen more than we are to speak. Not every issue needs a response. Sometimes, when we are talking, we just need someone who will listen to us. I understand how difficult this is because I am prone to offer quick suggestions to people, but as I get older, I have begun to realize that this is not always the right thing to do. I firmly believe that the best thing Job's friends did for him was when they sat next to him in silence for three days. It was when they began to talk that they ruined everything! There are times when we need someone to correct us, but most of the time, we just need someone to be present. Being present in our situation means more than having pat answers. 

Non-judgmental 

This is another tip that is difficult because we are so prone to be judgmental toward others. However, Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3, 

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves" 

As you can see from this text, we are to consider others as more important than ourselves. Paul did not say, "unless the person has any kind of affliction". No, we are always supposed to consider ourselves last and to put others first. I know how hard this is because it does not come naturally to us. As fallen human beings, we are prone to be prideful and selfish. However, in the same way that Jesus humbled Himself to die for us on the cross, we are to likewise humble ourselves. This means that when your mentally ill loved one is being irrational, you are not to cast judgment on him or her. Instead of arguing with this person, try to understand where they are coming from. The worst thing you can do is judge them because that will only further alienate them from you. 

Patience

This is probably the most difficult tip that I can offer you because patience does not come easily. However, patience does precede the first two tips that I talked about. I say this because if we display patience, then we will be able to listen intently and be non-judgmental too. For this reason, patience is probably the most important thing to practice when dealing with someone who suffers from mental illness. Patience does not come naturally to us so we need to always be in prayer and to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us strength. If we can master having patience, then the previous two tips will come easily to us, but without having patience, we will fail in being able to listen and be non-judgmental.

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand how we are to love those who suffer from mental illnesses. I know that it is difficult, but through Christ all things are possible. As you keep trusting in Jesus, everything else will fall into place. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

What Does It Mean To Honor Your Father & Mother?

 

"Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you" -Exodus 20:12 

As some of you may already know, I do not have a good relationship with my father. Actually, I do not have any relationship with my father whatsoever. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is the fact that he is verbally abusive and disrespectful of my faith. For years, I have tried to have a relationship with him because I felt obligated to. After all, Exodus 20:12 tells us to "honor your father and mother..." right? Over the years I have learned that one does not need to have their parent in their life to follow this command. There is more than one way someone can honor their parents that does not involve keeping them in one's life. I know that I am not the only person who refuses to have a relationship with an abusive parent. Their reasons for this may not be exactly the same as my reasons, but they might be similar. In this blog, I shall discuss some ways that one can meet the requirements of Exodus 20:12 without physically keeping a potentially harmful parent around. First, I'd like to say that the purpose of this blog is not to encourage you to never have your parent in your life. Of course, if your parents show signs of genuine repentance, then you should forgive them, and, if possible, reconcile with them. I strongly believe that if someone repents of their wrongdoing, then you are obligated to forgive them, just as Christ forgave you. Now, with all that said, I will not get on with the purpose of this blog. The first passage that I'd like to draw your attention to comes from Matthew 10:34-39. In this, our Lord Jesus tells us, 

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" 

Firstly, I would like to point out what Jesus is NOT saying. He is not telling us to literally hate our family members. That would not make any sense in light of other biblical passages. What he is saying is that our love for Christ should eclipse our love for our family members. In other words, our love for Christ should be so central to our lives that our love for our family may look like hate only because we desire to put Jesus before them always. Secondly, if we are truly putting Christ first, then it should cause strife within your family, especially if you come from a non-Christian household. I know that in my life this is definitely true for me. I was not raised in a Christian household, but I did have the privilege of seeing my mother and stepfather come to the faith before they passed on. However, the same is not true for my biological father. In his case, Jesus' words ring true because there is a lot of strife between him and me solely because of my faith. As a matter of fact, the last time I spoke to him, our conversation led me to the psych hospital for a week. It is for this reason that I cannot physically have a relationship with him anymore because he literally is bad for my mental health. However, there are ways that I honor him as my father. If you are estranged from either one or both of your parents, then I believe that you can honor them in the same ways that I choose to honor my father. I will explain these ways now. 

Always Pray For Your Parent(s)

This is actually the most important thing you can do for your estranged parent or parents. As Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, 

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." 

As you can see from this text, Paul is saying that God desires all kinds of people to be saved. For this reason, we should be in constant prayer for EVERYONE we know. This would definitely include our estranged parent or parents. How do you not know whether or not your estranged parent, or parents, could eventually come to saving faith in Christ? There is no way for you to know this because it is within God's sovereign will, but we do know that God desires all kinds of people to be saved. Thus, your estranged parent, or parents, could be part of the elect. This is why it is so very important for you to be in constant prayer for them. As a matter of fact, there really should not be a day when you are not in prayer for them. And I am not saying you should only pray for their salvation either. You should pray that God will sovereignly take care of all their needs and also protect them. These are some of the things that I pray about concerning my own father. 

Never Say Anything Negative About Your Parent(s)

This point is also very important because I know all too well how tempting it is to badmouth your parent who is mistreating you. I have felt the strong temptation to speak ill of my father and I have fallen into that temptation many times too. However, I keep thinking of the words of Peter in 1 Peter 2:18-19. He says the following, 

"Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly" 

I know that this text is referring to slaves and not children, but how much more don't you think children are required to respect their parents than slaves are to respect their masters? I would argue that if slaves are required to respect their masters, even the unjust ones, then children are all the more required to respect their parents, even the unjust ones. Part of displaying respect for your parents requires that you do not demean them in any way. This is a truth regardless of whether or not they mistreat you. This does not mean that you are never allowed to report what bad things they have done to you, but it does mean that you will not stoop to their level by "bashing" them. Christians are called to a much higher level of conduct than unbelievers are, even if the unbeliever is one's parent. I like how this text finishes, though. As you can see, God finds it to be a gracious thing when we endure suffering that is unjust. Truly, when you suffer unjustly, you are considered blessed by the Lord, and your reward will be great in Heaven (Matthew 5:11-12). 

Try To Think Positive Thoughts Toward Your Parent(s) 

I fully understand that this is probably the most difficult advice I have ever given. Trust me, it is very difficult for even me to think positive thoughts about my father, and I do not always succeed in doing this. There are many times when I succumb to thinking horrible things about him. However, Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, 

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about those things" 

What the Apostle Paul is telling us is basically to change our perspective into a more positive mindset. Cognitive psychologists have long said that our thoughts precede our emotions, but Paul knew this centuries before they did. When we choose to think positive thoughts about our parents, then it will be easier for us to care for their well-being. When we feel like we care for them, then it will be much easier to pray for them and not say anything negative about them. But, if we are in the habit of always thinking negatively about them, then we definitely will not be in the mood to pray for them. When we are not praying for them, then we will speak negatively about them. When this happens, we are dishonoring our parents. Again, I know that this is easier said than done, especially when your parent(s) have been extremely heinous toward you. However, we must follow the Lord's will above our own feelings. However, we are only able to do this by the power and strength of the Holy Spirit, not by our own will and strength. 

I hope that this blog helps you to better understand how you can honor your father and mother regardless of whether they are in your life or not. We are commanded to honor them no matter how they treat us, but that does not mean that we need to keep toxic parents in our lives. Our mental health is of primary importance and if our parents are severely affecting our mental health, then it is time to walk away.  As Jesus tells us elsewhere in Scripture if people will not accept us, then it is time to "wipe the dust from your feet" (Matthew 10:14). We need to be wise about who we allow into our lives. This means we should not allow toxic people to run rampant in our lives, even if they are our parents. Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

How Are Mentally Ill People Outcasts?

 

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures..." 

When you hear the word "outcast", what images come to mind? For some people, they think of weirdos and freaks in society. They believe that outcasts are the refuse of the world. For other people, they think of outcasts as the rebellious among us. These people assume that outcasts are the people who are always in and out of jail because they keep committing crimes. What if I told you that being an outcast was not such a bad thing after all? As a matter of fact, it can be a good thing. All of my life I have felt like an outcast in both society and my own family. The reason I felt this way was because of my mental illness. People did not understand my mental illness and so they automatically rejected me. It was not until recently in the past few years that I began to think that being an outcast was not necessarily a bad thing. In this blog, I shall discuss some ways that mental illness causes us to be outcasts and then I will discuss how being an outcast does not have to be so negative. The apostle Paul was considered an outcast in the first century, as well as all the early Christians. In the first century, if you identified as a Christian, that was an immediate death sentence. Similarly, not too long ago in American history, the mentally ill were sentenced to insane asylums where they were experimented on in some of the most atrocious ways. As a result, those of us who have mental illnesses can really relate to the early Christians. Both them and us did not fit well with our societies. When I ponder the different ways that the mentally ill are considered outcasts, I think of three different ways: Increased Skepticism, More Compassion, and More Loyal. I will elaborate on each of these points, but first I'd like to say that these are not the only ways that we are outcasts, but these are the main reasons. If you can think of any more ways that we can be considered outcasts, please let me know in the comments below. I will now discuss my reasoning. 

Increased Skepticism

The reason why I mention this as my first reason is because I have noticed that those of us with mental illness tend to have trust issues. Whether it is things we hear on the news or other people, we simply just have difficulty with trust. In a lot of ways, our trust issues do prevent us from being taken advantage of. However, at the same time, it does prevent us from getting close to other people. Our trust issues tend to make us really paranoid of either the news or of other people. When it comes to the news, it actually saves us from falling for all the narratives that the general public falls for. In this sense, it can be a good thing. This does not mean that all of us with mental illnesses have increased skepticism. Actually, some of us tend to be a little too trusting of the news and other people. However, as these people keep being victimized, they become more skeptical later on in life. 

More Compassion

I have noticed that people with mental illnesses tend to have more compassion towards those who are suffering than the general public does. This is not to say that no regular person has compassion for those who are suffering. I would never make that claim. However, I have noticed that those of us who have mental illnesses tend to identify more easily with those who are suffering, whether physically or mentally ill. I think the reason for this because we truly understand what it is like to suffer daily. For this reason, we can truly understand what someone is going through. I know that in my experience, it really breaks my heart whenever I see a homeless person wandering the streets and talking to themselves. The reason for this is that I've been homeless numerous times so I can understand homelessness. But, also I know that that homeless mentally ill person is completely alone. He or she probably got rejected by their friends and family because of their illness, and so they really have no one and nothing. It is for this reason that I usually try to talk with them to show that someone cares for them.  I believe that if I can show them that someone, besides their voices, is willing to talk to them, then maybe they will not feel so alone in this world. I admit that not all mentally ill people have more compassion, but for the most part, I have seen this to be the case. 

More Loyal 

I have noticed that when someone has a mental illness, they do in fact become more loyal to their friends and family members. The reason for this is because we truly understand what it is like to be alone or screwed over by other people. While we do tend to be more skeptical than the average person, our loyalty to others does increase once we learn that we can trust someone. I think that it is because of our increased compassion for others that we become more loyal as a result. We may not have many people that we associate with, but we tend to be close-knit with the few people we talk to and hang out with. I know that in my experience, I only have a few people in my life who I would consider my best friends and family, but I would be willing to take a bullet for them. I know that they would be willing to do the same for me also. This does not mean that all people are more loyal. Of course, some mentally ill people are backstabbers, but generally speaking, we do tend to be more loyal than the average person. 

I hope that this helps you better understand those of us with mental illnesses better. If you are someone with a mental illness and you have felt like an outcast, I hope that you find this blog encouraging. Being an outcast does not necessarily have to be a bad thing. I believe that God makes every single one of us a separate individual with unique character traits and every one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). So, next time you start to feel like an outcast in society, just remember the things I said in this blog. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all. 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

From Anti-Christ To Lover Of Jesus Christ

 

Many of you already know part of the story of my experiences in foster care and in juvenile detention. You probably know about how I ended up in foster care because my mother called the police one day and asked them to give her and me a lethal injection. You know about how I even agreed to take the lethal injection to die with my mom. You may even know about how I landed myself in the juvenile detention system because I started my foster home on fire too. I did that because I thought if I could do something heroic, then people would love me. I assume that if you have been following this ministry for any length of time, you most likely know all of this about me and you probably think there is nothing new I can share about myself. However, there is something else that you probably do not know about me or that you do not know in-depth about my story. What you may not know about me is how I went through a phase in my life where I really did despise Jesus Christ. It's not that I was an atheist because I have always known that God exists. I always knew that God existed, but for a while, I grew such an intense hatred for Him. During this time, I would go out of my way to persecute His followers because I knew that I could not do anything to Him. It is for this reason that I identify with the Apostle Paul so much. Even though I was not killing Christians, I made it my ambition to make life hell for Christians. It bothered me to no end whenever I saw Christians who seemed to be at peace. I believe that we people on the Schizophrenia spectrum seem to either be hateful of God or very passionately in love with God, but rarely do see us in the middle. My story is the proof of someone who has schizophrenia who went from one extreme to the other. The period of my life that I am talking about began when I was 18 years old and lasted until I was 21 years old. I will document for you exactly what I went through during these years and my hope for this blog is that it will show you that no matter how bad you think you are, you are not beyond redemption. The Lord really does welcome you with open arms if you would just run to Him to receive the grace of Christ. He paid the penalty that we deserve when He went to the cross for our sins. Now, all we need to do is repent and believe in His name. I will separate this blog into three sections: Juvenile Detention Bible Study, Bisexuality, and Bullying. I hope that my story inspires you to either grow in your faith in Christ or that the Lord will draw you to Himself through my story. If one of those things happens, then the purpose of this blog will have been served. 

Juvenile Detention Bible Study 

As some of you may already know, I spent a good three years in juvenile detention (two months of that time was in an actual jail and the rest of that time was inside a residential treatment facility for teens). When I first arrived in juvenile detention, I identified myself as a Christian, but I was not really aware of what that truly meant. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with Bipolar Type 2 disorder. My initial reaction to this diagnosis was shock and anger. I was shocked because I would have never guessed that I was mentally ill. I've had the opportunity of witnessing my mother's instability and I would have never guessed that I was like her. I was angry because the fact that I was mentally ill meant that I was as unstable as my mother. When I learned that mental illness is genetic, I became even more angry with my mom. Eventually, I realized it was not my mom's fault for how she was born. She could not control that. The Person I began to blame for my mother's instability was God. After all, He was in control of everything, right? This realization caused me to grow in my hatred of Him. The way I figured was that He must hate me since He gave me a mentally ill mother and He also gave me a mental illness too. As a result of this, I ended up harassing professing Christians in my unit. I felt like since I could not do anything to Him, I may as well cause distress to His people. I even began attending the weekly Bible Studies every Wednesday for the sole purpose of harassing the Bible study teacher. Since he had poor theology (he was a Mennonite), I would ask him questions that I knew he could not answer. I would question him about the Trinity and Noah's flood with the sole intent of humiliating him. At one time I even decided to question him concerning the idea of whether or not he takes Jesus' words concerning "turning the other cheek" seriously. I asked him if his wife was being attacked and if he would defend her. His answer made me laugh at him. He said that he would stand in between her and the attacker and take the beating while she ran away. Immediately I imagined myself being the attacker. In retrospect, I actually admire his honest reply. I would also relish in the idea of blaspheming God because I believed that I was committing the "unpardonable sin". As a result, I would go out of my way to blaspheme Him every day. 

Bisexuality 

During this time I was looking for more ways to hurt God. I knew that homosexuality was considered an abomination to Him, so I decided to make myself bisexual. I was already experiencing the attractions, although thankfully I never had the opportunity to act on the attractions. I remember I used to dress in pink clothing and paint my nails too. I really thought that I was making God very angry and that is what kept me going along with this charade. I felt like God was really my enemy now that I was identifying as bisexual and that thought made me happy. During this time, my GAL (Guardian Ad Litum) asked me if I considered myself transgender and that was the first time I ever heard that term. I told her I never thought about that, but then since she planted the thought in my head, I began to consider it. After all, what better way to "stick it to God" than making myself a different gender than He originally created me? I began to fantasize about what it would be like to be a woman. 

Bullying

As I have said already during this time I would harass professing Christians. I hated how Christians always seemed to be at peace and I was not at peace. I felt like God must be showing favoritism toward them. As a result, I decided to make it my life's ambition to make their lives a living hell. One such Christian was this mentally disabled kid in my group home. I do not remember his name, but I remember exactly what I did to him. I thought it would be funny to crush up a bar of soap and then manipulate him into snorting the line. When he did this twice, I thought it was so hilarious that I decided to get him to snort a line of laundry detergent. I began laughing very hard when he did that too. However, later in the day, his right eye became very red. Jimmy, the group home director, noticed the kid's eye and found out what I did. He began to lecture me about how I could have killed him, but I honestly did not care. I was very hard-hearted and did not mind going to prison for murder. I think this is the moment Jimmy was truly afraid of what I was capable of. Another example of me bullying a Christian was when I harassed a staff member named Rick. Rick always carried a Bible in his back pocket. One day, I asked him to come into my room so I could see his Bible. As soon as his Bible was in my hands, a surge of rage ran through my body. I ended up tearing up his Bible, spitting in it, and 
throwing it back in his face. Then, I yelled at him to get out of my room. I even used an expletive. After that incident, Rick always avoided me. I think he was afraid to be around me. 

I hope my story helps you to understand that no one is too far gone from being saved by God's grace in Christ. If the Lord could save someone as hardened as I was, then God can save anyone. If you have not given your life to the Lord Jesus Christ, then right now is the time to consider it. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us, so today is the day of salvation. Please do not push off redemption til it is too late. God came down in the form of a man to take the punishment that we deserve on the cross. Then, three days later He rose from the dead. Now, God commands everyone everywhere to repent and trust in Jesus Christ. Thank you very much for reading my story and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website