How Does Social Media Affect Mental Health?

 

In these modern times, Social Media, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many more, have grown in popularity. Many young people from adolescents to adulthood seem to have become addicted to these sites, even spending an inordinate amount of time on them. Actually, according to dcreport.org, about 95% of adolescents from 10 to 17 are using Social Media almost constantly.   It is for this reason that some people have raised some concerns about Social Media. Are these concerns valid or not? Are there any good things about Social Media or are they all bad? In this blog, I shall discuss some of the pros and cons of Social Media. Afterward, I would like to leave you with a lesson we can learn from the Bible when it comes to how we use Social Media platforms. Before I get started, however, I would like to say that I am not against Social Media. I use Social Media myself so I cannot be hypocritical by saying it is all bad. If it were not for platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, I would have never met my amazing wife and most of my good friends. However, the pros and cons of Social Media still need to be addressed. So, that is what I intend to do with this blog. 

I would like to start this by first talking about some of the Pros of Social Media. I know I know, you are probably thinking, "Are there any Pros?" If that is what you are thinking, please continue reading. From my own experience, I have found there to be at least three Pros to Social Media. These are the following: 

1) Community 

2) Helps People "Come Out Of Their Shells" 

3) Gets The Gospel Out To A Broad Amount Of People 

I will elaborate on each of these points, but I first would like to say that these are not the only Pros of Social Media. These are just the main ones I choose to focus on for this blog. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you can think of more. Now, it is time for me to explain these points. 

Community 

As I have stated earlier, I would have never been able to meet my wife or some of my best friends if it were not for Social Media. Social Media has a way of connecting people from all across the globe. There are literally thousands of Facebook groups of any different category you can think of. There are dating groups, Christian fellowship groups, debate groups, and much more. No matter what your niche is, there is probably a group for it. And if there is not a group for it, you could always create one and people will join it. Facebook and YouTube (and many other Social Media sites) have really created a way for many different people to connect with one another. 

Helps People "Come Out Of Their Shells" 

It should go without saying, but many of us with mental illness tend to be socially awkward in public. As a result of this, we tend to hide our true selves when we are out with other people. It is for this reason that most people do not really get to know the "real us". Social Media provides us with a safe place for us to be ourselves, however. We can express identities on Social Media without fear of ridicule most of the time. It is for this reason, that so many of us gravitate towards Social Media sites because they feel safe for us. Normal people may not be able to fully understand what this is like because they do not have trouble socializing in public. However, those of us with mental illness need a safe place to be ourselves to escape the stigma that is against us. If it were not for Social Media, most of us would never socialize with anyone in the world. 

Gets The Gospel Out To A Broad Amount of People 

This is probably the most important Pro of Social Media. It is because of Social Media Sites such as YouTube that the Gospel can spread to the broadest amount of people in the fastest way possible. Back in the day, we would have to send missionaries one at a time out into the world to physically preach the Gospel to people. However, these days, all we need is a computer or smartphone with internet access. Then, we just upload a video on the internet that will reach thousands or millions of people worldwide in an instant. We truly live in a remarkable time for the spreading of the Gospel. 

Even though there are all these Pros to Social Media, there are some Cons as well. So, what are some of these Cons, you ask? Well, I have found there to be three harmful Cons to Mental Health because of Social Media. They are the following: 

1) People With Pre-existing Mental Disorders Spend an Inordinate Amount of Time on Social
 Media

2) Self-Objectifying 

3) A Breeding Ground For Eating Disorders 

I will elaborate on each of these points, but I need to specify that these are not the only Cons of Social Media, they are the main ones. If you can think of any more, please let me know. Now, time to explain these points. 

People With Pre-Existing Mental Disorders Spend An Inordinate Amount of Time On Social Media

As I have already pointed out, Social Media gives people with mental illness an outlet to socialize and be themselves without actually having to go out into the public. While this can be good somewhat, it can also be bad too. The reason why I say this is because we can become obsessed with Social Media to the point where we never get out of our own homes. This means we never socialize with anyone outside our computer screens and that is harmful because we were not created to isolate. God created us to be social creatures and that is why The Lord commands us to not forsake the fellowship of believers. I know we can have fellowship on the Internet, but we need to fellowship with actual people outside the Internet as well. Facebook grants us an illusion of friendship on the internet, but most of the people we are "friends" with on that platform will never truly know us like people who know us personally. This is why it is always best to get to know people outside the Internet. I know for some of us this sounds scary, but if you just force yourself out there, you will find the world to be a welcoming place for the most part, especially if you meet people inside a church community. 

Self-Objectifying 

This is one of the biggest Cons of Social Media because it affects so many young people today, especially young women. These days people are bombarded with messages of what an attractive man or woman is supposed to look like. Social Media is no different. People on Social Media are constantly posting pictures of themselves looking their best to get "likes" and compliments. They literally live for "likes" and compliments because it affects their self-esteem. However, what most people do not realize is the fact that most of these people do not look like what their profile picture says they look like. The reason they look the way they do in their profile picture is because of Photoshop, a lot of make-up, filters, or some other means. If you were to meet these people in real life, you would be really surprised to see what they actually look like. 

A Breeding Ground For Eating Disorders 

According to the Dove Self-Esteem Project, 9 in 10 children and adolescents from ages 10 to 17 are exposed to toxic beauty content on Social Media and about 1 in 2 say that it has hurt their mental health. This is especially common among young women. It is for this reason that many young people feel like they are not attractive unless they look some sort of way. These people are constantly comparing themselves to other people they see on Social Media and think that to be attractive they must weigh a certain number. As a result, many young people either become anorexic or bulimic. They do this because they feel that they have to do this to match up to society's standard of beauty and attractiveness. 

Now that I have discussed the Pros and Cons of Social Media, it is time for me to talk about the Biblical lesson I have for those of us on Social Media. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:23, 

"All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive or edifying" 

As you can see from this text, all things are lawful for us. This would include Social Media. That means being on Social Media is not a sin in and of itself. We do not need to feel like we are sinning against the Lord just because we are on Social Media. However, as Paul goes on to say, not everything is beneficial for us. When it comes to Social Media, it is not beneficial for us to be on it constantly. As with everything, it is always wise, to use moderation when it comes to Social Media. We should not be on it so much that it interferes with daily living or socializing with people outside of the Internet. This does not mean we should never be on the Internet. But, it does mean that we should not obsess over Social Media. 

I hope that this blog helps you understand the Pros and Cons of Social Media and whether you decide to go on it or not, keep these things in mind. Social Media is neither good nor evil, but it can be used for either good or evil. It all depends on how you use it. 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

Biblical Masculinity vs Toxic Masculinity

 

Masculinity is a controversial subject in today's day and age. As men, we are constantly being bombarded with different messages about what it means to be a man. From the old John Wayne movies to the Clint Eastwood depictions and then even to movies like The Expendables, we are shown images of what a real man should look like. As a result, many of us believe that a real man is a rugged tough guy who shows absolutely no emotion whatsoever. Actually, we are told that emotion is a sign of weakness because it is too feminine. What exactly is Toxic Masculinity, you ask? According to the Dictionary, it is, 

"a set of attitudes or ways of behaving stereotypically with or expected of men regarded as having a negative impact on men and on society as a whole"

 We seem to believe that only women are allowed to express any type of emotion. On the other hand, today we are told that a real man is much too feminine, especially from those who would like to redefine manhood into their own image. However, what we as Christians should be concerned about is what the Bible says about manhood. Well, we do not have to look any further than the four Gospels. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ perfectly depicted what true manhood looks like. In this blog, I shall explain how Jesus' character was and how it shows us as Christian men what we should strive to emulate. When we look at the life of Jesus, we see a few things that perfectly encapsulate true manhood. These characteristics are the following: 

1) He was a leader 

2) He was bold for the Truth

3) He expressed emotion 

I will elaborate on all three of these points, but I would like to first say that these are not the only points in the life of Jesus that we can see Him perfectly embody manhood. There are by far much more points, but these are the main ones I will be focusing on for this blog. If you can think of any others, please feel free to leave a comment below. Now, time to elaborate on my points. 

He was a leader

In Matthew 9:36, right after Jesus finished preaching in all the nearby villages and healing all kinds of sickness, we read the following, 

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" 

As you can see from this text, Jesus saw that the people were lost because they did not have anyone to lead them. I love the analogy of sheep without a shepherd because it perfectly describes humanity. We are all lost sheep without Christ to lead us. In John 10:1-3. we read the following word from our Lord, 

"Truly, Truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him, the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them" 

Jesus Christ is the shepherd of His people. He is the quintessential leader of His flock. He calls us each by name and we know His voice and follow Him. There is no one else for us to follow for He holds the words to eternal life. 

He was bold for the Truth 

In John 2:13-16, we read of the following account, 

"The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple, he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, 'Take these things away, do not make my Father's house a house of trade'" 

As you can see, Jesus cared deeply for what was true. He saw that the money changers were using the temple to achieve unjust gain and He very violently rushed them out of the temple because He cared that much for the Truth. He was not for people being taken advantage of by lies. This is an image of Jesus that we do not see in modern depictions. We are so used to seeing images of a "blond-haired shampoo artist, as one of my favorite pastors once said. This depiction of Christ would make a lot of professing Christians blush, but it truly shows how tough Jesus really is. He does not play any games with people. 

He expressed emotion 

In John 11, we read of the death of Lazarus. In this text, Jesus waited for four days before He decided to go to him. It is unclear as to why He waited four days because by now Lazarus would have already been in the tomb, but we know that He did wait. When He and the disciples finally did go, they were greeted by Mary and Martha, who after a brief exchange, led them to the tomb of Lazarus. What we read next is very touching. In verses 33-35, we read the following, 

"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who were with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to him, 'Lord, come and see'. Jesus wept." 

Dr. Michael Horton once said that the Greek word for "wept" here was more like a snort from a horse. In other words, Jesus cried His eyes out. The reason why Christ cried so vividly, despite knowing that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, was because He was greatly moved by the curse of sin that brought death. In this depiction of Jesus, we see a man who was not afraid to express deep emotion. He was not afraid of anyone calling him feminine or weak either. At this moment, He was feeling all the pain and sorrow one would feel at someone's funeral ceremony. Another prime example of Jesus expressing emotion is Luke 22:43-44. In that text, we read the following, 

"And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" 

As you can tell, this incident happened during His time when He was praying to Father at the Mount of Olives, He was anticipating His betrayal and being handed over to the Pharisees in order to be killed. The text says that he was in so much agony that he literally sweat drops of blood. This may seem like an odd occurrence, but according to medical professionals is very realistic. According to the National Institute of Health, this is called hemotohidrosis. They say the following about this disorder, 

"hematidrosis is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood' it occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress" 

As you can see, Jesus was feeling an extreme amount of anxiety over what He was facing. He knew that the weight of the world's sins were going to be upon His shoulders and that The Father would momentarily turn His back on Him. Jesus was no stranger to human emotions of stress and anxiety. This the reason why I say not all anxiety is sinful because Jesus felt anxiety, yet He was without sin. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand what exactly biblical masculinity looks like compared to toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity is something that we must reject, but biblical masculinity is something that we must embrace as Christian men. We should look to Jesus for what makes a real man instead of what Hollywood tells us what a man is. 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

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Is Mental Illness Just An Excuse For Laziness?

 

A common thing I hear from people is that mental illness is just an excuse for one to be lazy. People who say this tend to be hard-working Baby Boomers, but I have heard this sort of rhetoric from even people in my own generation. To be fair, there is some truth to this statement. Some people do use mental illness as an excuse to be lazy, but those people are few and far between. I must admit that when I was younger in the faith, I used to be bothered by how so many Christians have the old "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" mentality. It would bother me because it was very difficult for me to hold down a job for an extended amount of time. As a matter of fact, even when I would read passages in the Bible such as 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9, it would greatly haunt me. What does that text say specifically? It says, 

"Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you, yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have a right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate"

It was not until I was much older that I realized that this text did not apply to me or anyone with severe mental illness. As you can clearly see this text is referring to those who are "walking in idleness". This implies an intent to not work. People who suffer from severe mental illness do not have an intention to not work. For the most part, we generally desperately want to work. However, for the majority of us, our mental illnesses prevent us from working. For example, how can you expect someone who is experiencing delusions to have the wherewithal to know that they need to clock in for a job? Whenever I am experiencing a delusion, that is all I can think about. Or how can someone who is being distracted by hallucinations all around them be able to focus on a single task at their job? People who hallucinate tend to struggle with even knowing what is or is not real. Or how about someone who suffers from panic attacks? They cannot possibly be expected to work when they are feeling like they cannot even breathe and that they are on the verge of dying. As you can see, mental illness is a serious disease that makes it extremely difficult for us to be at a traditional 9-5 job. 

There is one other thing that makes it difficult for those of us with severe mental illnesses to be able to work. It is a thing called Anhedonia. What exactly is that you ask? According to the Cleveland Clinic, 

"Anhedonia is the lack of interest, enjoyment, or pleasure from life's experiences. You may not want to spend time with others or do activities that previously made you happy. Anhedonia is common of many mental health symptoms" 


Anhedonia is characterized by a lack of motivation to do basic daily activities such as brushing your teeth, taking a shower, and other such things. It can also affect your sex life because you cease to find pleasure in it. So, how does this relate to working? Well, for those of us with severe mental illnesses, we tend to get in these moods where we are not motivated to work. It is not about laziness or even about being depressed. The difference between anhedonia and laziness is that with anhedonia, we may want to work but our minds will not allow us to work, and with laziness, people just refuse to work. So, what are some treatments for people who suffer from anhedonia? There are quite a few treatments for this condition. Some of them are medication changes, ECT therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or Transcranial magnetic simulation. However, I have found some natural remedies for anhedonia. One of those ways is simply getting outside into the sun. There is something about being outside in the fresh air under the bright sun that has a way of lifting one's mood. There is also taking a warm shower that lifts the mood too. I understand that with anhedonia it may be tough to even think about getting in the shower. But, I have found that even if I tell myself to spend even a minute under the water it helps tremendously. 

Now, I would like to close this blog by giving those people with severe mental illnesses some encouragement. I understand that you may feel extreme guilt over not being able to work due to your illness, but I would like to remind you of what the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1. He says, 

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those of us in Christ Jesus" 

We are not condemned because Jesus took our condemnation upon Himself at the cross. Now, we are holy and blameless before God. So, do not allow the enemy to whisper condemnation into your ear. Also, as John tells us in 1 John 3:20, 

"...for whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything" 

Keep this in mind next time you begin to feel condemned for not being able to work. God knows your situation. He understands your limitations. However, I would like to offer some advice. Try to think of all your talents that the Lord has blessed you with and then ask Him (and your elders at church) how you can possibly use your talents for His glory. Are you funny? Maybe you can be a Christian comedian. Are you artistic? Maybe you can paint murals for your church. Are you musically talented? Maybe you can sing in the choir at church. If you do not know what your talents are, ask the Lord to reveal them to you. Ask the people closest to you to tell you what they notice you are good at too. Then, when you have found what you are good at, put yourself out there with your talent for His glory. When you are working for His glory, you will be blessed and find fulfillment. 

Thank you for reading this blog and I hope that this helps you better understand those of us who suffer from severe mental illnesses. We are not lazy, but our illnesses make it very difficult for us to work traditional jobs. Maybe instead of judging us for our limitations, you can help us find what we are good at and encourage us to pursue that path instead. 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 Manage Money When You Are Hypomanic?

 

Mania is a difficult thing to deal with when you have Bipolar disorder. When someone is manic, they tend to get delusional and they could feel invincible. We know a lot about mania, but what does not get talked about is it's lesser form, hypomania. What exactly is hypomania? According to the Cleveland Clinic, Hypomania

"is a condition where you experience revved-up energy or activity level, mood, or behavior" 

People in a hypomanic state can experience high-risk behaviors such as overspending and sleeping with multiple partners. Hypomania is usually followed up by a full-blown mania episode. This is why it is vital to catch yourself in a hypomanic state to bring yourself back down before you go into a manic state. This is difficult to do because we usually do not even realize we are hypomanic. However, this is why our loved ones are so important because they will be able to notice the signs before we do. If a loved one says we are hypomanic, it is good for us to consider the possibility.

As I have said earlier, overspending is one of the biggest signs of hypomania. When we get into a hypomanic state, it is difficult for us to control our spending habits. I know this is true in my own life. When I am hypomanic, I tend to blow right through any money I have on things I do not really need. This is especially harmful since I am on SSDI and do not have much money to begin with. Since I realize this, there are some precautions I must take to make sure I do not overspend my money. In this blog, I shall discuss some ways that can help keep you from overspending when you are in a hypomanic state. I have found that there are three things that you can do to prevent overspending. They are: 1) Give your debit or credit card to a trusted loved one, 2) Stay away from online shopping, and 3) Do not leave the house with your wallet or purse. I will elaborate on each of these points, but first I'd like to say that these are not the only things you can do to prevent overspending. these are just the most beneficial things you can do. If you can think of more, please let me know in the comments section. Now, time for me to elaborate on my points. 

Give Your Debit or Credit Card To A Trusted Loved One 

This one only works if you indeed have a trusted loved one in your life such as a parent, spouse, sibling, or good friend. The idea behind this is if your loved one notices you in a hypomanic state, they can temporarily take your debit card or credit card to prevent you from using it while you are in that state of mind. They do not need to permanently take your card from you and neither should they do that. It will be difficult at first to forfeit your credit because it will seem like you are being treated as a child who is losing your favorite toy, but it is well worth it over losing all of your money due to a lack of self-control. 

Stay Away From Online Shopping

This one is probably the most difficult thing to do, especially for myself because I absolutely love Amazon. Amazon makes it so easy to buy things and they have everything you could ever want. This is why online shopping is our worst enemy when we are in a hypomanic state of mind. The best thing we can do is forcefully restrain ourselves from going onto online shopping sites. This will take a whole lot of self-restraint on our part. So, if we find this one to be too difficult, it may be best to have our loved one temporarily change our password until we are no longer in a hypomanic state of mind. 

Do Not Leave The House With Your Wallet Or Purse 

This one is pretty difficult as well because so many of us are used to bringing our wallets and purses with us everywhere we go. It is so common to us that it has become almost a force of habit. However, whenever we are in a hypomanic state, this could be the worst thing we can do. I know that when I am hypomanic, I tend to make frequent trips to the corner store to buy snacks and other non-essential things. This is why it is important for me to not bring my wallet with me when I go on walks. This takes a lot of self-awareness and self-restraint too. So, if you find this to be too difficult for you, then it is wise to temporarily give your trusted loved one your wallet or purse. 

I hope that this blog helps you to know how to manage your money better while you are in a hypomanic state of mind. These tips are not easy to follow and God knows that even I struggle to follow them myself. However, if you can master these tips, your bank account will appreciate it. If you have already failed at managing your money, do not feel shame. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1, 

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" 

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

A Gospel Message For The Mentally Ill

 

I've heard it once said that the Gospel is scandalous. The reasons why the Gospel is so scandalous are twofold: one is because it says there is only one way to be saved and the other is that it does not matter what you've done because salvation is still available to you. As people with mental illness, we are not excluded from the simple Gospel message. But what exactly is the Gospel? There are many takes on what the Gospel is and many of them are wrong. Many professing Christians do not even know what the Gospel message is. Some think that it is simply praying the "Sinner's Prayer" while others think that it is all about doing good things for others. Neither of these is the Gospel. So, what IS the Gospel then? In this blog, I shall discuss what the Gospel is, but I will tailor it specifically for people with mental illness. The reason why I am doing this is because I want people with mental illness to believe in the correct message of the Gospel. Many people with mental illness have a faulty understanding of what the Gospel really is. I shall be breaking the Gospel message down into three parts: The Fall, Redemption, and Final Hope. My hope is that after you read this blog, you will walk away with a better understanding of the Gospel message and be filled with the hope of salvation. Please do not think that your mental illness will excuse you on the Day of Judgement because it most certainly will not. Mental illness may provide the context for sin, but it never excuses sin. For example, one who is clinically depressed may lay in bed all day. Their depression is causing them to be lazy, but laziness is still a sin. We will all stand in judgment before the Thrice holy God. As Hebrews 9:27 says, 

"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" 

On that day, all of our sins will be exposed and we will be found to be naked before God. Our justifications and excuses will not work before the God who knows us better than we know ourselves. But, I digress. The Gospel comes from the Greek word "Evangelio" which means "Good News". It is a word that was used in wartime. When an army won a war, someone would bring the good news of victory back to their camp. It was a message of celebration. If this sounds like I am saying the Gospel message is about victory in war, well, that is exactly what I am saying. To fully understand what I am getting at, I must take you all back to the beginning. 

The Fall

In Genesis 1, we read that God created the whole cosmos and everything in it. He created all of the planets and stars in the universe down to the very last atom. He created all the animals and creatures on the earth. Then, The Lord created human beings, as the pinnacle of His creation. Genesis 1:27 tells us, 

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them" 

Men and women together image the one Holy Triune God of creation. Then, in Genesis 2, we read how the Lord placed man in the Garden of Eden to work it and tend it. In verses 15-17, we read, 

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" 

Adam was commissioned to be a Prophet, Priest, and King over creation. As a Prophet, he was to consecrate creation to God. As a priest, he was to dedicate creation to God. And as a king, he was to lead creation in a royal procession in worshiping the Lord. If Adam had fulfilled his obligation, then he would have ushered in the New Heaven and New Earth right then and there. Sadly, this is not what happened. In Genesis 3, we read about how the serpent was the most crafty of all the creatures that God had made. The serpent came to Eve in the garden to tempt her. In verses 1-7, we read the following, 

"He (the serpent) said to the Woman, 'Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?' And the Woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die'. But the serpent said to the Woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, knowing good and evil.' So when the Woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves and made themselves loincloths" 

There are a few things in this text that I'd like to point out. First, the serpent originally questioned God's truth claim when he asked if the Lord said for them not to eat any of the trees in the Garden. This is the devil's tactic. He will ask us a question to get us to doubt God's truth. The next thing was Eve added to God's word when she said that they were not to even touch the fruit on the tree in the middle of the Garden. Our natural default setting is to be legalistic, which means to live by the law instead of by grace. After Eve answered the serpent, the serpent outright denied, or contradicted, God's truth with a truth claim of his own. The devil is constantly trying to deceive us with lies and half-truths. At that very moment, Eve had a choice to make. She could either choose to trust God's truth claim or trust the serpent's truth claim. Every time we are faced with a temptation to sin, we are faced with this dilemma as well. Unfortunately, Eve chose to believe the serpent's truth claim, and when Adam decided to follow his wife's decision, he plunged all of creation into sin, along with all of us. As Romans 5:12 and 14 says, 

"Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned...Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was the type of the one to come" 

Also, Romans 3:23 tells us, 

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." 

As you can see from these two texts, we all are sinners because of our being born in Adam. God is perfectly good and just to punish sins and since He is holy, sin cannot be in His presence. If the Lord had left us in this predicament, He would still be holy, good, loving, and just. However, the Lord has not left us in this position. Which leads me to my next point. 

Redemption

"...and are justified by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" -Romans 3:24-25 

Over 2,000 years ago, God came down as a man to take the punishment that we deserve upon Himself on a bloody Roman cross. Jesus Christ did not have to do this, but He chose to lay down His life for the sake of the elect because He loved us. The gift of salvation is completely free. Those who are saved, are saved by His grace alone. As Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, 

"For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast" 


It is because of this free gift found in Christ that we can be freely justified by His grace (Romans 5:1). This means that no matter what we do we are no longer condemned for our sin (Romans 8:1). What wonderful news is this? Our mental illnesses cannot prevent us from this salvation that is found only in Christ. As a matter of fact, the more we sin, the more grace covers our iniquity. As Romans 5:20 says, 

"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more..." 

This does not mean we can keep on living in sin because as Paul says elsewhere, how can we go on living in sin after we have been made alive in Christ? However, when we do sin, there is no longer any condemnation because of what Christ has done on our behalf. I said earlier that sin provides the context for sin. For this reason, many people with mental illnesses live in great shame. Well, beloved, please let this news sink into your hearts and minds. If you belong to Jesus Christ, you are truly under God's grace and not under the law's condemnation. So, is this the only hope that we have in Christ? If it were, this truth would be enough, but wait, there is much more. 

Final Hope

"So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it raised a spiritual body" -1 Corinthians 15:42-44

As you can see from this text, what awaits those of us who are in Christ is a great resurrection of the dead. At this time, we will be given new physical bodies, which are not subject to death and decay. What this means is that there will be no more mental illnesses because our bodies, and minds, will be restored. The great resurrection is our final hope where God will make all things new. As Revelation 21:1-4 tells us, 

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will  wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" 

At the great resurrection, God will make His dwelling with us on the New Heaven and New Earth, where there will be no more suffering because there will be no more sin. Our minds will no longer have the deteriorating effects of mental illness. We will no longer deal with anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations, delusions, multiple personalities, or any other effect of mental illness that we experience right now on this earth. Isn't this amazing news that makes you want to worship God? 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our only hope in this life and the next. Nothing else really matters. If you have not submitted yourself to the Lordship of Christ, I urge you to do so right now. Tomorrow is not promised to any of us. You could die in the next five minutes. Today is the day of Salvation. Do not let it pass. Repent and believe the Gospel. 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

Why Should People With Severe Mental Illness Remain On Their Medication For Life?

 

Many people with severe mental illness tend to vacillate between wanting to stay on their medication and stopping their medication. There are a variety of reasons why this happens. Some of us, do not like the side effects of some medications because we do not like how they make us feel. For others, they stop believing that they are mentally ill. And still others, believe that they have been healed of their mental illness. Regardless of the reason, going off of one's medication can cause some serious problems for those of us with severe mental illness. There are many good reasons why we should always remain on our medication and in this blog, I shall discuss some of those reasons. However, before I get into that reason, I would like to share a Scripture with you. James 1:17 tells us, 

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change" 

According to this text, every good gift comes from our Heavenly Father above. I use this text to prove that our psychiatric medications are actually good gifts from God. I know that some of them have nasty side effects, but that is a reason to talk to your psychiatrist about a medicine adjustment. It is never advisable for someone with severe mental illness to ever stop taking their medication. So, how do we know that medications are in fact good? Well, I will allow the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI) to answer that for me. They say, 

"The best treatments for serious mental illnesses today are highly effective; between 70 and 90 percent of individuals have a significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life with a combination of pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports.

With appropriate effective medication and a wide range of services tailored to their needs, most people who live with serious mental illnesses can significantly reduce the impact of their conditions and find a satisfying measure of achievement and independence"

As you can clearly see, appropriate mental health treatment is very beneficial for those of us with severe mental illness. When we are properly medicated, there should be minimal to no side effects, and we should be able to live a functional life. When we go off of our medication and stop seeing our therapist, some very drastic things could happen. For the sake of this blog, I shall focus on three of those things, but there are many more consequences to going off of our medication. If you can think of any more, please feel free to leave a comment below. The three things that I have noticed that could go wrong are the following: 

Death

Whenever we go off of our medication, we are literally risking our lives. Whether you believe it or not, this is a life-or-death situation. The reason I say this is because what could happen when we go off our medication? We will end up going into an episode where we participate in "high-risk" behaviors without even realizing it. For example, one night when I was manic, I left my home in the middle of the night to run around the streets proclaiming some new revelation I thought I received from God. On the surface, this may seem harmless, but at the time I lived in a dangerous neighborhood, and I could have made the wrong person angry enough to seriously murder me. 

Prison

Another reason why it is so important to remain on our medication is because it keeps us out of prison. I say this because again when we are in the middle of an episode, it can cause us to do something illegal. For example, one time when I was manic, I created a YouTube video where I threatened former president Donald Trump. This was so serious that the Secret Service paid me a visit. The only reason they did not take me away at that time was because I explained to them that I was off of my medication at the time. As a result, they told me that I better stay on my medication because if they have to come back, they are bringing handcuffs. 

Health

This reason is one that often gets overlooked. However, it is an important reason because when you are on psychiatric medication for some time your body becomes dependent on that medication. This is why when you abruptly stop taking the medication, your body will have a harmful reaction to that. I've been on my medication for so long that if I were to stop taking my medication, the results would be catastrophic. This is why if you need a medication adjustment, most psychiatrists will slowly taper you off of the first medication before prescribing a new one for you. 

I hope that this blog convinces you to remain on your medication so that none of these things I mentioned above will fall upon you. If you do not like the side effects from your current medication, please talk to your psychiatrist about them, so that he or she can try a different medication. It may take some time before they find the right medication. It took me 10+ years before I found the right one for me, but it was well worth it. If you go off of your medication, it may take a long while for the consequences to catch up to you, but eventually, they will.  The time it takes to find the right medication is worth the risk for maintaining stable mental health. 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

Identity & Mental Illness

 

Many people with mental illness struggle with what I call a loss of identity. We tend not to know who or what we are about. It is for this reason that we so easily fall into the trap of finding our identity in our mental illness. The reason why we do this is because our mental illness becomes such an important thing in our lives that it literally consumes us. Our lives revolve around our mental illness because everything we end up doing is about making sure we are stable. The problem with this mentality is that our identity should not be all about our mental illness. Yes, it may be a big part of our lives, and being stable does matter. However, we are much more than our mental illnesses. As Christians, our identity should be wrapped up in who we are in Christ. However,  I think so many of us who struggle with mental illness fail to understand exactly what that means/The reason for this is that we never really put much thought into exactly what our identity in Christ should look like. In the Church, it is just assumed that everyone knows what it means to find our identity in Christ and so it is never elaborated on. Well, for this blog, I shall attempt to shed some light on exactly what it means to find your identity in Christ. The purpose of this blog is to give Christians some encouragement and to help Christians with mental illness truly understand that they are so much more than their illness. Once we truly understand what identity in Christ is about, we can go through life with our heads held high with confidence that the God we serve is truly on our side. The Scripture text I shall be focusing on for this blog is 1 Peter 2:9, which says, 

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you" 

This is such a rich and profound text. There are quite a few applications we can take from this simple text such as who exactly we are and for what purpose we were chosen by God. I will break down each of these points into four categories: Chosen, Royal, Holy, and Purpose. At the end of this blog, I hope you will walk away with a whole new outlook on who you are in Christ. If that happens, then the purpose of this blog has been served. 

Chosen

When I think about the fact that we were chosen by God, I am taken back to Paul's words in Ephesians 1:4-5. He says, 

"...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he blessed us in the Beloved"

As you can clearly see from this text, God has chosen us before He created anything in creation. This means that before He created anything, He knew you and me individually and intimately. What does it mean that the Lord chose us? It means that since the foundation of the world, we are considered holy and blameless in His sight. This means that God has literally chosen to see us as without sin. I know that seems difficult to grasp because we know our own sins all too well, but in this text, we can see that God freely chooses not to acknowledge our sins. That is a remarkable truth that we should take a moment to let sink in. 

Royal

Have you ever considered yourself to be royalty before? If you have not, well, you really should start because that is exactly how the Lord sees you as a son or daughter of the Great King. In Medieval times, the royal family was treated with a special kind of dignity, respect, and honor solely because of their status in society.  No one even dared to dishonor or disrespect the royal family for fear that they would be punished. The reason for this is because of the authority the royal family held. In the same way, we who belong to Christ are deserving of the same honor and respect even more than the earthly royal family ever deserved. I say this because our King is not just the Ruler over a piece of land. He is the Ruler over the entire universe. Everything in all creation belongs to Him. It is for this reason that this creation belongs to us as well because we are Christ's heirs. 

Holy 

What exactly does it mean to be holy? We know that the Lord tells us in Matthew 5:48 to "be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect". But, what exactly does this even mean? After all, none of us can ever claim to be literally perfect. So, to be holy simply means "to be set apart"/ What are we set apart from though? Well, The Lord answers that in John 15:18-19 when He says, 

"If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" 

The Lord tells us that we were chosen to be out of the world. In other words, to be holy means to be set apart from the world. Our citizenship does not belong to this world, instead, we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Purpose

So what exactly is the purpose that we were chosen for in this world? What exactly does it mean to "proclaim the excellencies of him who called you into his marvelous light"? Simply put, we are called to preach the Gospel to every living soul in this world. We live in a dying world with people who do not know the Lord. We were not called to live in an isolated bubble away from society as we await His return. Instead, we are commanded to bring the good news to people all over the world. We are called ambassadors of the Kingdom. As the Lord commands us in Matthew 28:18-20, 

"...All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with always to the end of the age" 

Our purpose is to tell people that they have a new King and they are commanded today to repent and believe the Gospel. That is not a mere suggestion, but a literal command from the Lord. Jesus Christ is the King of every living person on this earth, whether they choose to acknowledge Him or not. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand your own identity in Christ. Our mental illnesses do not define us. They are an important part of our lives, but they are not who we are. Our identities are so much more than our mental illnesses. 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

The Church Fathers & Early Psychology

 

Between the first and fourth centuries, while the Roman empire was at its zenith and beginning to disintegrate, Christianity became the dominant religion. For this reason, the pagan philosophers were being replaced as leaders by a new group: The Patrists, or fathers of the Church. While the Church fathers were busy defending the faith, they could not help but have some influence from the philosophers at the time. This is not to say that they accepted everything that the pagan philosophers had to say. On the contrary, whatever contradicted clear Christian teaching they rejected, and whatever affirmed Christian teaching they received. As a result, the early Christian fathers could be said to have been considered protopsychologists to a certain extent. When I say this, what I mean is that they had some philosophic ideas that influenced early psychology before psychology came onto the scene as a science. I know that this sounds strange to read, especially for those who have never heard this before. Before you write me off as a lunatic, however, please hear me out. In this blog, I will carefully explain how the early Church fathers had some ideas that influenced early Psychology. The source that I get my information from comes from a book titled "The Story of Psychology" written by Morton Hunt. After you finish reading this blog, there will be a link at the bottom of this page to the book on Amazon. I highly recommend that you check it out because it is well worth the read. For the sake of this blog, the Church fathers I shall be focusing on are Tertullian, Augustine, and Thomas Aquinas because they are the most well-known to have had the most influence on Church history. 

Tertullian: 

He lived from 160-230 AD and he was the son of a Roman centurion while growing up in Carthage. His education was in law before going to Rome and becoming a jurist. By his mid-thirties, he came to know the Lord and renounced pagan pleasures. He was in a constant rage over how the pagans mistreated the Christians and even coined the saying, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church". So, what was his contribution to Psychology? Well, to begin with, he was well-versed in the psychology of his time and even fought against whatever went against the Church's beliefs, but he accepted whatever affirmed the Church's beliefs. For instance, because of his Christian beliefs, he rejected the philosophy of Plato concerning the soul. He says, 

"When we acknowledge that the soul originates in the breath of God, it follows that we attribute a beginning to it. Plato refuses to assign this to it; he will have the soul unborn and unmade. We, however, from the very fact of its having had a beginning, as well as from the nature thereof, teach that it had both birth and creation... The opinion of the philosopher is overthrown by the authority of prophecy" 

Here, he is clearly saying that since we accept that the human soul has a beginning, and thus, is created, we are obligated to reject Plato's philosophy of the soul. The reason for this is that Plato thought that the soul is eternal, which is in direct contradiction to the Holy Scriptures. According to Genesis 2:7, 

"...then the Lord God formed the man of the dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature" 

Once God breathed His breath into humans, that is when the soul is created. It is for this reason that we cannot accept the concept of an eternal soul. 

Although Tertullian disagreed with philosophers concerning an eternal soul, he agreed with them in some sense that the soul is corporeal and connected to bodily functions. He says, 

"The soul certainly sympathizes with the body and shares in its pain whenever it is injured by bruises, and wounds, and sores; the body, too, suffers with the soul and is united to it whenever the soul is afflicted with anxiety, distress, or love, testifying to its shame and fears by its own blushes and paleness. The soul, therefore, is proved to be corporeal from this inter-communion of susceptibility" 

As you can see, Tertullian believed that the soul and body were intertwined together. When the soul suffers or is excited, the body suffers or is excited. When the body suffers or is excited, the soul suffers or is excited. In other words, whatever happens to either the body or soul, the opposite is affected. 

Augustine: 

He was alive in 354-430 AD and was born in Tagaste, which is a town in the Roman province of Numidia. His mother knew the Lord, while his father was a pagan. His early years were met with luxury, but it was soon fading away because of barbarians invading the outlying parts of the Empire. At the age of thirty-two, at the behest of his mother, he sent his concubine away and waited for his fiancee to come of age. One day, while he was weeping, he ran to a garden and heard a voice saying, "Take up and read, take up and read". He, then, picked up a Bible and opened it to a random page. The words he read were from The Apostle Paul, which said, 

"Not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying: but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and not make provision for the flesh, in concupiscence" 

From that moment on, he devoted himself to the Lord and gave up his desire to be married. He threw himself into study and was later baptized by Bishop Ambrose. So, what was his contribution to early Psychology? Like Tertullian, Augustine accepted science where it affirms Scripture, but denied science where it contradicted Scripture. He actually did have a lot to say concerning psychology, but he did not treat it systematically. He believed that the soul or mind can be influenced by the condition of the body and that the body can influence the soul or mind. He also used psychology to explain the Trinity. For instance, he said, 

"Since these three, memory, reason, and will, are not three lives but one life, nor three minds but one mind, it follows that they are not three substances but one substance...These three are one, in that they are one life, one life, one essence" 

What he is essentially saying is that since we are made in the Imago Dei, our minds are made up in a trinitarian sense of memory, reason, and will. He compares that to the Holy Trinity. He also dealt with psychology in a more naturalistic sense. For instance, he said, 

"I enter the fields and roomy chamber of memory, wherein are the treasures of countless images imported into it from all manner of things by the senses" 

Thomas Aquinas: 

He was born in 1225 AD to the Count of Aquino and a descendant of the Norman princes of Sicily. At the age of five, his father sent him away to live and study at Benedict Abbey at Monte Cassino. However, he left at the age of fourteen and was known as a confirmed scholar and ascetic. Five years later, he became a Dominican monk. As a result, his mother instigated his brothers to kidnap him and lock him in a room until he decided to no longer be a monk. However, when this proved to be fruitless, his mother relented. So, how did he contribute to Psychology? His psychology was largely influenced by the philosopher Aristotle, although it was couched in his own terminology. Aquinas divides the "psyche" into three different categories: the vegetative, the sentient, and the rational. The vegetative state was its autonomic physical functions. The sentient state was the perception, appetite, and locomotive. And the rational state was the memory, intellect, and reason. He later offers reasons for saying that reason is "more noble and more sublime" in its nature, and then he says that reason determines what is good. He says, 

"When the desired object is superior to the soul in which its nature is understood by reason, then the will is superior to reason... it is better to love God than merely to know God, and conversely it is better to understand corporeal things than to love them...through love, we cleave to God, who is transcendently raised above the soul; in this instance, the will is superior to reason" 

As you can clearly see from these three foundational Fathers of the Christian faith, psychology (in its most primitive state) had great influence in their theological works, and conversely, they had great influence on early psychology as well. I hope that this blog gives you a greater appreciation for the study of Psychology because if Psychology was good enough for the early Church fathers, then it should be good enough for any modern-day Christian. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this 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

The Story of Psychology by Morton Hunt

The Lord Will Restore The Years That Mental Illness Stole

 

Mental illness is a difficult thing to deal with daily. Many people who do not deal with mental illness tend to underestimate what exactly we deal with. Some people seem to think that we do not deal with anything different than what other people deal with. Since this is what they think, it is no wonder why they do not understand how difficult things are for us. For example, they do not understand what it is like to experience really high mania to the point where we get delusional and even hallucinate only to drop down into deep suicidal depression and then immediately go back up again. They do not understand what it is like to be in a grocery store and out of nowhere have an intense panic attack where you feel like you are going to die. They do not understand what it is like to feel intense compulsions to perform certain rituals to prevent something bad from happening. All of this and much more describe the intense battle those of us with mental illness deal with daily. However, it is not only this we have to deal with. In the midst of all of this, we also have to deal with the amount of years that we miss while dealing with our mental illness. What I mean by this is the fact that while we are dealing with our illnesses life seems to pass us by. While we are in and out of hospitals, our family is growing up without us and moving on with their lives. In this blog, I shall talk about some of the things my mental illness has caused me to lose, but I will close this by giving some hope straight from the Scriptures. The purpose of this blog is to help the reader understand that even though they may have lost some years because of their illness, there is still hope of restoration through Christ. 

My illness has fundamentally changed my life in drastic ways. I was initially misdiagnosed at the age of 13 with clinical depression, but I suspect that I had Schizoaffective Disorder back then. Since the age of 13, I have noticed my life change in three very fundamental ways: family life, work ethic, and life experience. I will elaborate on all three of these points, but I would like to say that these are not the only ways my life has been changed by my mental illness. These are just the main ways. 

Family Life 

As I was growing up, my sisters have always been a stable support in my life because through everything I've been through they have always been by my side. However, due to my mental illness, I have not always been the greatest little brother to them. I had a tendency to be argumentative, manipulative, and, in some cases, even racist (not toward them but toward their husbands). I was more concerned with seeking my own interests than I was about building a relationship with them. Mental illness has a way of causing people like us to be very selfish. It is because of my selfishness that I never bothered to build a relationship with my nephews and niece and to this day they are virtual strangers to me. This makes sense because they essentially grew up without me in the picture most of their lives and now it seems like it is too late to establish any kind of relationship with them no matter how hard I try. 

Work Ethic

My job history has been very erratic because of my Schizoaffective Disorder. It is not because I am lazy. I am a very hard and diligent worker when I want to be. However, how can I expect to be at work when I am having delusions that I am supposed to harm the president or that I am the anti-Christ? How am I supposed to be at work when I literally cannot even get out of bed because I am super depressed and do not even want to live? There were times when the stress of work got to me so much that I would impulsively quit my job. It is for these reasons that I have a scattered work history. 

Life Experiences

There are many life experiences that young people go through that I missed because of my mental illness. For instance, I never had the opportunity to date until I was already an adult. It makes sense because in high school I was too busy being chased down the hall by an invisible giant fly with a human face. What teenage girl would want to date someone like that? Another life experience I missed was never getting my driver's license. At first, this was understandable because I was in foster care, but as an adult, I still never got my license. To be fair, I was not successful in finding someone who would consistently teach me how to drive. The ones who said they would teach me would give up as soon as they noticed how overwhelmed and stressed I would get behind the wheel. It is for this reason that I decided it is best for me to not drive. I do not think I could do well managing myself on the road. 

I could go on for literally days about how my illness caused me to miss out on a lot of things these past years, but that is not the ultimate purpose of this blog. I just want the reader to know and understand that I get how you must be feeling about how mental illness stole years away from your life. So, what kind of hope can I offer you concerning this? Well, if we turn to Joel 2:25, we read, 

"I will restore to you the years that the swarming locusts have eaten, the hopper the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you" 

No matter how many years that mental illness stole from you, the Lord promises to restore them in your life. This is something that I did not understand when I was younger. I believed that I was destined to live out my life in a mental health group home or to die inside a dirty rooming house. However, the Lord had other plans for me. At the age of 33, the Lord gave me a wife. I know it was later in life than most people get married, but I am thankful for His provision. Also, the Lord gave me my calling in life to become a mental health advocate and an author too. God has really restored the years I lost and I believe He will continue to restore the years that I lost. I still do not have a close relationship with my nephews and niece but I believe that one day I will. My relationship with my sisters has definitely been growing more now that I am actually working towards growing closer to them. My point that I am getting is this: Do not give up on life just because you do not seem to be progressing the way your peers seem to be progressing in life. The Lord has you right where He wants you. You just need to entrust yourself to His sovereign care. As Proverbs 3:5-6 says, 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths" 

We are called not to trust in our own wisdom, but to trust in His wisdom because the Lord knows what is best. We do not need to worry about how long it is taking us to get married or why we seem to not be able to keep a job or whatever it is we are frustrated about. As the Lord Himself tells us in Matthew 6:33-34, 

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" 

Our duty as Christians is to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first in our lives. When we do this, He will make sure everything else we need He will provide. We do not need to worry about tomorrow. When we truly understand God's sovereignty in our lives, we can put our minds at ease. We will be able to focus on the things we need to do today and let God handle the issues of tomorrow. 

I hope that this blog helps you understand that even though mental illness may have stolen some years off of your life, the Lord is mighty enough to restore those years. Please allow my story to be an encouragement to you. God is in the habit of creating miracles when everything seems bleak. 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