Why John MacArthur Is Wrong About Mental Illness (Part 6)

 

This is a continuation of my blog series where I critique Mr. John MacArthur's two sermons on mental illness, titled "Anxiety-Free Living". In those sermons, he bases them off of Luke 12:24-33 and interprets that passage as saying we should not worry about anything if we truly trust in the sovereignty of God. In that passage, Jesus uses the metaphor of the birds and lilies. Jesus says that the birds and lilies do nothing for themselves, yet our Father takes care of them. In the same way, He says, God will take care of us. I have no issue with Mr. MacArthur's interpretation of this passage. But, I do take issue with his trivialization of clinical mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders. Mr. MacArthur seems to think that anxiety disorders would go away if people just merely "trusted God" as if things were that simple. Mr. MacArthur does not seem to understand the depths of OCD or PTSD. He seems to believe that Christians who suffer from those disorders are not really trusting in God. This is a heinous accusation for him to make because it causes Christians who suffer from those diagnoses to feel like there really is something wrong with them. That is why I decided to write this blog series. I want to let Christians who suffer from these disorders know that they are not second-class citizens in His kingdom. I want these Christians to know that there is nothing wrong with them and that they are not alone. According to the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI), over 20% of the population has a mental illness. Some estimates say it is over 50%. This means that over 20-50% of the population suffers from a clinical mental illness. Christians who suffer from a mental illness and actually it is quite normal to have a mental illness. But, I digress. I will not focus on the next part of Mr. MacArthur's sermon. 

The next part of his sermon that I'd like to focus on comes near the bottom once more. He says the following, 

Here's another way to say that.  You exist for a higher reason, OK?  You exist for a higher reason.  Life is more than food and you have a body for more reasons than just clothing.  In other words, God didn't make you so that you could be like an animal.  You're not just an eating machine.  You're not just the ultimate end of the food chain.  You're not the final product of evolution.  And your body is not designed as something that's just supposed to be clothed for its environmental protection.  It's really not about that at all.  You're not an eating machine and a mannequin.  You know, it's hard to convince our culture of that.  Food and fashion, food and fashion, OD'd on restaurants and clothes.  But without God, you are an eating machine and a mannequin.  But God didn't give His people life for that reason.  I'm not here just to exist.  It's in God that I live and move and have my being.  But God has a purpose for my life.  I'm under divine priority.  The simple idea is this, folks, get it.  For those who are in the kingdom, if God gave you life, and He did if He wants you to live, and He does if you're alive, if He brought you into His kingdom, and He has, then He has a purpose for you to fulfill in His kingdom to His glory and so He will sustain you to that fulfillment.  OK?

I completely agree with Mr. MacArthur that we all exist for a higher purpose rather than just being an eating machine. I fully reject the evolutionary understanding of human beings. Once we focus on divine priority, as Mr. MacArthur puts it, we should understand that there is more to life. My contention with this portion of his sermon is that he is insinuating that Christians who suffer from mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, do not understand this nor do they focus on "divine priority". The truth is, that many Christians who suffer from mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, do understand that there is more to life. They also understand that God has created them for a special purpose too. Knowing and fully believing this truth does not necessarily make OCD and PTSD go away. It is not as simple as Mr. MacArthur makes it seem. The problem with Mr. MacArthur saying that it is this simple is that Christians who suffer from anxiety disorders will hear this, and when their anxiety does not go away, they will then think there is something inherently wrong with them The truth is, Jesus never promises to take away our mental illnesses. He promises us a hard life. That's why He tells us to pick up our crosses and follow Him. Mental illness is simply a cross that many of us have to bear in this life. 

The next portion of his sermon that I'd like to address is the very next paragraph. He says the following, 

I mean, it wouldn't make any sense for God to say, "I will save you and I will give you eternal life, I'll give you spiritual life, and I have a purpose for your life and a destiny and a plan and a purpose and I gifted you and I've called you, and I've laid out circumstances and, man, if you can just keep yourself alive to fill this deal out, this will be really good."  No.  In all honesty, the people who are not in God's family come and go and live and die with no contribution to the divine kingdom.  But those of us who are His are fulfilling divine purpose and that's why you can say with the psalmist, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not (what?) want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.  He leads me through the valley of the shadow of death” and out the other side.  The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the psalmist says.

The issue that I have with this portion of his sermon is that he is insinuating that people with mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorders, do not contribute anything to the Kingdom. Actually, he basically is comparing us to non-believers! It seems like he thinks so little of people like us. This is contrary to Scripture which tells us that the one who seems indispensable should be given more honor. John MacArthur preached a theology that says if you are indispensable then you are not even a believer. Amazingly, people do not walk away from this type of preaching feeling like they are worthless Christians in the Kingdom of God. The truth of the matter is all Christians are important in the Kingdom. We all serve a purpose in this life and the next. No one Christian is more important than the other. Furthermore, if you are a Christian who suffers from mental illness, you are still valuable, and you still serve a purpose. Do not listen to people like Mr. MacArthur who says you serve no purpose if you have a mental illness. Pray and ask the Father what your purpose is and then speak with your elders about what the Lord is revealing to you. Then, go out and fulfill your purpose. I used to think that my life was worthless, but then the Lord revealed to me that my purpose was to become a Christian mental health advocate who would start Christ-Centered Mental Health. My ministry may be small, but I can see the fruit it is bearing. God desires the same for you. He created you for a purpose in this life. Do not allow your mental illness to make you think your life is nothing because that is a lie straight from hell. Mr. MacArthur may not understand this nor does he believe it, but mentally ill brothers and sisters really do have a lot to offer the Body of Christ. 

This concludes this segment of my critique of John MacArthur's sermon. Please stay tuned for Part 7 of this series. 

I would like to thank you for reading this blog series and I hope that this helps you see that your mental illness is not an impediment to living with purpose for God. And if you do not have a mental illness, I hope you can see that what John MacArthur is saying concerning mental illness is not true. 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