How God's Providence Should Affect Your Mental Health

 

So many Christians today are plagued with feelings of intense anxiety and fear. Whether we are worried about the future or the state of the country we are in, fear grips us all. I know in my life personally I am filled with a lot of anxiety especially when I think about my death or the death of my wife. In these moments, it helps for us to have a firm understanding of the providence of God. In this blog, I shall talk about what the Bible says about God's providence and then I will discuss how the doctrine of His providence should affect our mental health. But, first, what do I mean by God's providence? Grand Canyon University gives a simple but very clear definition of what His providence means. They say, 

 "God’s providence is God’s caring provision for his people as he guides them in their journey of faith through life, accomplishing his purpose in them. God’s mission is to save people and shape them to be more like Jesus.

As you can see by this definition, it is about God's caring provision for His people. As Christians, we believe in an infinitely powerful God who is in control of everything that comes to pass. This means that not even the tiniest molecule in space is outside of the will of God. Everything happens just as He ordains it to happen. You may be wondering exactly what scriptures I have to support this claim. Well, first I would like to turn your attention to Ephesians 1:11, which says, 

"In him, we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things to the counsel of his will" 

God works out *all* things according to His will. Theologians have distinguished between God's Sovereign Will and His Moral Will. God's Sovereign Will is His plan from eternity past where He ordains all things that come to pass and His Moral Will is the Ten Commandments that He has imprinted on all people's hearts. The best example where God's Sovereign Will and His  Moral Will meet is with Jesus Christ on the cross. On the one hand, murder is sinful (according to God's Moral Will) but on the other hand, God ordained Jesus to be crucified for the sins of His elect. As we see in Revelation 13:8, 

"All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast -- all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world"

Here we see that it was part of God's plan from before the foundation of the world to see Jesus Christ crucified. Yet, when we turn to Acts 5:30, we read the following, 

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree"

As you can see, God still held those who killed Jesus accountable for their actions. No one can use God's sovereignty as an excuse to evade responsibility for one's actions. God will not hold him who sins to be without guilt for sin is very heinous in His sight. But, I digress. Another Scripture I'd like to turn your attention to is Romans 8:28, which says, 

"And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" 

I strongly believe that this applies to literally everything that we can go through in this life. No matter how big or small our trials and tribulations are, they are all working together for our good. We may not be able to fully comprehend how certain heinous acts are being worked out for our good, but We trust and serve an all-powerful and all-knowing God. I like to use the example of a beautiful tapestry: if we just focus on the individual squares then we will miss the big picture that the tapestry is displaying. However, all those individual squares are forming a beautiful picture for us to gaze upon. In the same way, our individual circumstances may seem like isolated events, but they are forming a much bigger and more beautiful picture than we can even imagine. It takes faith for us to look at our individual life circumstances in this way. The next and final Scripture I'd like to turn your attention to is Matthew 10:29-31. Our Lord says, 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows" 

Here Jesus is telling us that just like the lives of a bird are in His hands to the point that not one dies without His ordination, so is it the same way for us. Our lives are completely in the Sovereign hands of God. And we can trust Him because He is completely good. So, how should the knowledge of God's providence affect our mental health? I have found that this knowledge should have three different effects on our mental health. They are the following:

1) It should cause us to rest easy 
2) It should allow us to have peace of mind about the future 
3) It should cause us to not fear death 

I will elaborate on each of these points but first I'd like to say that I know that there may be other effects this doctrine should have on our mental health. These are just the main ones I can think of right now. If you can think of any more please feel free to let me know. 

It Should Cause Us To Rest Easy 

What I mean by this is that when we understand that God is completely sovereign over everything that comes to pass and that He is working out all things for our good, we should not feel like we must work ourselves to the bone just to make ends meet. We can finally take time to rest from our work because we know that God is taking care of our needs. Someone who is working himself tirelessly to the bone is demonstrating that he does not truly trust in the providence of God. 

It Should Allow Us To Have Peace of Mind About The Future 

What I mean by this is that when we truly understand that God ordains all things that come to pass, we can trust that anything we go through in life is not a surprise to God. A certain trial we are experiencing may catch us by surprise but it definitely is not catching Him by surprise. For this reason, we can trust in Him and we can be free from anxieties no matter what we are going through. 

It Should Cause Us To Not Fear Death

What I mean by this is that when we are trusting in the Sovereignty of God, we will understand that whether we live or die it is all in His hands. We will understand that no matter what we will live as long as God decides we will live and we will die whenever He decides we will die. Contrary to popular opinion, no one "dies before their time". This is a remarkable truth that deeply affects me because I frequently think about my own death and when I do it helps me to understand that my life and death are up to God. 

I hope that this blog helps you to understand God's providence a little better and I hope that after reading this you have a little more peace of mind about your current circumstances. We serve a great God who cares for us. Thank you for reading 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

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

When You Feel Alone Because Of Your Mental Illness

 

It is quite common for those of us with mental illness to feel alone in this world. We tend to feel this way partially because mental illness is so stigmatized in society but it is also because we are so misunderstood by society and the Church. This feeling of aloneness has led many people with mental illness to take their own lives or resort to self-harm. For those of us who are Christians, we actually have good news that should inspire us to hope instead of despair. How exactly does the Bible answer the aloneness we feel? In this blog, I will discuss the hope we have in Christ that should bring us great comfort in our moments of loneliness. However, before I get into what the Bible says concerning this topic, I would like to tell you that I understand what it feels like to feel like you are alone and no one understands you. For the majority of my life, I have always had this gnawing feeling of loneliness that I had to wrestle with. As a matter of fact, that feeling has led me to get into some very unhealthy relationships with women who did not mean me well. So, please know that I get what you may be feeling and know that I do not take this issue lightly. I completely understand how devastating and life-threatening loneliness can be. Now, how does the word of God address this topic? 

"Keep your life free from the love of money, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'." -Hebrews 13:5 

In this text, we have the beautiful promise that the infinite and holy Creator of the universe will never leave us nor forsake us. This means that the Lord is always there for those who put their faith in Christ. Even in our darkest times, we can always turn to Him and He always hears us too. This is why King Solomon can say in Proverbs 18:10, 

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe" 

In our moments of loneliness, we know that we have an infinitely powerful God who controls all things that come to pass and cares for us. We also know that the Lord is faithful to us because as 2 Timothy 2:13 tells us, 

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful-- for he cannot deny himself" 

Even when we are not faithful to Him, The Lord remains faithful to us! This means that even when we neglect to read His word, go to church regularly, or even pray, He is still right there with us. He is forever on our side! This means that we are never truly alone, despite how we are feeling at the moment. This is why the Apostle Paul can say in Romans 8:31, 

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

Since the infinitely wise and holy and powerful God is for us, we have every reason in the world to have hope in this life and the next. This is great news for those of us who struggle with feelings of loneliness because we understand that we can never truly be alone. I know that when my feelings of loneliness creep up on me, these reminders bring me immense comfort. I know that if you take the time to meditate on these things they will bring you great comfort as well. I understand that we may still struggle with feelings of loneliness because we do not always feel the presence of God. However, when those moments creep up, it is important for us to trust His word over our own feelings. Emotions are deceptive but the word of God is not. As the writer to the Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 6:18, 

"... so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have a strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us" 

We can take God's word to the bank because we know that He is always truthful for he cannot lie. Our emotions lie to us all the time so we must not trust how we are currently feeling. God's word does not change nor is it subject to failure. God's word always accomplishes His purposes. But, what is the biblical solution for those of us who struggle with feelings of loneliness despite all these great promises from God? 

"...not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" Hebrews 10:25 

It is vitally important for us to not forsake the gathering of the saints. We absolutely need fellowship with one another. I know that when we are feeling depression and loneliness that the last thing we want to do is be around other people. However, when we are alone we are much more susceptible to the devils' attacks. There truly is strength in numbers and when we go to church every Sunday we really do feel rejuvenated to face the rest of the week. When we participate in the weekly worship of God with the saints of God, we will have a difficult time feeling alone especially when your brothers and sisters are encouraging you in the faith. Our Christian family is much more important than our blood family in a lot of cases because our Christian family is who we will spend eternity with. You won't be spending eternity with your blood family unless they put their faith in Christ. 

I hope that this blog has encouraged you if you are feeling lonely and misunderstood. I pray that you will meditate on these truths and praise the Lord for His faithfulness to us. 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

Does God Have A Special Grace For Those Who Are Severely Mentally Handicapped?

A recent conversation with a friend of mine raised a very controversial topic that I felt I need to address. This topic concerns whether or not God reserves a special grace for those who are severely mentally handicapped. My friend asked me if I believe that those who literally have no comprehension will be saved and that question is something that I have had to wrestle with for many years. I will like to admit that I understand that this topic is very emotionally-charged and for good reason. No one wants to think that God will send their loved one with Down syndrome to hell for eternity. However, our concern should be with what the Bible says concerning this topic and not what our emotions say. I understand that it feels emotionally good to say that God will have special grace for someone who is severely mentally handicapped, but then again our emotions are not the final authority. God's word is the final authority. So, what exactly does the Bible say concerning this topic? Unfortunately, there is nothing explicit in the Bible that says one or another about what happens to severely mentally handicapped people when they die, but we can make some logical inferences from key texts of the Bible though. Before I get into those key texts, however, I would like to freely admit that I am most likely going to be in the minority concerning this topic because most people would probably disagree with my assessment. That is fine because I am open to dialogue concerning this topic. My main concern is being faithful to Scripture and I am not beholden to the majority opinion.  Many people will answer in the affirmative that God does have special grace for those who are severely mentally handicapped. I think this view has two fundamental errors to it: one is that it denies Scripture and the other is that it does not understand the human mind. I will elaborate on these points and then I will discuss what the biblical answer is for those who are severely mentally handicapped. 

The View Denies Scripture 

Many people who hold to the view that says God has a special grace for those who are mentally handicapped do so because they think that God will not hold someone who cannot comprehend the Gospel accountable. These people believe that someone who has a severe case of Down syndrome will freely be let into the Kingdom even if they never profess faith in Christ. This view is dangerous because it says that there is more than one way to salvation. These people are saying that one can be saved by either faith in Christ or by being born severely mentally handicapped. This is a fundamental denial of Acts 4:12 which says, 

"And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" 

According to this text, everyone is saved the same way and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. God does not make a distinction between persons. The mentally handicapped person is in no better position than we are. As Romans 11:12 says, 

"For there is no distinction between Jew or Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him" 

Notice how that text says there is no distinction between Jew and Greek? This means every one of us is in the same boat regardless of our mental or physical infirmities. God is the God of all people no matter their race, gender, socioeconomic status, or disability. If that is not enough to convince you, I will now turn your attention to Acts 10:34-35 which says, 

"So Peter opened his mouth and said: 'Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him"

As we can see from this text, God does not show partiality amongst His creation but treats us all as equals regardless of our race, sex, or disability status. However, the people who promote the view that God shows the mentally handicapped a special grace are saying that God does indeed show partiality towards some people. These people are calling the Lord a liar! 

As we can see clearly from the Bible, there is only one way for anyone to be saved and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. But this leads one to wonder about the mental capacity of someone who is mentally handicapped. Can they comprehend enough to know to put their faith in Christ? Those who hold to this view will answer in the negative. I would disagree with them and that leads me to my next point. 

This View Misunderstands The Human Mind 

The people who hold to the view that God has a special grace for those who are severely mentally handicapped do so because they believe that the person in question cannot comprehend the Gospel. I submit that these people are merely looking at outward appearance when they make that claim. However, 1 Samuel 16:7 tells us, 

"But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart"

What does God see when He looks at the human heart exactly? Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the human heart is "deceitfully wicked above all things". This means that even the severely mentally handicapped person is wicked in his heart. The human mind can comprehend much more than we give it credit even when the human body is weak and failing. The evidence of this is coma patients. When someone is in a coma they are still able to hear and comprehend everything that is said and going on around them. This is why doctors encourage family members to speak to their loved ones who are comatose. My question to you is this: If a coma patient can comprehend what is going on around them, then what makes you think that a severely mentally handicapped individual, who is not comatose, cannot comprehend things? We must avoid the fallacy of judging these people based off of physical appearance and understand that the Lord can and does work within their minds. So, even when these people appear to not comprehend much, their mind is still very active. You may be wondering now, what is the biblical solution for reaching someone who is severely mentally handicapped with the Gospel and that leads me to my final point. 

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ" -Romans 10:17 

The biblical solution for reaching someone who is severely mentally handicapped with the Gospel is surprisingly the same method God uses to reach anyone else: preaching! This may seem like a trite statement to make but as we have seen God shows no partiality. This means that His way of reaching one person is going to be the same way He reaches another person regardless of their infirmities. However, for certain types of people (specifically, those who are severely mentally handicapped) you may have to get very creative with how you preach the Gospel to them. Sometimes you may have to pick up special training to learn how to effectively communicate with the mentally handicapped loved one. Regardless of whatever form the preaching takes, the word of God tells us that faith comes by hearing the preached word of God. You can take great encouragement with this because you understand that there is hope in Christ for your mentally handicapped loved one to be saved. You can also be encouraged by the fact that your loved one is not a vegetable like proponents of the "special grace" view seem to think they are. 

I hope that this blog has cleared up this issue for your once and for all. I understand that the view I am proposing is not a popular view and it does not feel right but as Christians, we should stand on the authority of God's word above how we may feel about 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

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

How To Share The Gospel With A Mentally Ill Loved One?

 

Someone recently asked me how one is to witness to someone who has a mental illness. This is a concern that I have found is a common concern among people who have loved ones who suffer from a mental illness. On the one hand, I completely understand this concern, but on the other hand, I feel this concern is from a misunderstanding of the nature of mental illness. People seem to think that their mentally ill loved one somehow needs to be treated differently from other people. While it is true that we do have certain things that trigger us, we are just like everyone else you may know in your life. So, as long as you keep in mind what triggers us, it should not be difficult for you to treat us the way you would treat anyone else. However, for those of you who do not know what it looks like to minister to a loved one with mental illness, I am writing this blog to help you out. If you follow this blog's advice, you should be able to minister easier to your loved one with mental illness. I do not want you to get discouraged because the advice I am dispensing is for anyone. However, I want you to know that dealing with someone with a mental illness will be challenging. It can and will push you to your limits. But, when you do this it will be one of the most rewarding things that you will ever do. When sharing the Gospel with a loved one with mental illness, there are five things to always remember. These five things are the following: 

1) Keep It Simple 
2) Do Not Argue 
3) Be Prayerful 
4) Avoid Trigger Topics 
5) Encourage Fellowship 

I will now elaborate on these five points but first I would like to say that if this sounds simple it is because it really is. As I have previously stated, dealing with a mentally ill loved one is really no different than dealing with someone without a mental illness. If you keep this in mind then I believe you will do just fine. 

Keep It Simple 

This may sound like trite advice, but I know that for those of us who have been Christians for a while we tend to over-complicate the Gospel message especially if they are avid studiers of theology. Sometimes we overthink how we are going to present the Gospel message to someone and then when we actually do it we come across as "know-it-alls" or "holier-than-thou". Your loved one with mental illness does not need an overly complicated Gospel message. All you need to do is keep it to the simple message of Christ being crucified on the cross for our sins and bodily resurrecting from the dead. There is absolutely zero need to bring in deep theology or any other antics to convince them to believe. Allow the Holy Spirit to work on their hearts and minds. 

Do Not Argue 

Again, this may sound like trite advice, but it needs to be said because so many of us tend to think that we can argue someone into the Kingdom of God. However, you absolutely cannot do this with a loved one with a mental illness. So many of us get easily triggered by controversy and so an argument may set us over the edge. If your loved one is saying things that seem contrary to the Word of God, it would be best for you to just politely change the subject to a more light-hearted topic for the time being. You can always return to the Gospel at a later time. 

Be Prayerful 

I cannot stress to you how important it is to always be in prayer for your loved one with mental illness. There is power when a Christian prays because we are united to the God of the universe who is in control of all things including your loved one's heart. If you keep this in mind, then you really have no excuse to not pray for them. Your loved one needs you praying for them more than they need anything else so do not forget to do this every chance you get. 

Avoid Trigger Topics 

This one gets a little more difficult because it requires you to know a little about your loved one. You need to be aware of what triggers their mental health symptoms. For example, when I read the Psalms, sometimes it triggers my voices. So, when witnessing to me it would not be a good idea to take me to the Psalms right away. If someone has panic attacks, it would be helpful for you to be aware of what triggers their panic attacks so you can avoid those triggers. This may require you to actually ask your loved one to explain what their triggers are. When you do ask them, do not judge them for their triggers either even if they may seem silly to you. They are very real and troublesome to them and they do not need anyone judging them for their triggers. If you make them feel judged, then they will not trust you and you will have lost your chance at witnessing the Gospel to them. 

Encourage Fellowship

One of the primary signs of mental illness is that we tend to isolate ourselves from people. This actually is a very destructive thing for us to do because then we get stuck in our own minds and spiral out of control. For this reason, we need to be encouraged to remain in fellowship with other believers. So, make sure you encourage your loved one to stay in church even if you have to offer to give them a ride to church. Do not allow us to skip out on fellowshipping with the saints no matter how hard we try. We can be very stubborn about this but if you are consistently offering to take us to church then eventually that consistency will pay off. So many of us think that people do not care about us but if you consistently show that you do care then that will have a profound impact on our minds. Remind us of the scriptural mandate to not forsake the gathering and remind us who our spiritual family in Christ is too. We need these reminders daily because it is so easy for us to forget especially when we are lost in our own thoughts. 

I hope that this gives you a better idea of what it looks like to minister to a loved one with mental illness and I pray that you will remember these tips when you talk to your loved one about the Gospel. Thank you for reading 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

Check out the other Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Dear Atheists, Stop Calling Religion A Mental Illness!

I have spoken to many professing atheists in my lifetime and I even listen to many atheists in the public sphere too. A common theme that I seem to get from these professing atheists is that they think that religion, specifically Christianity, is a mental illness. This idea demonstrates two fundamental flaws: 1) they do not understand what constitutes a mental illness and 2) They are in denial of reality. In this blog, I shall discuss what I mean by these two premises but first I would like to discuss why conflating religion with mental illness is so dangerous. When you confuse religion with mental illness, it puts a stigma on people who belong to a specific religious group. I say this because mental illness is highly stigmatized in society, unfortunately. When you stigmatize religious people by labeling them mentally ill, society then tends to ostracize them. Some professing atheists may say that religious people deserve to be ostracized, but I am willing to bet that most would disagree. I would hope that most people would say that no one deserves to be ostracized because of their religious beliefs. Now, I will talk about my two points concerning why this idea is flawed. 

1) They Don't Understand What Constitutes A Mental Illness 

Many professing atheists who claim that religion is a mental illness demonstrate that they do not comprehend what a mental illness is. I do admit that it is difficult to actually pinpoint an exact definition of mental illness. However, the best definition of mental illness that I have found comes from Dr. Matthew Stanford, a neuroscientist, and Christian. He says in his book "Grace For The Afflicted: A Clinical And Biblical Perspective On Mental Illness" that, 

"In psychology and psychiatry, we define mental illness as a clinically significant disruption of a person's thoughts, moods, behavior, or ability to relate to others, severe enough to require treatment or intervention" 

According to the clinical definition of mental illness, one can only be diagnosed with a mental illness when the illness is disrupting their thoughts, moods, behavior, or ability to relate to others in such a way that it requires some type of treatment or intervention. This would mean that the illness is severely disabling the person from performing daily activities. It should be obvious that religious people do not meet this qualification as the evidence clearly indicates that many religious people have many meaningful relationships with other people and many religious people function normally in daily activities too. As a matter of fact, many religious people in all sectors of professional life do not have any impairments in daily living. So, for one to call religion a mental illness demonstrates that they do not know what they are talking about. As a matter of fact, the accusation says more about the person making the claim than it does about any religious person in general. It says that the person is more interested in shutting down the conversation rather than having a mature and open dialogue which is evidence of the fact that the person is not mature enough for the conversation. It is also a sign of deflection, which leads me to my next point. 

2) They Are In Denial Of Reality 

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them." -Romans 1:18-19 

You probably have noticed that in this blog I've been referring to these people as "professing atheists". The reason why I do this is that there really is no such thing as a true atheist. The Lord Jesus Christ has revealed Himself plainly to all people so the professing atheist is really just someone who is suppressing the truth in unrighteousness because they love their own wickedness and depravity. This may sound harsh and offensive to say but it is the truth. How has God revealed Himself to humans? Well in verse 20 of Romans 1, we read the following, 

"For his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world"

The first way that God has revealed Himself to us is through His creation. When we contemplate how incredibly designed the universe is, we cannot help but see the hand of our Creator. It is so abundantly obvious to us that the universe is designed that even Dr. Richard Dawkins in his book The God Delusion is forced to admit that the universe looks designed, but then he goes on to suggest that we must remind ourselves that its the result of "millions of years of evolution". However, why do we need to "remind" ourselves to ignore what is so obvious to us? This sounds like suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. The fact is, the universe is so incredibly designed that microbiologist Dr. Michael Behe called it "irreducible complexity", which is just a fancy way of saying the universe is intelligently designed and thus requires a greater intelligence to have designed it. If this does not convince you, there is one other way that God has revealed Himself to all people and that is through our consciences. In Romans 2:14-16 we read, 

"For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus"

All humans are born into this world with a conscience that knows right from wrong. Have you ever seriously considered how you actually know that murder and lying are indeed wrong? Or even how child molestation is wrong? It cannot be because you were raised in a society that believes those things are wrong. After all, if society is the arbiter of morality then that would mean society can change what is deemed right and wrong on a whim. However, I am more than positive that most people would agree that even if everyone in society said that child molestation was right that it would still be morally wrong to molest a child. However, where did such knowledge come from? There must be an objective standard of right for us to know what violates that standard. Let me elaborate on this with an illustration: Imagine we have two entirely different maps of Africa and we wanted to determine which map was indeed correct, how would we do that? Well, we would need to look at the actual continent of Africa to see which map was the closest. However, if Africa does not exist then both maps are irrelevant. In the same way, if God did not exist, then all of our moral judgments would in fact be irrelevant and arbitrary. It would not matter if we thought child molestation was right or wrong. However, we all seem to agree that child molestation is indeed wrong no matter where we are from. This is evidence that there is a universal standard for what is right and thus demonstrates that God exists as that standard. This argument has been called The Moral Law argument for God's existence and I have yet to see an atheist give a sound refutation for it because there is none. 

As you can clearly see, religion is not a mental illness, and those who say that it does, do not understand what is a mental illness and they are denying reality. I hope that if you are someone who once believed this erroneous belief that you will abandon it after reading this blog. Mental illness is a serious disability and it must not be trivialized by using it to shut down the conversation. The reality is that professing atheists hate God and their neighbor and love their own wickedness instead. This is why Psalm 14:1 calls these people fools because they are fighting against the grain of reality. I hope that you are not one of these people, but if you are then I call you to repent and put your faith in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for your salvation. You know that you have violated His standard of perfection and thus deserve eternal condemnation. God has not left you in this predicament because He came down as a human being to take our punishment upon Himself on a bloody roman cross. Then, three days later He rose from the dead. Now, anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be saved and have communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for eternity. 

--David Lee Chu Sarchet 
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the Christ-Centered Mental Health Ministry Website

Should Someone With Mental Illness Have The Right To Die?

In modern times there has been much debate concerning whether or not one should have the right to a physician-assisted suicide. Whether one is on the pro side or the con, the debate does tend to get pretty heated. However, lately the debate has added a new factor into it and that is whether or not someone with severe mental illness should have the same right. Those who say "yes" usually argue that if after exhausting all medical and psychological methods one is still not getting any better then the patient should be allowed to ask their doctor to medically help them commit suicide in order to end their suffering. Those who say "no" make the argument that life is in the hands of God and only He can decide who lives and who dies and that we should pretend to be God. But, what does the Bible say concerning this topic? In this blog, I shall be discussing exactly how we as Christians should view this important topic. 

The first thing I would like to talk about is the value of human life. The reason for this is because at the core of this debate is over whether or not human life has any value. As Christians, we would obviously say that human life is immensely valuable, but the secularist would say that human life is no more valuable than a pig or a rat. According to God's word, which side is correct? If we turn to Genesis 1:27 we read the following, 

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

Theologians have traditionally called this the Imago Dei (Image of God). Human beings are mirror images of the Creator since the time of creation even after the Fall. Think about this for a moment. As finite, sinful, imperfect human beings, we mirror the perfect, infinite, incorruptible, majestic, glorious, good God of creation. This is why the Psalmist can say in Psalm 139:14, 

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well" 

These truths apply to all human beings everywhere regardless of whether or not they are born-again Christians. However, for those of us who have submitted to the Lordship of Christ, we have even more immense value and dignity. As Peter tells us in 1 Peter 2:9, 

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

All Christians everywhere are consider royalty and holy in His sight. We are the very possession of this infinitely glorious God. In Ephesians 4 we read, 

"...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him"

According to this text, God predestined Christians to be holy and without blame since before He created anything! Can you please just take a moment to reflect on that for a second? Before God created this highly complex universe, He chose specific people to be set apart for Himself as blameless! If this does not show you how much we are worth then I am not sure what will. 

Now, that I have established that human beings, both Christians and non-Christians are incredibly valuable, what does this have to do with whether or not mentally ill people have the right to die? Much in every way! Since we are so incredibly valuable, we should always strive to preserve and protect human life at all costs. You may be wondering where does the Bible talk about that now, right? In Proverbs 31:8 we read, 

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed" 

As Christians, it is our duty to stand for the dignity of human life, especially the weak and destitute. When we turn to Psalm 82:3-4 we read, 

"Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked" 

As you can see, it is clearly our duty to protect and preserve human life. I would go as far as to say that if we aren't doing everything we possibly can to protect and preserve human life then we are sinning and should repent. This applies to all human life everywhere from conception until natural death so that would include those who struggle with mental illnesses. We do not have the right to determine who deserves to live or die. Only the Lord Jesus Christ can determine that as He alone is the Creator of life. 

Now, I do sympathize with those who struggle with severe mental illness who feel as if their suffering is too much for them to bear, and I would like to offer some encouragement from the Scriptures that should give one hope. If we turn to Romans 8:18-21 we read, 

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage and and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God" 

No matter what it is that you may be experiencing in this life, it is only temporary. We have an eternal inheritance awaiting us that is far more amazing and makes all of our current suffering seem trivial by comparison. The Apostle Paul was not making light of suffering, however, he was telling us to look at our suffering from an eternal perspective. What exactly was Paul comparing our suffering to when he said this? I believe that he had in mind what the Apostle John would later write about in Revelation 21:1-4. He says, 

"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 from God, 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'." 

Our inheritance is the New Heaven and New Earth where we will be in communion with The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for eternity. There will be no more sin, sorrow, or suffering. We can only imagine what that day will be like but it will be marvelous. I believe this is what Paul was encouraging us to think on when we contemplate our present sufferings. However, it is not that we have to wait until some time much later in the future for our suffering to end. God promises us that in this life our suffering will not last forever. In Romans 8:28, Paul tells us, 

"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" 

No matter what we experience in this life, whether it is physical or mental or spiritual, God promises that He is working everything out for our ultimate good. This means that our suffering is not permanent and this should give us reason to persevere no matter how tough things get because we know that God is in control of our circumstances. We can trust Him with our lives because He is good. 

I trust that now you can see the whole "Should The Mentally Ill Have The Right To Die?" debate in a whole new light. I honestly do not like that this topic has come up because I think it is quite upsetting that people are advocating for the killing of vulnerable people. I have even seen Lauren from the Living Well With Schizophrenia YouTube channel advocate for such a thing  and I have immense respect for her. However, I do not agree with her on this topic. It is not compassionate or loving to say that mentally ill people should have the right to kill themselves regardless of whether or not it is done by a doctor. This is just one example of how the secular world cannot offer those who struggle either physically or mentally any kind of real hope. Real hope lies in the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to always remember that and proclaim it from the rooftops because people need to hear where true hope lies. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope that the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly blesses you all! Soli Deo Gloria! 

-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

How I Overcame Same-Sex Attraction

 

In an earlier blog, I wrote titled Homosexuality & Mental Illness, I made a solid biblical case for why homosexuality is sinful, and then I talked about how mental illness can lead one to have homosexual attractions. I am not in any way excusing sin by saying that and anyone who accuses me of doing that does not understand my point. Mental illness can, and often does, lead one into sin. This does not excuse sin, but it does provide the context for sin. In my blog, I gave two examples of mentally ill people who struggled with homosexual attraction: myself and John Nash In this blog, I shall talk about how I overcame bisexual attraction and the purpose of this is to give hope and encouragement to any Christian out there who struggles with homosexual attraction. My hope and prayer are that after you read this that you will be encouraged to believe that the Holy Spirit has the power to radically transform lives. 

Before I get into the meat of this blog, I do have a confession to make to all of you. During my more unstable moments (such as when I am manic), I do still struggle with my bisexual attraction. This actually motivates me to continue taking care of my mental health by taking my medication and seeing my therapist because I know that these attractions are sinful and unnatural. However, this does not mean that I have not overcome my bisexual attraction because they no longer define who I am. My identity is found in the person of Jesus Christ. Before I talk about how I overcame these attractions, let me start by giving you some backstory so you can understand how I became tangled up with same-sex attractions, to begin with. 

Some of you are already aware of the fact that I spent a good portion of my life in the foster care system. What you didn't know is the fact that until I was about 15 years old I was pretty naïve when it came to the topic of sex. ' For example, I believed that a hickey was created when someone bit another person's neck sort of like a vampire does! I think the reason I thought this was because my mom and stepdad did not do a good job preparing me for the topic of sex. They never even had "The Talk" with me. This is why when I went to live with my biological father and my younger brother and I was exposed to his thousands of pornographic magazines and video tapes, I literally became addicted to sex. I was a regular sexual deviant and chronic masturbator too. To say that I was a sex addict is a bit of an understatement really. It was literally all that I ever thought about. 

My brother may have been younger than me by two years, but he was physically bigger in stature and stronger than me too. Naturally, this caused me to be intimidated by him, but eventually, my intimidation turned into arousal and attraction as I began to fantasize about him humiliating and dominating me. I never told him about this nor have I told anyone about this except for a select few people because until recently I have always felt a great shame about this. 

Later in life, I learned to embrace my bisexual attractions even though the Lord prevented me from fully acting on them. What I mean by this is I never actually had sexual intercourse with a man, but I used to paint my nails and dress effeminately too. This naturally led me to believe one day that I was a woman trapped in a man's body. I was led to this belief by a question posed to me by a trusted adult in my life. 

Basically, I was really messed up in the head at one time and I believe it was because I had no real healthy relationships in my life. I also did not know what a man really was. When I was younger, my only model of a man was what I have seen on television and my stepdad, who was essentially absent from the picture most of the time. 

When I finally came to the Lord, it was a long process but He eventually helped me become content with my sexuality and my identity in Him. One of the primary ways the Lord helped me overcome these attractions is by giving me a serious conviction of how sinful and unnatural they really are. The Holy Spirit really helped me understand that the way God designed sex is between one man and one woman inside of a marriage covenant before Him. Anything outside of this boundary is unnatural and utterly sinful. 

The next thing that the Lord did to help me overcome these desires is He brought into my life healthy relationships with godly men such as my best male friend and certain godly mentors who really took the time to display biblical manhood to me. Also, the Lord restored my relationship with my godly sisters who have always shown me Christlike love. This has been the major catalyst that has changed me because I no longer felt like I was alone in this world. 

Another thing that the Lord has done in my life was to give me a beautiful wife who absolutely adores me. The fact that she adores me so much has caused me to strive to be the best man that I can be for her and to maintain a close relationship with Jesus Christ. I feel unworthy of her love because I know how much of a wicked sinner I truly am, but her love for me causes me to be in awe of God's unconditional love for me. 

Another thing that the Lord has done in my life was give me a godly accountability partner with whom I can be 100% transparent. He never makes me feel ashamed of my thoughts and feelings and I know I can trust him with my life. I know we may have our minor disagreements and we sometimes get on each other's nerves, but we love one another as brothers in Christ regardless. 

Finally, being completely grounded in God's word has really helped me overcome my same-sex attraction. I fully recognize the meaning of our Lord's words when He said that "man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God". We desperately need to live off of the word of God to sustain our faith and protect us from the enemy's attacks. Whenever I am tempted to submit to my bisexual attractions, I simply remind myself of what God says about homosexuality and about sex in general. It is a difficult thing to remain with these attractions when your mind is saturated with Holy Scripture. 

If you are a Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction, please understand that you are not alone. I know that this has been very helpful to me because part of my shame came from thinking I was alone and no one understood me. However, there is no temptation that is not uncommon to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). This means that any temptation you are facing is the same temptation that every person faces. So, your temptations are completely normal. You are not a freak of nature! Also, for those of us who are in Christ, there is no condemnation because Jesus has already taken our condemnation on Himself at the cross (Romans 8:1). This means we can truly walk in freedom from shame over our struggle because God will never hold it against us. He promises us that we are not condemned and He promises to literally and radically transform us too. 

I hope that you are encouraged after reading this blog and I thank you for taking the time to read this. I understand that this is a touchy subject for most people but my prayer is that the Lord uses my testimony so that many people will see the transforming power of God's love in Christ. 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